Feature

Weaving a Web of Support

By Charles Brennick, Chair, InterConnection 

A group of Mapuche indigenous women in Chile knit traditional, hardy woolen shawls and sweaters for income to support their small-scale nature-tourism program that would allow visitors to enjoy the picturesque mountains and rivers nearby. Without the funds or resources to market their goods and services at a sufficient level, they consider the Internet. They have heard of the Internet and believe that a web site displaying their crafts and tourism program would increase demand and attract international visitors. Unfortunately, they do not have the expertise or equipment to create a web site themselves, let alone the funds to hire a web developer. 

Layla, a student studying web site design in Seattle, would like to improve her web design skills and apply them to some philanthropic end. Her busy calendar, loaded with work and study responsibilities, doesn't allow much free time to take on anything too involved. While browsing the Internet one evening, she finds a Virtual Volunteer opportunity that is a perfect match for her time availability and skills. Best of all, she'll be helping indigenous women in Chile. She is connected with the organization and assigned the project. She receives background information and photos on the Mapuche group. She spends the next few weeks creating a basic web site for them, and places the page on the web. 

A Mapuche woman and the colorful local woven products

The Mapuche group in Chile begin to receive visits to their web page. Then, they begin receiving visits to their village. Tourists have read about their community nature-tourism program on the Internet and want to personally experience this locally operated, culturally rich program. The women artisans begin selling their weavings to buyers all over the world, thanks to their web page showing photos and descriptions of their crafts. Aid organizations and volunteers who have learned of their needs by reading their web site can now contact the Mapuche community directly. 

Making Connections

InterConnection (www.interconnection.org) is a pioneering, nonprofit organization that donates web sites and computers and provides Internet training to organizations dedicated to benefiting the local community or environment in developing countries. By ensuring that these communities have access to the Internet, InterConnection bridges the ever-increasing technology gap between developed and developing countries. 

In the year since InterConnection was launched, it has provided web sites and web hosting to more than 15 organizations from developing countries around the world. Another 23 groups are slated to receive web sites.

InterConnection provides three levels of support to bring groups in the developing world on-line. 

The primary level of support is the donation of web sites and Internet hosting. Essentially, the web site provides a venue for groups to explain their mission, their community processes and their culture. The web site presents the opportunity for groups to solicit specific volunteer resources from abroad and a locale to market their goods, whether they be tourism opportunities or artisan crafts. 

The next level of support is providing Internet tools, including computers, modems and software. InterConnection solicits new or refurbished computer equipment from corporations, offices or individuals and works to place this equipment in a location within the developing community where it will provide the most benefit, such as in a school, library or cooperative.

The third level of support provided by InterConnection is the Global Internet Instructor program. Of course, once groups receive tools to access the Internet, they need to be taught how to use them. Global Internet Instructors live within the community for one to three months and provide guidance on the use of computer equipment, accessing the Internet and the promotion of products and services on-line. The instructors collect background information on the community, their services and products, in order to assist the community in creating their own web site. 


Boosting Local Efforts

Organizations must meet basic criteria to receive support; most importantly, they must be located in a developing country. 

We currently provide support to organizations based in several Latin American countries, Bangladesh, Kenya, India and the former Soviet Union.

Selected organizations have objectives and mission statements that demonstrate that they: 
• Provide economic or social benefits to the community 
• Promote natural resource preservation or human rights 
• Are governed or initiated by the local community 
• Are built, operated and maintained by local people
• Return a majority of profits back into the community 

The backbone of the InterConnection web site donation program is the Virtual Volunteer program www.interconnection.org/volunteer  Virtual Volunteers are people from all walks of life, from all over the world. They donate their valuable time and expertise to create web sites for groups in need. The unique aspect of the InterConnection Virtual Volunteer program is its accessibility; it allows people to volunteer their time and skills from home. 

For more information, please contact Charles Brennick, brennick@ interconnection.org.

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