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Grupo de Tecnologia Apropiada

Address:
Grupo de Tecnologia Apropiada
Apartado 8046, Panama 7
Tel: 61-7353 PANAMA

Starting in 1979, when the food, energy and ecology crises were added to the background of unemployment and inflation, the Appropriate Technology Group embarked upon a new phase of its development to other urgency needed alternatives to the failures of the current national development model.
We then decided to demonstrate and apply appropriate production and management technologies via various networks (schools, cooperatives, non -government organizations , communication media, municipal subdistricts, etc.) and by means of specific projects together with collaborating organizations.

What are the activities of the ATG?

Housing

Study and development of lowcost building materials: houses made of mud cement (ClNVA-RAM = Inter-American Housing Centre).
Study and development of lowcost community housing projects.

Energy

Study and development of alternative energy forms.

Education

Assisted self-teaching programme (also by computer). Courses on the diffusion of technology.

Loans
Programme with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for small loans in the rural sector.

Family and Works' Vegetable Gardens

Joint programme with Coca Cola de Panama for the benefit of employees concerning the production of vegetables for household use.

Small business

Publication and production of practical manuals for the Programa de Pequenas Empresas (Small-Business Programme) de la Asociacion Panamena de Ejecutivos de Empresa (APEDE - Business Executives' Association of Panama), with the help of AID.

Communication

Representative of the National Technical information Service (NTIS) with access to various U.S. data banks.
Collection of more than 2,500 documents on appropriate technologies.
Distributor of documentation from the World Bank.
Search service for technical information.
Periodicals on management and production technologies.
Diffusion of and awareness-forming with respect to appropriate technology.

Agriculture

Appropriate Technology Programme for the production and marketing of brown sugar and molasses.

Who supports the ATG?

The Appropriate Technology Group operates through specific projects financed by national or international agencies and donations. These activities generate the necessary funds for covering the administrative and operational costs of the ATG.

Prospective programmes

Communications by low-orbit satellite (VITA/AMSAT).
National and international human resources bank.
Educational mini-expo.

International affiliations

Representative of the National Technical Information Service (USA) NTIS.
Corresponding member of the Council of American Development Foundations SOLlDARlOS.
Correspondent of the Foundation International Movement for the Realization of the Social Habitat (Switzerland) MlRHAS.