Partnerships for Tomorrow
Who we are and how we started
September 1995 meeting
October 1995 Communities
Online Conference
How you can become involved
Prepared by David Wilcox dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk
September 23 1996
This page URL http://www.webserve.bt.com/communities/orgs/P4T.html
Who we are and how we started
Partnerships for Tomorrow was started in 1995 by David
Wilcox, Richard Stubbs and Michael
Mulquin, who then developed the network through their contacts in the
voluntary and non-profit sectors, and the telecommunications industry. The
first meeting of the network was held on September 18 1995, when a wider
range of people introduced themselves.
BT Community Affairs supported a conference in October 1995 to demonstrate
the potential of an online Community Regeneration Network, and then backed
further development work.
The South Yorkshire Community Network also met for the first time in September
1995, and with Sheffield University planned the first UK conference for
community networkers in July 1996.
September 1995 meeting
Report by David Wilcox
About 30 people attended the first Partnerships for Tomorrow meeting on
September 18 1995. This summary note was sent to those attending.
At the end of this report is a summary of the yellow stickies we used for
our brainstorming and discussion. It could all be divided up differently,
but the following strong threads emerged for me.
- The future information society. We weren't all happy about it p;
but can we do anything? At least we can help make people aware of what is
coming, and raise the debate on who benefits, who pays, who controls.
- The technology. We need more basic understanding and guidance on what
it can do. We need again to debate and seek to influence who has access
and on what terms.
- Networking. We need more effective networking of information about
initiatives nationally and internationally. We need to shake out the roles
of public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
- Community networks. At the local level there is much interest in community
networks and other models. What are they for? How will they work? Who will
they help? Who is doing it already; back to national and international networking.
- Strategy. There was strong support for continuing P4T development.
Some 20 people put their hands up to be involved.
What next
Michael Mulquin is helping organise a steering/strategy group and is suggesting
Monday October 9 or Wednesday October 11. More from him shortly.
My conclusion from the discussion and past work is that we aim for the following:
P4T is a is a network and information system to promote debate on the impact
of new media technologies on communities, and explore benefits. It acts
as a referral point to existing projects and networks, and supports and
helps those setting up new initiatives in this area (hopefully the group
can improve on this).
- It operates through a series of linked projects developed by those
involved in the network.
- The core/hub is a server(s) running a mailing list, First Class system,
Web etc. A place to experiment as well as resource the network. I act as
main editor/moderator with others from the network acting as topic editors/moderators.
- We also develop, with various partners:
- A Guide (I have some US contacts who have started and will collaborate
on this)
- Events p; regional, national, international.
- Training and support for local projects.
- If possible we avoid creating a new organisation. Funding is attached
to particular projects (we will need to see how this appeals to potential
backers, and whether we need a charitable body to act as host for some aspect).
I just know if we create an organisation we will get into what the Americans
call turf wars.
- Rather than a long-term steering group we have a core network made
up of project leaders and moderators, with some people taking lead roles
to reflect national. local, technical, policy interests. Anyone out there
experience of virtual organisations?
- If possible we use the October 31 event as a launch pad, which sets
a deadline for getting things moving.
- I draft a proposal to British Telecom (in the first instance), with
input from the strategy group.
Stickies From September 18
Technology Futures
Debate information infrastructure policies around control, ownership, public
space.
How do we engage the vast majority who don't know what telematics means?
Given the changing UK economic environment, i.e. lower salaries, older people
etc. p; how do we pay for the Information Society?
How do we temper American culture and encourage and develop our own?
Where does the technology end and the individual/society begin?
The technological/social divide p; how to avoid technologists making
technological decisions and the rest not trespassing
The DIY society/community. Is this our future?
How do we have an opt-out parallel society?
If technologies are profit driven how can we hold back its development p;
especially if some cultures want it?
Is bandwidth an issue? e.g. problems in Rural areas? What will ISDN do for
the Hebrides?
How can IT deal with issues of copyright?
Issues: addressing the attitude to information to create knowledge.
Where is community? Who is 'we'?
I have a section on democracy and civic republicanism at my home page http://www.dar.cam.ac.uk/www/gsa1001.htm
(Scott Aikens). Also for E-democracy projects in the USA
What new ways of working and thinking are produced by on-line interaction
with people and information?
Access to the technology
How do we involve the most disadvantaged in the community so they don't
become more disadvantaged in IT terms.
Information and community need are paramount p; technology is only the/a
means.
Civic participation is a chimera?
Equal accessibility p; not isolating any groups.
