Playing To Win Founder Antonia Stone Wins Prize for Social Responsibility
(Note: The "Playing To Win Network" was renamed the "Community Technology Centers' Network" in October, 1995.)
Palo Alto, Calif., October 6, 1994 - Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), the national public interest organization based here, announced today that Playing to Win founder Antonia Stone is the 1994 winner of the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility. The award is presented annually to a distinguished computer professional who has, through personal example, demonstrated a deep commitment to the socially responsible use of computing technology.
"The greatest danger on the horizon for the National Information Infrastructure is that we will be left with two societies: a privileged class that enjoys the benefits of the information age, and another that is left behind with none of those advantages," said Stanford professor and CPSR board president Eric Roberts. "Through her work with Playing To Win, Antonia Stone has been fighting for years to achieve the equality of access necessary to empower all of us together."
"I'm thrilled," said Stone. "I believe that CPSR, in recognizing the work I've been doing by honoring me with the Norbert Wiener award, emphasizes the importance of a grass-roots effort towards real equity of technology access, and the need to offer opportunities for learning abou t and hands-on use of technology to those who otherwise wouldn't have such an opportunity."
Stone will be presented with the Wiener award at CPSR's annual meeting banquet in San Diego, California, on Saturday, October 8th. This year's annual meeting is a two-day conference entitled "Organizing for Access: A National Forum on Computer Networking, Community Action and Democracy", that will bring together local, regional and national activists and decision makers to take a critical look at some of the social implications of the NII.
Stone has worked in the area of computer learning since the 1970s. After an intense period of fundraising and outreach, she opened a computer center in a basement room of a Harlem housing project. Starting from that base, with Stone serving as Executive Director from 1980 through 1992, the Playing to Win network has grown to over 45 affiliates located across the US as well as in Poland and Northern Ireland.
The PTW network of non-profit groups is dedicated to promoting and providing equitable technology access and education for economically, socially, and geographically disadvantaged people. PTW seeks to establish a national community of neighborhood technology access providers dedicated to true universal technological enfranchisement. Each PTW community computer center shares a belief that everyone can learn as long as they are allowed to follow their own motivational path and develop according to their own interests.
The Wiener Award was established in 1987 in memory of Norbert Wiener, the originator of the field of cybernetics and a pioneer in looking at the social and political consequences of computing. Author of the book, The Human Use of Human Beings, Wiener began pointing out the dangers of nuclear war and the role of scientists in developing more powerful weapons shortly after Hiroshima.
Past recipients of the Wiener Award have been: Dave Parnas, 1987, in recognition of his courageous actions opposing the Strategic Defense Initiative; Joe Weizenbaum, 1988, for his pioneering work emphasizing th e social context of computer science; Daniel McCracken, 1989, for his work organizing computer scientists against the Anti Ballistic Missiles deployment during the 1960s; Kristen Nygaard of Norway, 1990, for his work in participatory design; Severo Ornstein and Laura Gould, 1991, in recognition of their tireless energy guiding CPSR through its early years; Barbara Simons, 1992, for her work on human rights, military funding, and the U.C. Berkeley reentry program for women and minorities; and the Institute for Global Communications, 1993, for their work to use network technology to empower previously disenfranchised individuals and groups working for progressive change.
Founded in 1981, CPSR is a national, non-profit, public interest organization of computer scientists and other professionals concerned with the impact of computer technology on society. The mission of CPSR is to provide the public and policymakers with realistic assessments of the power, promise, and problems of information technology. As concerned citizens, CPSR members work to direct public attention to critical choices concerning the applications of information technology and how those choices affect society.
For more information about CPSR, the annual meeting, or the awards banquet, call 415-322-3778 or send email to cpsr@cpsr.org.