[NLA] Digital Divide - More via the U.K.

[Gail Spangenberg]

Colleagues -- And here's a second message from my U.K. colleague and 
friend, which I pass along immediately.  The referenced meeting was 
held today, but note that you can ask to get notices about future 
meetings.  Gail S


The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the Leadership Conference
Education Fund (LCEF) and the Benton Foundation are convening an emergency
meeting of interested parties concerned with the Bush Administration's
proposal to eliminate two, small but crucial technology opportunity programs
as well as their recent "spin" on digital divide more generally. (Please see
attached articles in PDF format or visit the following links: "Digital
Divide Plan in Peril" Washington Post
http://www.civilrights.org/library/detail.cfm?id=6546, "Digital Divide
Report Criticized" USA Today
http://www.civilrights.org/library/detail.cfm?id=6574).

Specifically, President Bush's budget for fiscal year 2003 proposes the
elimination of two programs that assist low-income, rural and other
disadvantaged groups share in the benefits of information technology: the
Technology Opportunities Program (TOP), administered by the Department of
Commerce, and the Community Technology Center initiative, administered by
the Department of Education.

At this meeting, we will discuss the potential need for a general digital
divide public education campaign as well as specific lobbying efforts to
build support for these two specific programs.

The meeting will take place Tuesday, February 12th at 3:00 p.m. in the tenth
floor conference room at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR),
1629 K Street, NW. If your organization is interested in receiving notices
about these meetings in the future, please fill out and return the enclosed
form.

If you have any questions about this meeting, please contact Cory
Smith(csmith at civilrights.org) or Brian Komar (komar at civilrights.org) at
(202) 466-3311. Forms may be faxed to LCCR at (202) 466-3435.

LCCR, LCEF, and the Benton Foundation look forward to working with you to
ensure that all segments of society participate fully in the evolving
Information Age.
-- 
Gail Spangenberg
President
Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Fl
New York, NY 10020
212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610
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