Sluis, E., University of Amsterdam
This ethnographic study gives insight in the usage and appropriation of ICTs in the north of Brazil. A grassroots initiate called Projeto Puraqué is one of the main actors at the digital inclusion stage and has developed a didactic methodology through which they tend to go beyond digital inclusion and instead use ICTs as a tool for social inclusion. One of the basic principles in their methodology is remanufacturing, reusing and rebuilding electronic waste and to run free/libre and open source software on it. Thus, they stimulate collaboration, solidarity and critical thinking, aiming at the creation of autonomy and sustainable development. A thorough analysis of their activities allows us to understand what this rather profound knowledge of (alternative) ICTs means for the user and how particularly those that are “digitally included” benefit from this process.
