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The Andes
In Focus
Networking
In pre-Hispanic times, the communities of the Andes relied on an extensive network of trails to exchange information with each other and the outside world. Now, the rural Andes are becoming better connected and better informed, and not just because the ancient trails are being restored. National institutions, NGOs, the private sector and international organizations are carrying out a host of initiatives centering on networking. While rural radio has been a useful tool in the Andes for decades, now more advanced Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are making their way into rural areas, facilitating a more extensive network of communication and more targeted information retrieval.
Bridging the digital divide
Few people in the rural Andes have telephones especially fixed-line phones and people who can afford computers are rare. Rarer still are those whose computers connect to the Internet. However, much work is being done to help poor rural communities gain access to telephones, computers and the Internet. Community telecentres and telephone cooperatives are on the rise, and increasing numbers are giving people cheap access also to the Internet. Many are being established through initiatives to bridge the digital divide .
Using the Internet to better serve communities
NGOs have been particularly active in using new networking technologies to directly benefit poor rural communities in the Andes, and to assist government and other organizations in better serving those communities.
The Mountain Partnership member, the Mountain Forum, has set up a network to connect NGOs and policy-makers, as well as individuals and other organizations with an interest in equitable and ecologically sustainable mountain development in the Andes. It offers a range of Internet-based services, including moderated discussions, email conferences and an online library of case studies, best practices, policy recommendations and reference materials. The information arm of the Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Andes Ecoregion (CONDESAN), Infoandina another Mountain Partnership member offers a wide variety of Internet-related services primarily to NGOs and local and national government. Through activities like travelling workshops, it helps communities establish Internet connections, produce electronic bulletins, and create web pages.
Mountain Partnership members are networking in the Andes
The Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) connects and informs nearly 100 institutions from 17 Latin American countries. For instance, its InfoAndina programme helps them establish connections through the Internet, produce electronic bulletins and create web pages.
The Mountain Forum makes communication opportunities and information available through services including global, regional and thematic e-mail discussion lists, focused electronic conferencing and a rapidly growing online library of mountain resources. It currently hosts over 9,000 documents on its website.
