[Computerbank] Australian Group to Experiment Using Digital Dividend Clearinghouse

[Darrell Burkey]

>Internet industry leader Cisco Systems is working with a Cross Sector
Working Group (CSWG) of more than 30 organizations from >the corporate,
community and government sectors to reduce digital exclusion in Australia.
The CSWG is using the Digital Dividend >Clearinghouse for a six-month
experiment in fostering cross-sector collaboration using a Web-based
platform. Participating >organizations will use the Clearinghouse to
exchange ideas, share lessons learned, and identify new project
opportunities.

Those of us spending our time working in such areas have fairly good
networks and this mailing list is a perfect example. I think it's always
good to have venues for communicating with each other and at the end of the
day I'd support such an initiative but I always worry about the possibility
of diluting things by possibly reinventing the wheel.

I work with Computing Assistance Support & Education which is a bit of a
de-facto peak body for IT related issues and the community development
sector. See http://www.case.org.au for more info. We have spent years doing
such things as described above and right now we are a member of the ACT
Chief Minister's Department Community IT Advisory Group which is also doing
significant work in the area of digital divide initiatives.

I wanted to mention that Computerbank's name comes up often in a very
positive light as recycling doesn't appear to work as well here in the ACT
as it does elsewhere in Australia. I believe there is going to be some
funding opportunities specifically for such things in the near future that
you might want to consider taking up. I know there has been interest in a
Compterbank branch here in the ACT for some time. Contact me off list if you
would like to discuss this.

While I was in Melbourne for a conference not long ago I stopped in to see
Kylie and the Computerbank office. I came away with a much better
understanding of how you accomplish things not to mention having a great
time. It was really wonderful to catch up with people who get things done.
Good on 'ya.

Cheers.

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Darrell Burkey