Local Experiments of Information Society and Community Networks Joensuu, 25 March 2003 Jukka Oksa University of Joensuu Karelian Institute Finland *
Structure of presentation 1. Success story 2. Model 3. Problems of transfer 4. Conclusions 5. Frames for interpretation *
Uneven Development in Information Age (Manuel Castells) Positive: Demand for highly qualified labour increases, which may put down barriers for social mobility. Negative: Successful groups may forget the problems of poor in their own societies as they tend to please their well-to-do partners in other countries. Fourth world is being constructed of the excluded and impoverished territories and populations, including parts of otherwise wealthy regions. *
Net vs. Self (Manuel Castells) Nothing may be done outside networks. Human and corporate lives are defined by projects. Against this erosion of continuity stands up the Self". People strengthen their identity by putting emphasis on the particularities of place, ethnicity, nation, gender or religion. *
The Key Question of Local Development How to mobilise the limited local resources... in such a way that the local is connected to networks of a growing wave of development? *
Location of North Karelia *
Social Innovations Against Exclusion in Information Society North-Karelia, Finland First two telecottages in 1986 Information Society is one of the main priorities of Regional Development Plan: NOKIS Strategy, EU RISI (Regional Information Society Initiatives). North-Karelia as a laboratory of social dimension in information society Over 100 on-going information society projects EU Innovative Actions programme for Eastern Finland 2002-04 *
Community Networks in North Karelia, Finland Learning Upper Karelia Nurmes, Juuka, Valtimo Finnish National Fund for Research and Development SITRA 1998-2000 Learning Karelian Hills Nurmes, Juuka, Valtimo, Lieksa, Ilomantsi, Tuupovaara European Social Fund ESR 2000-2001 Learning Central Karelia, Outokumpu and Polvijärvi Kesälahti, Kitee, Rääkkylä, Tohmajärvi, Värtsilä, Outokumpu, Polvijärvi European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund EAGGF 2001-02 *
Community Nets in North Karelia and Finnish OSKU Learning Regions (Funded by Sitra Foundation) Upper Karelia Nurmes, Juuka, Valtimo Karelian Hills extension Lieksa, Ilomantsi, Tuupovaara Central Karelia and Outokumpu district Kesälahti, Kitee, Rääkkylä, Tohmajärvi, Värtsilä, Outokumpu, Polvijärvi North Lapland Sodankylä, Inari, Utsjoki Kainuu Hyrynsalmi, Kuhmo, Paltamo, Ristijärvi, Suomussalmi Pieksämäki district (PiiSavo) Haukivuori, Jäppilä, Kangasniemi, Pieksämäki, Pieksämäen mlk, Virtasalmi Padasjoki district (epäijänne) Padasjoki, Asikkala, Sysmä, Kuhmoinen East-Uusimaa (Kehä 5) Lapinjärvi, Liljendal, Myrskylä, Pernaja, Pukkila East Turku Helsinki Maunula (Nettimaunula) Turunmaa Archipelago Dragsfjärd, Houtskari, Iniö, Kemiö, Korppoo, Nauvo, Parainen, Västanfjärd Oksa & Turunen 2002
Valtimo Community Network Learning Karelia Hills 2000-01 Nurmes Juuka Lieksa Net can be accessed from Ilomantsi Tuupovaara - inhabitants about 45 000 - registered users over 9 000 (spring 2001) workplace schools open access kiosks home abroad with FirstClass-software Internet-browser
Structure of Community Net Learning Upper Karelia Learning Karelian Hills Citizens Net School net Enterprise net Municipal net Subnets /intranets - discussion zones - teachers - future - local publicity - open - local news - pupils - business to - documents - closed - families business
Weekly Number of Registered Users Oksa & Turunen: Evaluation of the Learning Karelian Joensuun Hills yliopisto, Project, Karjalan 2002 tutkimuslaitos, JO 2001
Learning Karelian Hills Network Registered Users by Municipality, 31 December 2001 Number Share of population Nurmes 2 595 26,8 % Juuka 1 549 23,8 % Valtimo 892 30,3 % Lieksa 1 885 12,6 % Ilomantsi 920 13,2 % Tuupovaara 374 16,8 % Together 8 215 19,0 % In addition there were about 700 users from outside the region. Oksa & Turunen: Evaluation of the Learning Karelian Hills Project, 2002
Evaluation of Community Net Action against exclusion Training + basic computer skills for all, incl. unemployed, small entrepreneurs, youth, pensioners + unemployed were trained to become project workers (peer trainers, network administration) + support to schools Oksa & Turunen: Evaluation Study of the Learning Upper Karelia, 2000
Evaluation of Community Net Action against exclusion Open access kiosks + access for those not having computer + shops, banks, post offices, libraries + clubrooms of youth, pensioners, and unemployed - not finding space for kiosks in the most remote villages Oksa & Turunen: Evaluation Study of the Learning Upper Karelia, 2000
