About APC

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is a membership-based network of organisations and activists, founded in 1990, to empower individuals, organisations and social movements to use information and communications technologies (ICTs) to build strategic communities to contribute to equitable human development, social justice, participatory political processes and environmental sustainability.

APC members and associates work in their own countries to advance the same mission as APC. The membership define APC's strategic priorities every four years. APC has a staff team, each living in different countries and communicating day-to-day over the internet (we have no central headquarters).

APC's value and uniqueness come from the local perspectives and contact with grassroots organisations that we gain from our members and the fact that we operate as a truly virtual, international organisation.

We are

• A diverse and grounded community

• People-centred technology innovators and practitioners

• A human rights and feminist network

• Policy change actors

• A bridge builder, connector and convener.

Read our strategic priorities for 2020-2023

The APC vision

Our vision is for all people, particularly the marginalised, to use and shape the internet and digital technologies to create a just and sustainable world.

The APC mission

Our mission is to strengthen collective organising towards building a transformative movement to ensure that the internet and digital technologies enable social, gender and environmental justice for all people.

APC's vision and mission until 2023

Our values

• Local initiative and ownership

• Freedom of expression, communication and information

• Open content and open standards

• Free and open source software

• Social and gender equality

• Collaboration and partnership

• Inclusiveness and diversity

• Creativity and capacity building

• Democratic, accountable and transparent governance

• Appropriate and affordable ICT solutions.

Read more about our values

How we work

APC is committed to working through:

• Decentralised action

• Sharing information and tools in the public domain

• Having a strong base and orientation toward the global South

• Creating and strengthening an international membership community for joint action and learning.

We organise our work in three programme areas:

• Local Access Programme 

• Women's Rights Programme

• Social and Environmental Justice Programme

How we meet

As often as possible, we organise face-to-face member meetings and also public events dedicated to issues on which we work. To assure that these meetings are productive and pleasant for everyone, we have developed a Code of conduct and ground rules for APC meetings. 

Consultative status to the United Nations

We are an active participant in high level international ICT policy discussions, and were granted category one consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1995.

Legal status

APC was founded in 1990, operating as a partner of the Tides Foundation until 1998. On 5 May 1998, APC incorporated as a California non-profit, public benefit corporation (number 2082086) and is a tax–exempt charity (number CT0248541) under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. APC operates as an international network, with a principle office in South Africa.

The big picture, year after year

If you want to gain a quick overview of APC for a given year visit the specific section of our website where you will find our annual reports.