The Role of Community-Based Information Centers in Development: Lessons for Rural Zimbabwe

Abstract

Community-based information proposals from the library
profession in Zimbabwe should, in theory, fit well with government
strategic goals for a 'knowledge-based society'. In reality, information
technology has opened floodgates for national and international
development by bringing in a plethora of community-based information
systems and services. The concept of information centers has its roots in
Ivan Illich's de-schooling education. This paper highlights
developmental issues initiated by different community-based
information centers elsewhere in the world and in Zimbabwe. It defines
community, information, rural development and traces on community
centers throughout their evolution to the modern community-based
information centers. The premise of the paper is that establishing
community-based information centers in Zimbabwean rural areas
would strengthen and empower rural people to be among global
players. The major focus of this paper is to provide a framework for
establishing these centers in rural Zimbabwe for the purpose of
providing everyone with useful, practical information for their
developmental activities. Rural Zimbabwe has a bigger role in national
and international development which can be achieved by harnessing
community-based information systems and services. Despite low level
penetration of community-based information centers in Zimbabwe, the
Matabeleland South initiatives have capacitated Zimbabweans to follow
the trend. The centers should be spread throughout the country to
provide information for development. Community-based information
centers can act as significant trajectories in meeting social and economic
targets for rural people by connecting them to developmental programs.
The paper finally shows how community information based centers
complement efforts by the government and other agencies in resource
sharing and enhancing services available through such centers.