Introduction
While members of ADCT were carrying own projects in rural areas, we observed that local information was extremely hard to obtain due to various reasons. We were unable to locate trustworthy information source from local villages, communities, or even government. The debacle we have encountered is not just a problem of non-existing infrastructure for transparent flow of information, but actually a lack of awareness of that new means of digital communication strategies can fundamentally shift the resource from center to the edge, from the affluent to the needed. The chances brought up by digital communication has not been highlighted and raised enough attention in a island which is known to be the home of around 70% of laptop computers in the world.
We have engaged some established NGOs which has been in full run for the past few decades, but their operation and communication is entirely analog, meaning information is passed on paper and paper only. Only if we are within their social network can we understand the scope of their hard works. Computers are used to process word document and nothing more is expected out of this digital box, and our members were shocked to realize that this is still happening in 21 century. We began to think if we should make it a little bit different, to raise awareness, to demonstrate various possibilities, and to execute possible projects given our limited resources.
Then comes the “Puncar” project. If not the first, certainly it is among the first. Maintained by Association of Digital Culture Taiwan, the project fully utilize Web 2.0 services. Puncar, equipped with internet facilities, brings digital volunteers to remote villages to Taiwan since May 2008. It systematically travels around Taiwan to teach information technology and applications, such as blogs, Twitter, Google Maps, etc. Students include young and old. The project also makes transparent of the tools they use and the media that they generate.
Puncar directly deals with “the last mile” issue, sending personnel, connections and resources to needed remote areas. It is hoped to increase public awareness to digital divide and related issues. It also aims to bridge digital divide not only by channeling urban resources into country, but also by exporting existing economic values in the villages.
In less than two years, members of the project have trotted 150 places and covered more than 50,000km in this island. It has also grown to manage a fleet of 4 vans, 4 full-time employees and 30 volunteers across different regions. Grants from the “Research, Development and Evaluation Commission”, which is the major department responsible for laying out nation-wide digital policies, is the main source of our finance. Microsoft Taiwan, BenQ Foundation, MSI Computers and Chunghwa Telecom are among those enterprises which have kindly donated facilities and computers to the project. Tainan County and Taoyuan County government have been supportive in opening up public facilities for the project. The global United Way organization has also cooperate with Puncar to train their staff and volunteers.
Puncar is awarded Honorary Mentions in ARS Electronica Prix 2010 in category of Digital Communities.
Contact
- Telephone：+886-2-3322-1768
- Email：adct @ adct.org.tw
Media Reports
- ‘Motion service’ motorcade devoted to narrowing digital gap
- Taïwan : Le Puncar réduit la fracture numérique
- Taiwan: Bridging Digital Divide with Puncar
Photos
- Flickr (more than 5000 amazing images available)