Association for Progressive Communications
An international civil-society network advancing affordable, open, rights-respecting and socially transformative access to digital technologies and the internet.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international network of civil-society organisations that use communication technologies to support peace, human rights, environmental protection, gender equality and sustainable development. Founded in 1990, it emerged during the early period of international computer networking, when many advocacy groups relied on email gateways, bulletin-board systems, fax and physical exchange of information rather than the commercial internet familiar today. APC combined technical infrastructure with social-justice advocacy, helping organisations in countries with weak telecommunications, limited electricity and high connectivity costs participate in international communication. APC is both a membership network and an organisation supporting common programmes, research, training and policy advocacy. Its members work in their own countries while sharing a broader commitment to universal and affordable access, freedom of expression, privacy, access to knowledge, democratic internet governance and technology that strengthens communities. The network has included organisations across five continents, with particularly substantial participation from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. This geographic diversity has allowed APC to address very different connectivity conditions, from highly developed broadband environments to rural areas where organisations historically used offline email systems, solar power or vehicle batteries to keep computers operating. A major early turning point was APC's collaboration with the United Nations around the 1992 Earth Summit. At that time, APC provided one of the few international electronic communication channels available to civil society, allowing conference information and discussions to circulate efficiently. APC subsequently developed relationships with UN bodies and participated in debates concerning development, gender equality, information society policy and the Millennium Development Goals. Its programmes have also addressed the digital dimensions of violence against women, environmental sustainability, online rights and the participation of marginalised communities in policy making. APC's work has included technical support, community-network development, policy research, educational resources and campaigns. Projects and tools associated with the network include the Internet Rights Charter, ItrainOnline, the Gender Evaluation Methodology, GenderIT.org, Global Information Society Watch and Take Back the Tech! The Gender Evaluation Methodology helps organisations examine whether information and communication technology projects improve or worsen gender relations. Take Back the Tech! connects digital activism with campaigns against gender-based violence. Global Information Society Watch has provided country and thematic perspectives on communication rights, internet policy, climate change, e-waste, corruption and human-rights advocacy. During the 2000s and 2010s, APC increasingly focused on internet rights and governance alongside its historical role in access and infrastructure. Its strategic priorities included affordable internet access, open and fair governance, community networks, sustainable computing, technology-based violence against women and girls, and the use of technology for social change. APC has participated in Internet Governance Forum processes, supported regional and national capacity building, and helped convene or organise initiatives such as the African School on Internet Governance. It remains a mission-driven international network rather than a conventional consumer brand or commercial telecommunications provider.
History
APC was created in 1990 by seven organisations: the Institute for Global Communications in the United States, GreenNet in the United Kingdom, IBASE in Brazil, Nicarao in Nicaragua, Pegasus Networks in Australia, Web Networks in Canada and NordNet in Sweden. Its formation followed earlier experiments with peace, environmental and alternative-media networks. Before widespread web access, members exchanged information through electronic mail, fax, postal mail, dial-up systems and physical transfers of software and databases. APC's purpose was to make international communication practical for organisations that commercial providers did not adequately serve. The network gained international visibility through its work with the United Nations during preparations for the 1992 Earth Summit. APC helped circulate conference information electronically at a time when the UN had not yet developed comparable global distribution systems. This relationship developed into continuing participation in UN-related development, gender and information-society initiatives. APC also supported communication links involving countries with restricted or difficult telecommunications environments. In the 1990s APC expanded its reach through store-and-forward technologies such as Fidonet. These systems enabled users to prepare messages offline and exchange them when a connection became available, an important adaptation for communities facing unreliable telephone lines, electricity or computer equipment. APC networks and partners became early internet providers or technical facilitators for civil-society groups in parts of Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The network also supported members facing threats to freedom of information, including a 1997 dispute involving APC member LabourNet and the company Biwater, during which other APC members mirrored threatened online material. Around 2000, APC refined its vision around equal, affordable access to the creative potential of the internet. It launched or supported several knowledge and capacity-building programmes, including ItrainOnline, an online gateway to technology-training materials, and its first Internet Rights Charter, which addressed access, expression, association, knowledge, privacy, governance and related rights. In 2002, APC began GenARDIS, a small-grants initiative focused on women, agriculture and rural development. It also developed the Gender Evaluation Methodology, a framework for assessing the gender effects of technology projects, and published an introductory ICT policy handbook and training curriculum. From 2004 onward, APC combined advocacy with practical community technology work. It supported wireless-network training in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, helped connect rural and Indigenous communities, organised technology exchanges and contributed to GenderIT.org. Global Information Society Watch, produced with the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation, became a recurring publication on communication rights and information-society policy. APC's programmes also examined climate change, electronic waste, sustainable computing, online sexuality and the safety of women human-rights defenders. The 2009–2012 strategic period emphasised affordable access, environmental sustainability, emerging technology, collaborative online spaces, internet rights and governance. The 2013–2016 plan continued these themes while adding stronger attention to technology-based violence against women and girls and community networks. APC co-organised the African School on Internet Governance in 2014 and 2015 and continued participating in global internet-governance discussions. Its governance model is based on a council representing member organisations and a board elected by that council. The organisation is headquartered in South Africa and operates internationally through its members and partners.
