[Telecentres] Sustainability and Scaling-Up Concerns

[klaus at chasquinet.org]

Dear Anne -Catherine

On 13 Oct 2004 at 0:07, Anne-Catherine Yon wrote:

Thank you for your comments, great!.

>  So what do you think prevent telecenters to move
> further and to organize themselves in a global association? It's not
> as if we were started from nowhere. There are now some years of
> experiences worldwide on telecenters development, of every type,
> success stories as failures, professional people in this field,
> regional and national networks, etc. Some global associations have
> started with less than that! If there is a true expectation for a
> global network from telecenters, I don't understand what prevents to
> do it... just a leader to start the move maybe.

Yes, we have a number of Telecenter Networks but I think the problem is that many 
of them don't understand what there real role is. They see themselves basically as 
mutual support networks and that is good so and that is one important role BUT they 
have an even more important role to act as the representatives of the telecenters 
and as a bridge in the between the telecenters and their users and the private and 
governmental sector. Only strong Telecenter Networks with a clear vision and 
mission can be serious partners for the private and governmental sector. When we 
talk for example about "HelpNets" for Telecenters we should define the role of the 
Help Net not just in providing support on technology and running of the telecenter, 
the HelpNet also has to have the role to co-ordinate and establish the mechanisms 
and tools I was talking about in my original email.  

If we base regional, hemispheric and global associations of Telecenters on just 
supporting each other that is fine, but it will have no real impact and the private and 
governmental sectors will go on trying to make the decisions without us. If we base 
these associations on the need to create joint mechanisms and tools that allow us to 
interact as equal partners with all sectors we will have a real impact for social and 
economical development. 

What we need is not just a leader, what we need is a new vision for Telecenter 
Networks working together as social enterprises for social and economical 
development. 

What prevents us from doing it is simply that some networks are just happy to 
support themselfes and their members whilst others want to go the next step 
towards the social enterprise concept of Telecenter Networks. Both is totally valid 
but we are not singing from the same song sheet and that different vision and 
mission is what is holding us back. 
 
Yours

Klaus