Affiliations: Cornell University, 338 Kennedy Hall, 14853 Ithaca,
NY, USA
Abstract: This paper discusses why concerns about the importance of content
provision for ICT community development projects, such as tele-centers, must go
beyond international initiatives such as the World Bank Development Gateway.
The authors emphasize the importance of grassroots research, such as community
needs assessments, for the generation of contextually appropriate content
through ICT, including the role that local universities may play as
facilitators in the identification and processing of this content. After
providing a brief case study of a tele-center research project in India, the
paper concludes that awareness raising about the value of information and the
integration of information services within the local communication structures
constitute a basic foundation for locally relevant content generation and
use.