How can creative individuals in the Arts get funding as well as companies
Ensure access to information technology
Discuss/ensure access for rural communities: consumer/commercial, education,
community networks.
Make kiosks p; public access points p; really accessible.
How to deal with exclusion issues.
How to get cheap modems computers and training for community groups and
people in deprived communities?
Is it have and have nots, or will and will nots?
How to ensure smaller voluntary groups gain access to technology p;
through getting community voluntary service in London online (?) (the trouble
is p; I've been focusing on the technology p; need to consider exactly
what they could use it for!)
Using the technology
As an exercise, grade various on-line facilities in order of usefulness
(email, listservers, conferences, WWW)
I am ignorant about anything starting http: //
Please explain bandwidth.
Technology is getting in the way p; how do I transfer files?
How do we help communities to make demands on technology to meet their needs
(rather than channel their activities into the demands of the technology)?
Community groups - which kinds will use the technology and which kinds won't?
(e.g. campaigning orgs, servicing orgs, self help groups...)
Which are the groups of people for whom new technology developments will
not increase isolationism and anti socialisation? How can we work to meet
their needs first?
Address practical problems.
What are the benefits of the technology to community groups.
Personal and organisational development using technology.
Passing on information/knowledge to voluntary sector groups (in London from
my perspective) is how they can gain access to/understand/use the technology
to facilitate their organisational development (i.e. get on funding/personnel
issues).
Brighton Health Care NHS Trust publishes info on the Web p; what are
the issues of making more people in the local community aware of and able
to use info?
Community education through community methods p; can they help?
I want to see some evaluation carried out and disseminated on the difference
that the technology has made to community groups meeting their objectives.
Networking nationally
How many other groups like this are there in all sectors? How do we co-ordinate?
What projects are known to us that are 1 involved in collating resources
and 2 agencies or organisations that are emerging on Internet/BBS. a) How
might these overlap. b) How might these collaborate.
How to provide a framework/forum so people aren't all reinventing the wheel?
Can we please list the real examples of new media actually working now for
community/social benefit, and contacts. (what makes them work? What do they
have in common?)
How can we facilitate communication among people who are actively promoting
a community perspective in this field?
Are there private sector mirror images of this group p; how do we get
through the looking glass?
I would like to know more about Telecities and other EU activity.
Don't propose a research project on current initiatives p; it will be
instantly out of date.
The (ever present and essential) skill of how, in an inclusive fashion p;
we network effectively.
Community info networks to support/inform/etc organisation engaged in urban/rural
regeneration
Increase knowledge of community groups about what is happening.
Community networks and WWW - working through IT/linking small community
interests world-wide/issues of access.
Networking locally
How do you define a 'community' in the context of an online system?
Development issues: vision and how do we get there. Electronic replication
of real networks or revolutionary.
Defining community networks.
Education/training in using/setting up community networks. How? Where?
Managing community networks p; making online democracy work on a small
scale?
The politics of community networks. Do you need to keep local authorities
at arms length? The difference between co-ordination and control.
Efforts made by local authorities are generally greeted with extreme scepticism
by the least empowered in society (with historical jusification) How can
community orgs be encouraged to take up networking tools?
Local politicians need to be taken with us.
How to create and sustain networks on issues, or for dispersed individuals
e.g. rural credit union development. Who pays, who trains?
Community networking p; not a substitute for anything.
Return power to community organisations.
Funding - where do you get funding? Charging policy?
Key development issues: who does what. Funding. Process. Political issues.
Staffing for community networking. Full time? For maintenance?
How do you monitor and evaluate community networking?
Empowerment factor fallacy.
Couldn't existing information skills, e.g. in public libraries, be better
harnessed/resourced top develop communities and their networks?
Moving forward - P4T strategy
What specific objectives do we want to achieve through this process?
How do we stimulate and broaden this debate?
How do we share information?
Develop effective partnerships between the commercial/public/non-profit
sectors.
What should large companies like BT do?
Bring the IBMs, BTs, Shells together to develop plans for community information
access centres p; who knows about this, who do we go to?
How do we explore, test the tech/info/real world issues live?
How to get funders for the process of Partnerships for Tomorrow?
Who takes a lead?
