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Send to friendThe Association for Progressive Communications (APC) coordinates the development and operation of a global computer network for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and assists the organizations in protecting their work from attacks by governments and opposition groups.APC grew from a global network of NGOs and Internet service providers that began in the 1980s, when several independent, non-profit computer networks emerged around the world as viable information and communication resources for activists and NGOs. Most of these networks were created with volunteer time and donated equipment, and many grew into fully staffed nonprofit operations, which began sharing material and working to demonstrate that transnational electronic communications could serve international as well as domestic communities working for peace, human rights, and the environment. In 1990 seven of these organizations founded APC as a way to help develop and operate this emerging global network.
In the early 1990s APC’s focus was to increase Internet availability for NGOs, which often had difficulty obtaining web access. As the number of Internet service providers (ISPs) grew during the middle of the decade, APC broadened its work to include Internet rights and lobbying. The association currently focuses on helping NGOs protect their work from attacks by government and opposition groups, who may try to block access to a controversial website.
If an NGO, for example, wishes to circulate information that might, when posted on its site, be blocked or removed by opposition groups, APC will send this information to other organizations for them to post. Through this process of “mirroring,” sensitive material is freely available on the Internet, but is not easily traced back to its source. NGOs can thus prevent costly legal battles that divert resources from their primary missions.
The success of this global network is illustrated in countries such as Hungary, where NGOs only recently became legal organizations, and where the government proposed a law that would limit and more closely control NGO operations. Hungarian NGOs are able to access the resources of 200 global NGOs on an APC network called Green Spider, and collaborate electronically in a private conference with the other organizations. Using some of the participants’ strategic contacts among parliamentary bodies and political parties, members of the discussion have been able to see drafts of legislation, share vital news, and plan NGO responses. Most of the Green Spider NGOs save on phone costs by using off-line tools for interacting online. They quickly connect to their local system, pick up their messages, disconnect, and then prepare all new messages while disconnected. With the leverage from this economical shared strategy space, the NGOs have so far been able to prevent the legislation from being passed. The online collaboration techniques they have developed are also being shared with other NGOs in similar situations.
Although the exact number of APC users is undetermined, the association’s extensive website receives over 200,000 hits per week. Visitors to the site find information on defending Internet rights, Internet services, women’s support networks, and Internet tools specific to the needs of NGOs. One such tool is the “APC Toolkit Project” that teaches online publishing and collaboration techniques for activists. APC works to provide Internet resources and support tailored to the political and economical needs of global NGOs.
Summary completed May 30, 2000
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