[wsfii-discuss] Onward to Africa

Wed Nov 8 08:55:50 UTC 2006

Hi all

as plans are already made for Africa, those who did not make it to 
India like me still wonder how it was. Could anyone post a report?

Regards
Armin

On 7 Nov 06, at 9:05, Jeff Buderer wrote:

> Vickram,
> 
> Maybe we could put together a plan to consider this as a component of 
> the Workshop and meetings in Ghana. However this would mean additional 
> planning logistical considerations and so someone would have to take 
> responsibility for this. Is this something you would be able or 
> interested in doing?
> 
> Initially it might be good to further develop what you have put forward 
> and put it on the wsfii wiki and then seek further feedback.
> 
> Jeff
> 
>  Crishna wrote:
> 
> >My own 90 paise (Indian)
> >
> >While international meetings such as the recently
> >concluded Dharamsala Summit tend to be conducted
> >largely in English, it beats me why this should be
> >blindly accepted. 
> >
> >We (Arun Mehta and I) have been providing a simple
> >simultaneous translation infrastructure at such
> >meetings since the Asian Social Forum in 2003, an
> >example which has I think been followed ever since by
> >the organisers of that meeting and its global and
> >regional submeetings. 
> >
> >The system is just multiple FM channels locally
> >broadcasting at sub-50mW with simple dipole antennae,
> >each fed a translation from domain experts who are
> >reasonably proficient in a pair (at least, obviously)
> >of languages. The delegates listen on headphone
> >equipped cheap FM receivers. Such domain experts are
> >most easily (voluntarily) drawn from among the
> >delegates, and in fact, for topics such as covered in
> >WSFII I sincerely doubt that competent translations
> >could come from even highly paid professionals.
> >
> >At the end of the main conference in Dharamsala, I
> >made this suggestion for the Africa meet, and I think
> >it was received enthusiastically. It will allow
> >delegates from Africa, and from other areas as well,
> >to speak in their native languages, while the other
> >delegates listen to the gist of the discussion in a
> >language of their own choice (within limits, depending
> >on the extent of volunteering).
> >
> >Of ocurse, the problems of language do not end with a
> >successful summit meeting. We need volunteers to take
> >up the task of localising the wndw book, for instance.
> >We also need to enthuse more people to do FOSS
> >localisation, and, extending the thought to technical
> >subjects from other domains, to do soft translations
> >of health and hygiene manuals. Finally, we need to
> >build more networking tools (a la the Facebooks and
> >Myspaces of the commercial world) to help people
> >intercommunicate, especially verbally.
> >
> >If we can do this in the near term, I think it will go
> >a long way in dispelling the myth of 'helping' Jeff
> >refers to, and come to align more precisely with
> >'exchanging', allowing information to positively
> >emerge from the disadvantaged (whose biggest
> >disadvantage in today's world is precisely the lack of
> >accessible communication tools - all other
> >disadvantages flow from this).
> >
> >One suggestion that should strike a chord is for
> >simultaneous verbal translation to be available 24/7
> >online. It could be paid for by text advertisements
> >like Google has demonstrated, or by grant funding from
> >global foundations. Translators could be drawn from
> >the ranks of the physically disabled, for instance, or
> >from other disadvantaged communities, since this task
> >needs nothing beyond competence and the freedom to
> >stay in one place while online.
> >
> >I could go on for hours with related suggestions, but
> >let's make a beginning with making the Africa meeting
> >into a rainbow of language!
> >
> >---
> >Vickram
> >
> >--- Jeff Buderer <jeff at onevillagefoundation.org>
> >wrote:
> >
> >  
> >
> >>		Thomas,
> >>
> >>You put forward some important discussion issues for
> >>developing a realistic plan for assisting people in
> >>nonaffluent regions sd part of process of mutual
> >>empowerment.  Indeed  the first assumption that has
> >>to die, is that we are helping them. If we want this
> >>process to work we have to see that we are coming
> >>together to help each other see a part of reality
> >>that did not before that point exist for either
> >>group. Particularly for us since we have having been
> >>educated to think and see the world along the
> >>western molded lines that the individual is
> >>autonomous from reality and that the modern western
> >>way is supreme and superior to all others. No wonder
> >>so many people from the west with good intentions
> >>get into trouble.
> >>
> >>I do think the key is being able to get outside of
> >>our western educational and consumer mindsets. As
> >>many of us see ourselves as dissidents in our
> >>societies or seeking to promote alterative models,
> >>we do I feel have a leg up at least in theory.
> >>However I think in practice many of us realize that
> >>despite our advertised ideologies that there is a
> >>embedded residue of westernism that may lead to
> >>problems if it is not addressed. 
> >>
> >>One of the key issues as we saw, forsaw or heard in
> >>the differing approaches to the recent AJS/wsfii
> >>event itself, is much of the difference was about
> >>perspective and philosophy. One view is that
> >>technology is the answer in itself and this is
> >>echoed by mainstream tech publications like Wired.
> >>Others tend to be more careful in making overly
> >>optimistic assumptions about technology and see a
> >>technology approach that is integrated with a human
> >>development and facilitation process as an enabler
> >>of local development. 
> >>
> >>So we are not just talking about intercultural
> >>understandings but also intracultural understandings
> >>(reaching consensus between differing perspectives
> >>within the same or similar cultures and backgrounds)
> >>- for in truth westerners hardly speak with one
> >>voice about the development.
> >>
> >>May I suggest that we look at how we can define a
> >>process along the lines of what you are discussing
> >>that can be posted into the wsfii wiki that could be
> >>considered follow up to the AJ Summit and a part of
> >>training people in effective field work possibly as
> >>a prerequisite to the African event that is now
> >>being planned for Ghana.
> >>
> >>Jeff
> >>
> >>----------------------------------------
> >>
> >>				From: "thomas thaler" <tt at cut3.com>
> >>Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 12:11 AM