Flip charts
Additional points from group discussions were:
Avoid jargon
Explore the area p; look for common interests between extremes p;
constructive cycles p; enlightened self interest
* Training
* Recycle hardware through an intermediary
* Create local infrastructures - give them a 286
* Democratic dialogue
* Online activism
* Develop projects using the technology
Develop a guide on the area and how to use equipment
Guidance on how to choose 'best fit'
Ensure quality and management of information
Timely and up to date information
Make email a priority
Customise an initiative for the voluntary sector
Much scope for distance learning
In developing P4T:
Principles
* Cross sectoral
* Light
* Collaborative
* Experimental/learning
* Open
* Network of networks
* Organic and incremental
Objectives
* Practical action oriented - fundable
* Find out and link up with other organisations
* Create a collective resource pool
Those attending were:
G Scott Aikens "G.S. Aikens" <gsa1001@CUS.CAM.AC.UK>
Martin Ayton 0171 713 6161
Nick Bailey baileyn@wmin.ac.uk (Nick Bailey) 0171 911 5000 x3117
Jonathan Baker-Bates jonathan@theframe.com 0171 434 3315
Clive Baldock cliveb@rsch.org.uk (Clive Baldock) 01273 696955 x4387
Monica Barlow ecotrust@gn.apc.org (Monica Barlow) 0117 9420162
Mike Brian esccplan@pavilion.co.uk (Mike Brian) 01273 481619
Jonathan Brown 0171 713 6161
Lynette Cawthra 0181 679 8000
Thurstan Crockett 100646.3474@compuserve.com 0121 212 9221
Peter Day day <P.Day@bton.ac.uk> 01273 643513
Mary Doyle DTA@GEO2.Poptel.org.uk 0171 706 4951
Peter Durrant thedurrants@cityscape.co.uk 01223 262759
David Evans ex2014@ccug.wlv.ac.uk (David Evans) 01902 353929
Dave Fitzpatrick d.fitzpatrick@lond.geonet.de 0171 241 2162
David Gill 0121 569 4911
David Greenop greenopd@wnh1ec.igw.bt.co.uk (David Greenop) 0171 356 9471
Anne Harris 100703.3144@compuserve.com (Ann Harris) 01273 571989
Kevin Harris cdf@geo2.poptel.org.uk (Kevin Harris) 071 226 5375
Eiko Itoh 0171 381 6276
Greg McNeill groundwork-hack@lond.geonet.de (Greg McNeill) 0181 985 1755
Michael Mulquin aston-ciu@geo2.poptel.org.uk
Ian Pearson ian.pearson@bt-sys.bt.co.uk
Tracy Stiles lvsc-library@geo2.geonet.de (Tracy Stiles) 0171 700 0100
Chris Stokes c.stokes@lancaster.ac.uk (Chris Stokes)
Peter Stott 100533.2643@compuserve.com (Peter Stott) 0141 339 7564
Chris Studman chris@ecosaur.demon.co.uk (Chris Studman) 01203 711185
Kay Wagland kaywagland@gn.apc.org (Kay Wagland) 01903 884926
Chris Whitmore 100111.3515@compuserve.com (Chris Whitmore) 01273 606767
David Wilcox dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk 01273 677377
John Wilkinson J Williamson <xtg035@cent1.lancs.ac.uk>
Morris Williams morris.williams@csm.uwe.ac.uk 01272 656261
More details on those attending
October 1995 Communities Online Conference
In October 1995 Urban Forum and Partnerships for Tomorrow ran a conference
at BT Centre on the theme of Communities Online.
At the conference we demonstrated a bulletin board system which could be
used as the basis for an online information system for community-based projects.
It used the same user-friendly software - First Class - as the Regen.Net
system backed by the Department of the Environment for `official' partners
in local regeneration projects.
Our pilot system was developed on an existing system called pHreak operated
by Intermedia Associates.
Plenary session conclusions
At the end of the conference, participants in the plenary session concluded
that the task for the Community Regeneration Network is twofold:
- Help people get online and provide them with support.
- Develop an online system which provides a communications infrastructure
and easily accessible information for the sector.
The system should cater for a range of users: individuals, groups, organisations,
networks. Some will already be online, but many will not.
The online system should enable users to have public and private conversation
(email, use of conference and chat areas), and also provide substantial
information resources.
The immediate implications for development are then:
- Create the technical platform - the hub computer (server) with direct
dial in and Internet access. (At present pHreak performs this function for
the demo and pilot).
- Recruit a core of active users, ranging from individuals to network
organisations.
- Provide training and support.
- Encourage users to upload their own information, and target some major
information providers.
- Manage the technical and editorial development of the system, support,
training etc.
- Monitor and evaluate the experience during a pilot period, then market
more widely through a range of media.
