Creating a Participatory Telecenter Enterprise

In this 11-page paper, prepared for the annual meeting of the International Association for Media and Communication Research, Barcelona, Spain, July 2002, the authors explore two interrelated issues, participation and intercultural communication, as attempts to overcome some of the obstacles to access to technology in economically poor areas of India. They use as an example a project designed to test the viability of intermediaries to assist women’s self help groups (SHGs) in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for creating and managing micro-enterprises. They also use the example of consultative participatory research for initiatives in Indian villages that are helping to overcome obstacles to telecentre access by involving villagers in the planning and implementation of a telecentre initiative.

Under the heading "Intercultural and participatory aspects of telecenters," the authors analyse how telecentre organisers might approach community participation by raising the following questions:

• Why is participation important to this project?
• How might people participate?
• How much participation should be sought?
• When should participation take place?
• What incentives can be offered to those who volunteer to participate?

They then cite the following obstacles to participation:

• Economic obstacles - whether the community can pay for services and whether it can provide some services free of charge - is part of determining a business plan for sustainability. In the case of the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), in Gujarat, India, they are trying to sustain the project financially through community banking practices and the support of self-help groups. The telecentre, as an information and training centre which is at the root of self-help group activities and is the promoter of community banking opportunities, is seen by different community groups as essential for their activities. They keep most services free. A share of the money kept in the bank (probably in the form of interests) would serve to pay a salary to telecentre volunteers and to maintain the equipment.
• Physical obstacles to participation - location and its associations - need participatory discussion, e.g., a telecentre in South Africa gained a feeling of community ownership when it was moved out of a library associated with government ownership.
• Social obstacles to participation - people who feel they are marginalised, geographically distant, or very busy - may be lost to participation. Creativity, flexibility, and adaptivity are necessary. Barriers for women embedded in some cultures include literacy, education, language, cost, locality, the perceived role of women, and "technophobia". In the project with SEWA in India, the organisation became an intermediary in organising women for telecentre use. The employment of women as telecentre managers and trainers has helped bring in women. Separation of locations for teenagers and for adults has helped in other cultural situations.
• Political obstacles to participation - the message from a South African telecentre manager in an area of conflicting political groups is: "The telecenter cannot be politically driven, because it is for the community." Using that message, he has gained broader organisational and leadership support.
• Public awareness - communities must know of both the existence and the benefits of the telecentre.

In describing a strategic approach to participation for the design and establishment of telecentres, the authors use research done for the Communication Department at Cornell University, in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS). At the outset, young people collected data in a comprehensive research effort to draw a map of the communication and information patterns used in the village communities, including existing information resources and communication networks. The primary emphasis was put on identifying current village assets and opportunities, and then analysing the potential for a proactive telecentre to solve actual information deficits and meet new demands.

Results based on gender, age, cycle of the seasons, occupation, and education of the informant showed different perceptions of the potential role of a telecentre. Further, the authors found that it is essential to know the most appropriate channels and formats to disseminate that information, as well as the topics of interest and the right cycle of the content provision. Their surveys showed how socio-economic differences determine different media use by gender and occupation. Their research suggests that the high rates of illiteracy and low levels of formal education in the particular villages studied make
interpersonal communication and audiovisual materials most appropriate. Use of the local language was found to be an essential strategy, and, considering the high degree of illiteracy, the use of intermediaries for support, as well.



For raising awareness of the information available through telecentre use and for determining new services, the authors found that forming a steering committee of a diverse group of villagers led to collaborative leadership and a better chance of sustainability. They also noted that in a village social structure where the traditional source of information is village elders and leaders, ignoring this tradition can invite conflicts that hamper an ICT initiative.