CEPES is a registered non-profit based in Lima, Peru which serves the economic and social development needs of campesinos and small farmers. CEPES’ most significant current project is a local development project in a coastal valley the Chancay-Huaral near Lima. The project will eventually directly benefit 6,000 subsistence farmers through the implementation and operation of a local online agricultural information system. "CEPES is convinced that to have some sort of political impact, we needed to become part of a worldwide movement which focuses on ICTs. The issue demands a global approach, because it goes beyond local and national boundaries," said Maicu Alvarado, head of the ICT for development office. "This was one of the primary reasons we sought APC membership."

The Open Forum of Cambodia established the first connection to the internet from Cambodia in 1994 and has played a pioneering role in ICT in Cambodia ever since. They have developed tools to allow Cambodians to use their native Khmer script which in unique in Asia in e-mail and mailing lists and to read Khmer-language web pages which automatically download the Khmer font for Cambodian readers. The Open Forum was formed to provide, as the name suggests, an unrestricted space for communication amongst people of different backgrounds and opinions – not an easy task in a complex war-torn society.

ArabDev is a non-profit based in Cairo, Egypt dedicated to spreading information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge and skills among poor communities in Egypt, particularly women and youth. ArabDev aims to help these communities find better livelihood opportunities, through improved access to information and its use in skill development as well as small and micro-enterprises. ArabDev joined APC in September and is APC’s first member from both North Africa and an Arab state.

Unimondo is an independent non-profit media network based in Padua, Northern Italy and founded in 1998. Unimondo’s more than 300 partners most of which are small to medium non-profit organisations from the centre-north of Italy include environmental organisations, international solidarity NGOs, peace groups, women associations, and human rights advocacy campaigns. "Unimondo wants to be an APC member to work on common projects and campaigns, to reach, communicate and exchange with organisations and social movements worldwide," said Unimondo executive director, Jason Nardi.

At a ceremony held in Colombia last night, APC announced the winners of the 2003 Betinho Prize – three remarkable information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives that are improving the lives of people and communities in Latin America.

The Betinho Prize winners in 2003 are:

-ICTs as Tools of Sustainable Development in the Cotahuasi Basin, Peru

-Indigenous Information Network (Red de Información Indígena), México

-Tiflolibros – First Electronic Library for the Visually Impaired Spanish-Speakers, Argentina

On October 19th, APC member in Rosario, Argentina celebrates the first anniversary of the launch of their community information portal Enredando. "Endredando" means "I’m part of a network" as well as "weaving a web". In addition, TAU has recently been honoured by their city government – their networking and ICT activities have been declared ‘of municipal interest’ in an official decree! APCNews covered Enredando’s launch last year.

The use of ICTs by civil society has been central to APC since our founding and we have been working on ICT policy issues since 2000 when APC members identified ensuring internet rights for civil society as a priority. But in 2002 we started to delve beneath the surface of the challenges our communities confront and instead of responding to the symptoms, find ways to help civil society anticipate and plan for the challenges in their policy environment at home or in their use of ICTs in their workplace.