> >>To: Discuss list on the World Summit on Free
> >>Information Infrastructure
> >><wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org>
> >>Subject: [wsfii-discuss] Onward to Africa 
> >>
> >>The "World Summit of Free Information
> >>Infrastructure" is, in my opinion, something that
> >>constructs itself every time when people come
> >>together under the WSFII label. So it's somehow
> >>difficult to write about a WSFII community. The
> >>following therefore will only speak about the
> >>perspective of mainly European "Free Wireless (or in
> >>a broader sense also "Free Infrastructure)
> >>Activists". 
> >>
> >>Venturing into the poorer parts of this planet still
> >>seams to be very difficult business for western
> >>mindsets. One may think that the huge cultural gap
> >>or varying government regulations are the reason for
> >>this. I think we better look at things a different
> >>way, when we talk about community centered
> >>infrastructure building.
> >>I think one can call the two main obstacles in
> >>dealings of this kind "Corruption" and "Lack of
> >>Insight". Both of them are quite tricky. 
> >>
> >>For corruption comes in many brands and has many
> >>faces. Its not just about bribing policeman, it's
> >>more about the many things that can go wrong, when
> >>widely different income levels are encountered and
> >>different economy models clash. 
> >>The "Lack of Insight" problem looks plain at the
> >>surface. For sure, a western geek will have a hard
> >>time, implementing citizen based wireless
> >>infrastructure along European lines, when he or she
> >>finds out, that nearly every single pre-condition is
> >>missing in a certain area. But things get much more
> >>complicated when you dig deeper. Many westerners
> >>seem to have difficulties to get reliable
> >>information in poorer countries. Even if it is
> >>possible to overcome language barriers, very often
> >>the cultural gaps can not be bridged. 
> >>
> >>So people rely on the help of interpreters of some
> >>kind. Unluckily good "interpreters" seem to be
> >>rarely found. Usually westerners will go for the
> >>counterpart they can speak to easily. But very often
> >>a person that can talk to a western mind is also
> >>orientated to the "global" western culture, and not
> >>so much to local communities. By communicating with
> >>such "interpreters" it can get difficult to get in
> >>touch with local communities. False information is
> >>given, because the "interpreter" does not possess a
> >>in depth knowledge about things local, because he or
> >>she doesn't understand and like the western
> >>intentions, because he or she is ashamed of the
> >>poverty, oppression and corruption in his country,
> >>and many reasons more.
> >>
> >>When we want to reach out, to encourage the build up
> >>of community based infrastructure it's really
> >>essential to keep such matters in mind. We have to
> >>find good interpreters or find other ways to bridge
> >>the cultural gap and speak to local community
> >>directly. 
> >>This has been achieved by various initiatives many
> >>times before. But on the other hand is still a
> >>considerable break in many areas. The majority of
> >>"development" projects have always followed more of
> >>a top down approach. Many aid programs still rely on
> >>local power structures, even under circumstances
> >>where this is not mandatory. It's just so much
> >>easier to work with "interpreters" that you can
> >>"speak" to, even if it means to feed a, lot of your
> >>resources into chains of corruption.
> >>
> >>When we want to see free, community based
> >>information infrastructures emerge in poor
> >>countries, we, for sure, need communities as
> >>partners. And we will not reach these communities by
> >>putting up information somewhere on the internet.
> >>Because the communities we are looking for are
> >>exactly those that have no, ore very limited access.
> >>So we have to find other ways, to get in contact
> >>with those that could have a need for the offer we
> >>have to make now, and from whose contributions we
> >>can hope to benefit in the future. 
> >>
> >>For a start this will be communities that are
> >>already structured, already have a manifested need
> >>for information infrastructures, and are somehow
> >>close to the skills and recourses to support them.
> >>In many countries, I believe, educational
> >>institutions, and civil society organizations of
> >>different kinds, could be such partners, if the
> >>values of community empowerment and distributed
> >>ownership are shared.
> >>
> >>This does not mean, in my opinion, that genuine
> >>citizen based networks are not possible, at least
> >>where economic conditions are a little better. Maybe
> >>new concepts have to be found here, because in many
> >>cases even the PC front-end will be hard to finance.
> >>But I do definitely not share the opinion, that
> >>community building is impossible in poor countries,
> >>because everybody is fighting for survival. This may
> >>be true for very unstable circumstances. But very
> >>often, especially in rural areas, you will find even
> >>very poor sections of society that are well able to
> >>support collaborative undertakings of different
> >>kinds.  
> >>
> >>Many of the views stated so far, are maybe also
> >>applicable for the ad hoc community of a WSFII
> >>gathering. So the following would be the lessons
> >>learned for a World Summit in African in 2007.
> >>
> >>*  Let's make sure that the "free" is not forgotten,
> >>that sharing, openness and creativity are values
> >>embraced were we go, before we go.
> >>
> >>* Let's scout for communities that could be possible
> >>partners actively, while keeping the digital divide
> >>in mind.
> >>
> >>* Let's choose our middlemen and "interpreters"
> >>wisely, and skip them where possible. 
> >>
> >>* Let's build robust webs of trust before we go, to
> >>avoid the many traps caused by corruption and
> >>cultural gaps.
> >>
> >>So if anybody has some money to spend, please spend
> >>it NOW. Spend it on a thorough survey and on
> >>enabling an active process of linking. This could be
> >>a great contribution, helping to achieve the goals
> >>stated above, and possibly making meshing possible
> >>in the end.   
> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >=== message truncated ===>
> >_______________________________________________
> >  
> >
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> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >
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> 
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