Impact of the Insertion of Modern Information and Communication Technologies in Brazilian Rural Communities

Information and communication technologies have the potential to overcome age-old barriers of space, time, class, and custom to integrate poor, isolated and disenfranchised rural populations into the mainstream of the larger society. This article describes Gems of the Earth, a rural community telecenter project currently in development in a poor, but once prosperous, region of Brazil. The study analyzes the impact of the telecenters on the lives of these communities. Preliminary results point to the creation of new habits and customs, with initial signs of a return to sustainable development.