Building Bridges: In Inca Style

1. Building Bridges: In Inca Style By Martha Davies (ECIE) Electronic Commerce & Information Exchange

2. To send Relevant Information • Quipunet’s mission reads: “To channel information, materials, and help to countries in South America, specially Peru” • ECIE’s mission reads: “To empower Hispanic communities wherever they might be” • We are joining forces, together with other organizations in Peru to use the bridges we have been building.

4. On building bridges-Inca style • Each village is given a quota of how many meters of rope to make • Each family gathers the straw that will be converted into a thin string • Each string is then rolled into a rope • With several ropes they make a cable • The “straw” cables are used to build a suspension bridge

5. Our Virtual Bridges • The Quipunet Virtual Community (180-200): • The “Embrace a School” project helps 11 schools with an average $28,000 p/year • “The March of Computers”: a donation of brand new computers valued at $140,000 • Help during Disasters: Making and delivering bread, and $ 14,000 • Tortas Peru: serves 7 cities. e-commerce business for housewives. • Printing business: brochures, calendars, etc • ECIE: Presentations of virtual seminars, forums: E-commerce, Pharmacy, Autoparts, Indigenous, travel. In English and Spanish.

6. SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE HELPED

8. Samples of work done in Peru with orders sent from USA. We still have problems shipping from Peru

9. FROM THE WORLD>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TO PERU & SA STILL TO COME: THE FORUMS OF 2002

10. FROM PERU>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TO THE WORLD

11. Using “Cabinas” • The public “Cabinas” are a very particular phenomena in Peru. • In metropolitan Lima, for example, almost half of homes have a telephone line, 14% have a PC, but only 7% access the Internet directly. • Approx. 1,867,000 in Lima use Internet at least once a month. (33% of the population) • Most of our work in Peru has been done through the use of Cabinas

12. How are “cabinas” being used? • There are about 2,000 “Cabinas Publicas” in Peru right now. • The number of users reaches 1’061,000 (19% of the Peruvian population) • Peru has the highest number of users in Latin America. • Concytec (Council of Science and Technology), PromPymes, Osiptel, (Fitel) will have a seminar Dec 2 to 16 to find out how to use the Cabinas to acquire relevant Information

13. ECIE – and –”Cabinas” • ECIE has been working with ITC and we have extensive material: • E-Commerce (Import/Export) • Latin Pharma for CAN (Concilio Andean Nations: Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru), BNDES (Banco de Desarrollo de Brazil) • Autoparts Industry

14. 180- 200 Embrace a School: Helps 11 schools with an average of $28,000 per year The March of Computers in 2000 we sent $140,000 worth of computers Tortas Peru makes an average of $400 per month Printing jobs from USA 1% of 2 Million Could Embrace schools, libraries, towns… Could buy more things from Peruvian businesses Could help fund some business enterprises in Peru Could send more relevant information Could present more digital products Quipunet – ECIE – and FITEL

15. The Peruvian Virtual Bridge • Groups of Peruvians abroad (Clubs, organizations) using “cabinas” as a central point to connect directly with their towns to embrace schools, libraries. • Peruvian B to Peruvian C • Promoting Tourism • Keeping Traditions and Roots • Transfer Relevant Information • Educational Seminars, forums

16. The Peru side of the Bridge • 459 Government “cabinas” in Rural areas • Generate interest in using “cabinas” for communication • A place to receive news, plans, offers • A place to write plans, news, needs • A Cooperative to receive names of those interested to participate

17. STRAW OR VIRTUAL BRIDGES • Each of us- a simple blade of grass • Together we form a thin string, • Strings together form a rope, • Ropes together form a cable, • And the cables build a bridge strong enough to help people across. Both ways! • But it takes all of us………..together!