The North/South Divide in NGO Hyperlink Networks

Globalization and communication scholars have argued that technology is transforming the “third sector”, the set of organizations that are not-for-profit and non-governmental (NGOs). This research examines the local and global linkages among a hyperlink network of 248 HIV/AIDS NGOs. This research examines the north/south NGO divide in the context of these new technology-based associations. Results suggest that the north/south divide is as great a concern in the virtual world as it is in the physical one. This research implies that globalization theorists’ argument that communication technologies break down economic and geographic barriers may be overstating the empirical reality.