Evaluation of Community Net Action against exclusion Civic message zones + information channel for municipal administration and voluntary organisations + general forum for discussion and participation + virtual round table + free meeting place for teenagers Oksa & Turunen: Evaluation Study of the Learning Upper Karelia, 2000
Top Message Zones in Community Net (Number of visits in January 2002) Flee market 14 416 Free Debate 13 872 Trading Place 13 056 New Messages 12 484 Discussion Zones 10 707 Computers 9 845 Want to Sell 8 332 Nurmes Vocational Training Institute 8 219 Youth Column 7 795 Youth Only Zone 7 498 Greetings 7 252 Want to Buy 6 587 Motor Vehicles & Supplies 6 336 Public Services 6 323 Net Support Info 6 197 Topic of the Week 5 758 Women Only 5 270 Oksa & Turunen: Evaluation of the Learning Karelian Hills Project, 2002
Three Factors of Success in Upper Karelia Project Connecting Local to Global Local Learning Process Sufficient support from outside Jukka Oksa & Jarno Turunen 2002
Professor Manuel Castells in Upper Karelia, December 2000 *
Upper Karelia Project Model Net content Project intervention Community net Free access points Lay trainers Users University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Tasks remain after the project Contents creation? Net management and support? Management of kiosks???? Net content Community net Free access points Training of trainers?? Training of users? Users University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Continuity of the Model Municipality? Training institutes? Enterprises? Volunteers? Net content Community net Free access points Lay trainers Users University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Problems in Enlarging to New Areas 1. Connecting the Community Net and the administrative network of municipalities 2. Finding hosts for open access kiosks (different interests and changing rules) 3. Lacking time resources (18 months project was too short time for starting new processes) Jukka Oksa & Jarno Turunen 2002
Problems in Enlarging to New Areas 4. Social struggles over technology on two fronts 1) Information technology is not for us 2) This is old-fashioned technology, FirstClass Controversy A software becomes a part of social formations Jukka Oksa & Jarno Turunen 2002
Problems in Enlarging to New Areas 5. Local contents in new context - Users in the new localities did not feel that the net was their local net, discussing of their issues, distributing their news. - Local content producers were hard to find (skills were lacking). - Difficulties to motivate to use the net for distribution of information or services. Municipalities and enterprises often felt that existing www -based systems were enough. Jukka Oksa & Jarno Turunen 2002
General Conclusions 1) Technologies are adopted in social processes and are part of social struggles and controversies. 2) Information Society projects are more about learning processes than about the new technology. Every community has to have a collective learning process of its own. Learning of new important things and skills improves self esteem and image. University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
General Conclusions 3) Virtual community (or locality) does not live without structures, norms and management (continuity, rules, resources). 4) Voluntary organisations, local administration, and local enterprises rarely know how to use the electronic publicity and communication. 5) One project is nothing if it is not part of a longer process maintained by committed coalition of actors. University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Mismatch of Different Logic of Activities Projects Association Administration { ;- ( Public service Market Reciprocity University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Construction of Social Capital based on Falk & Kilpatrick 2000 Knowledge Identity Social interaction University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Conclusions 2 Community Networks Improve Connections New possibilities for interaction are created. Locally generated interactions of rural and urban people are initiated. Experience of being in periphery is turned into proactive activity. Local knowledge is translated into network contents, used by the locals. Excluded groups are helped to connect to regional, national and international partners and knowledge resources. University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute, JOksa 2002
Contacts Jukka Oksa University of Joensuu Karelian Institute PO Box 111, FIN-80101 Joensuu, Finland Phone +358-(0)13-251 2454 Fax +358-(0)13-251 2472 jukka.oksa@joensuu.fi WWW local information society research http://cc.joensuu.fi/~alma/infosoc/ *