- 2014
African School on Internet Governance
[1]APC co-organised the second African School on Internet Governance, helping develop policy capacity among participants from African countries.
- 2008
Participation in Internet Governance Forum work
[1]APC submitted input to IGF consultations and supported stronger regional internet-governance participation.
- 2006
Take Back the Tech! began
[1]The campaign started linking information and communication technology activism with efforts to end gender-based violence.
- 2002
GenARDIS launched
[1]The initiative began providing small grants for projects connecting women, agriculture, rural development and information technology.
- 2001
ItrainOnline development began
[1]APC and partners began building a portal for technology-training resources supporting social change and development.
- 1997
African strategy meeting
[1]APC members and partners met in Johannesburg to discuss African network development, programme priorities and women’s participation.
- 1992
Earth Summit communications partnership
[1]APC distributed information for the UN Conference on Environment and Development through its international electronic network.
- 1990
APC established
[1]Seven pioneering communications and networking organisations founded APC to support progressive civil-society communication.
Products and positioning
A global civil-society network combining digital infrastructure experience, internet-rights advocacy, gender justice and community-led technology development.
Research publication · 2007
Global Information Society Watch
A recurring research and monitoring publication examining communication rights, internet policy and information-society issues through country and thematic perspectives. Topics covered in different editions have included citizen participation, climate change, electronic waste, human rights, women’s rights and corruption.
Evaluation framework · 2002
Gender Evaluation Methodology
A participatory framework for assessing how information and communication technology initiatives affect gender relations and women’s lives. It is designed to help community organisations identify positive and negative impacts and improve the design of technology-for-social-change projects.
Advocacy campaign · 2006
Take Back the Tech!
A campaign that places digital tools, online expression and technology policy within broader activism against gender-based violence. Its recurring activity is associated with the international 16 Days of Activism period.
Policy framework · 2001
Internet Rights Charter
A multilingual framework setting out civil-society principles concerning affordable access, freedom of expression and association, access to knowledge, privacy, shared learning and democratic internet governance.
Training resource · 2001
ItrainOnline
An online gateway collecting training materials and practical resources for organisations seeking to use computers, networks and digital communication in development and social-change work.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Take Back the Tech!
International
A recurring advocacy campaign using technology and digital activism to challenge gender-based violence and promote safer, more empowering online environments for women and girls.
Outcome. It became an established APC-associated campaign linked to the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
- 2002GenARDIS
Africa · Caribbean · International
A grant and learning initiative supporting women’s agricultural and rural-development projects that used information and communication technologies.
Outcome. The programme supported experimentation with ICT access and gender-responsive rural development.
Brand decisions
2006
Made technology-based gender violence a campaign priorityStrategyBackground
APC’s gender and technology work identified information and communication technologies as both tools for empowerment and potential instruments of abuse.
Action taken
APC launched Take Back the Tech! to connect digital activism with efforts against gender-based violence.
Aftermath
The campaign became a continuing international advocacy initiative associated with APC.
2000
Adopted a broader equal-access visionStrategyBackground
The growth of digital communication created an opportunity to restate APC’s purpose beyond operating early networking infrastructure.
Action taken
APC developed a vision centred on easy, equal and affordable access to the internet as a means of improving lives and building democratic, egalitarian societies.
Aftermath
The vision informed later work on internet rights, access, governance and technology for social change.
Recent events
- 2008
APC joined Internet Governance Forum processes[1]
Other
The network contributed to Internet Governance Forum consultations and advocated for regional participation and rights-centred internet policy.
- 2006
Take Back the Tech! campaign launched[1]
Campaign
APC-associated activists began a recurring campaign using digital tools and activism to challenge gender-based violence.
- 1992
APC supported civil-society communications around the Earth Summit[1]
Other
APC worked with the United Nations during preparations for the UN Conference on Environment and Development, distributing information through its international electronic network.
- 1990
APC founded as an international communications network for progressive civil society[1]
Other
Seven pioneering networking organisations established APC to provide communication infrastructure and information exchange for groups working on peace, human rights, environmental protection and sustainability.
Sources2 sources
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