New information and communications technologies (ICTs), the Internet and mobile telephony in particular, are greatly transforming how we work, organize and communicate with each other. ICTs radically change relationships between individuals and groups in organizations and societies. Some communities have already identified what features of these new technologies they can appropriate to address their needs and how they can do that using the limited financial, infrastructural and human resources available to them. This FAO publication, of which Gamos was heavily involved in the writing of, looks at different groups of people in Mexico, Costa Rica and Uganda are appropriating ICTs to make positive changes in their communities.

The case studies in used to illustrate the ideas behind this book are drawn from three very different locations. The Women of Uganda Network (Wougnet) discusses the constraints still facing the information-sharing network in Africa while the Costa Rican Internet radio station, FIRE, delivers community radio to the international community by broadcasting local women's voices to global audiences via the internet. A third case study from Mexico looks at the challenges facing community radio stations as they try to network and integrate new ICTs against a backdrop of an unclear regulatory environment. Finally, the book offers some guiding principles for successful appropriation of ICTs as well as discussing indicators for evaluating ICT interventions.

The full text of this book is available here Revisiting The Magic Box