Describes the origins and provisions of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), which addresses community action against toxic and environmental hazards. Federal information policy and the flow of information is discussed, regulatory reform is considered, and participatory information systems are described. (69…

Discusses potential applications of computer technology to enhance participatory democracy and considers the effects of advances in computer technology, including increased power and decreased costs, on political and community activists. Constraints are described, including international inequity and the commercialization of government data; and…

Discussion of the use of computers by community organizers focuses on examples at St. Nicholas' Neighborhood Preservation Corporation in New York City. Highlights include automating communications; computerized newspapers and newsletters; databases that support planning and advocacy; and problems encountered, both within the organization and with…

Provides an overview of this theme issue, "Computers for Social Change and Community Organizing." Issues of concern to community organizers, human services professionals, and political activists are discussed, including the use of computer technology to meet human needs and to promote public access to information. (LRW)

Describes desktop publishing (DTP) that may be suitable for community, activist, and nonprofit groups and discusses how it is changing written communication. Topics discussed include costs; laser printers; time savings; hardware and software selection; and guidelines to consider when establishing DTP capability. (LRW)