We need to adopt a strategy of working through and with grassroots organizations. An organizational strategy has many advantages. Organizations usually have greater financial resources than individuals, particularly low-income people … To include other populations, we need to work through the organizations that impact their lives … Organizations are multipliers. Training individuals helps individuals. Training people in an organization means that the skills are likely to be passed on to others … Rooting cyberspace in the social realities of neighborhood organizations increases the odds that the needs and priorities of those “have not” areas will be effectively aggregated and expressed. If we want to impact NII policy, we have to build a grassroots base as well as advocate at the federal level.
Predictor: Miller, Steven E.
Prediction, in context:The August 1994 issue of The Network Observer, an online newsletter, carries an article titled “Building the NII from the Bottom Up: A Strategy for Working Through Local Organizations” by Steven E. Miller of the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility national board. Miller writes:”People who are creating civic networks as a way of anchoring NII development in the needs and realities of local communities must go beyond making their facilities available to large numbers of individuals, even if those individuals are low-income, non-white, non-English speaking, or any of the other politically correct categories. We need to adopt a strategy of working through and with grassroots organizations. An organizational strategy has many advantages. Organizations usually have greater financial resources than individuals, particularly low-income people … To include other populations, we need to work through the organizations that impact their lives … Organizations are multipliers. Training individuals helps individuals. Training people in an organization means that the skills are likely to be passed on to others, and that the community will retain an institutional capability even as individuals pass in and out of activity. Instead of trying to convince people to come to the network, the network goes to where the people are already being gathered together to serve their own needs. These are the groups that are already fighting to empower their members, it will be no small accomplishment if we can help them finds ways to use telecommunications to increase their chances of success … Rooting cyberspace in the social realities of neighborhood organizations increases the odds that the needs and priorities of those ‘have not’ areas will be effectively aggregated and expressed. If we want to impact NII policy, we have to build a grassroots base as well as advocate at the federal level.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Digital Divide
Name of publication: The Network Observer
Title, headline, chapter name: Building the NII from the Bottom Up: A Strategy for Working Through Local Organizations
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/tno/april-1994.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne