Closing the Digital Divide: The Role of Community Based Non-Profit Organizations

The digital divide characterizes the gap that exists between those populations who are able to benefit fiom digital technologies and those who are not. The initial terminology used to refer to persons on the opposing sides of the divide was the "Haves" and the "Have Nots". The widely accepted initial approach to solving these issues, sometimes dubbed the Civil Rights initiative of the new millennium was to increase access initiatives using the introduction of government sponsored community technology centers. Most of the initial effort to solve or reduce the gap was aimed at supplying digital technologies to communities without the means to acquire them. It was believed that the Have-Not communities would actively accept and adopt the digital technologies, and as a result, many economic and social problems may be solved through the use of these technologies. However development of the infrastructure for access alone has not solved these problems. Governmental Policy initiatives administered during fhe Clinton administration in the US included the introduction of Community Technology Centers (CTC) and community networks in Have-Not communities in the United States (Chacko 2005). These solutions did not increase adoption or acceptance of digital technologies in those targeted communities, but may provide some insight into why access alone does not resolve the digital inequality problems. In another effort to provide technology, Cambodia, a developing country, established a Cyber cafk located in a small village. The technology was being heavily used by local children to play violent video games instead of assisting them with their homework. In this example, technologies are not empowering or benefiting its users (Digital Divide.org 2006).