The way forward is by:
- Gaining the commitment of major network organisations who can provide
users, information, and endorsement. These organisations include Urban Forum,
the Development Trusts Association, BASSAC, Community Development Foundation,
and the Standing Conference on Community Development.
- Mounting a one-year pilot to work through the issues above, and develop
a longer-term structure and business plan. The development work would be
closely linked with the 'real world' development of Urban Forum and other
national and regional networks.
- During the pilot refine the scope and positioning of the system: the
topics it would cover, the target audiences, the pricing structure and editorial
approach.
- The pilot will be managed by members of the Partnerships for Tomorrow
network, working with Intermedia Associates and key network organisations.
- For the longer term the working assumption is the Network will operate
through a non-profit company earning revenue through user subscriptions
and contract work.
P4T people
Michael Mulquin
I co-ordinate a team of 11 people - the Community Involvement Unit, working
in Newham (East London), the most deprived borough in England and Wales.
It also has one of the highest percentages of ethnic minorities in the country
(at least 42%) and has the most ethnically diverse population. In short,
it is a very exciting place to live and work. We seek to "encourage
and equip the people of Newham to work together to effectively tackle issues
of poverty, deprivation, discrimination, prejudice, disadvantage and powerlessness."
We help in the setting up of community groups, provide training and support
in the areas of financial and organisational management to community groups
and maintain a library, including access to on-line databases for the benefit
of community groups. We also have a strong research programme looking at
key issues relating to community and the voluntary sector. Newham Council
has been granted £2 million from Europe to set up multi media kiosks
around the borough to provide access points for information and help and
we have begun working with them on developing the project. We are very new
to electronic networking, but are trying to ensure that the voluntary sector
in Newham benefits from the technology and, more generally, are wanting
to make sure that poor communities are not further excluded by developments
in electronic communications.
Richard Stubbs
I'm 45 years old and have spent the last 24 years involved with community
based initiatives including housing, worker and consumer co-ops, CDAs, charities
and community enterprises. I am currently working half time for a development
trust in Newham (East London, U.K.) on a 1.3 million pound scheme to convert
a church so as to provide a health centre, community room, office and training
space. The work also involves establishing community enterprise tenants
including a homecare co-operative, cafe and childcare practice and training
centre.
For about two days a week I am helping David Wilcox and others establish
Communities Online. My input is mainly
in terms of business planning and the technical aspects (I was once a computer
consultant and programmer). As an active practioner in the community enterprise
field I am very keen to see the Community Regeneration Network properly
established.
I live in a housing co-operative in Newham and am its Treasurer, other voluntary
occupations include being Chair of Newham Co-operative Party, Treasurer
of Community Economy Ltd and being on the steering group of NewTel which
is a charitable project to establish an online community network.
David Wilcox
I spent 12 years as a journalist, mainly with the Evening Standard in the
1970s. Since then I have worked as a consultant, trainer and writer specialising
in community participation and partnership building. I have been the voluntary
chair of the North Kensington Amenity Trust (developing 20 acres of land
under a motorway), and chair of the North Laine Community Association (or
Bohemian Brighton as the official guide has it).
I'm interested in community electronic networks because they seem to challenge
elites. The readers become writers, public bodies are challenged to put
information into the public domain, partnerships become more widely based
IF..... people have access to the technology, the information and discourse
is well structured, and virtual communities are based on real ones.
I'm now spending most of my time, with Richard Stubbs, developing Communities
Online. Michael Mulquin is acting chair of the 'shadow' board.
Many of my ideas for Partnerships for Tomorrow came from a visit to a conference
of community networkers in Cupertino, California in 1995. Communities Online
stemmed directly from the 1996 conference in Taos, New Mexico, where we
decided to form the International Association
for Community Networking.
How you can join P4T
The development of Communities Online
has take most of the energy of those who started P4T. However we would be
interested to here from anyone who thinks that development of the group
would be useful. There is a mailing list you can join, which is used for
occasional announcements by those who have subscribed.
To join the Partnerships mailing list send a message to:
Listserv@theframe.com
With a message body of:
Subscribe Partnerships-L yourfirstname yourlastname
To unsubscribe to the list, put the following in the message body:
Unsubscribe Partnerships-L yourfirstname yourlastname
To send mail to the list address it to:
Partnerships-L@theframe.com
Note in replying to messages these go only to the sender unless you choose
to insert Partnerships-l@theframe.com in the To: slot.
Or contact
Michael Mulquin aston-ciu@geo2.poptel.org.uk
Richard Stubbs 100617.3462@compuserve.com
David Wilcox dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk