[wsfii-discuss] REVIEW - Wireless Training in Winneba

Wed Aug 22 19:17:38 UTC 2007

Marco,

Thanks for your feedback.

Of course we were operating in such a constrained environment with
consideration to time and money that I am happy it went forward without
any major hitches.

However I think the planning issue needs to be worked on. One thing that
stands out is that a fully effective event needs to be realistic in
terms of matching expectations with what can be delivered.

Also interactivity is important if we want the workshop to be something
that is going beyond the conventional teaching and training model.

I would encourage Kafui in particular in reviewing your candid
evaluation of the event to consider the need to consider alternatives to
"ExCathedra" approaches to training and education.

Internal communications is also important. Organizers need to be clear
about their needs to the supporting participants so that there is not
unnecessary last minute stress.

Another issue is that there may be a need to consider internal
communications among the group organizing the event BEFORE discussing
matters like this publicly and/or with larger groups. That consideration
may reduce the perception among some that you are communicating in what
some may perceive as a "rude" or inconsiderate manner.

Finally and most importantly...What is the process of evaluation of an
event like this so that the process is improved upon?

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org
[mailto:wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of Marco Pompe
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 6:44 AM
To: Discuss list on the World Summit on Free Information Infrastructure
Subject: Re: [wsfii-discuss] REVIEW - Wireless Training in Winneba

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Discuss list on the World Summit on Free Information
Infrastructure <wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org>
> Gesendet: 22.08.07 12:33:58
> An: "Discuss list on the World Summit on Free Information
Infrastructure" <wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org>
> Betreff: Re: [wsfii-discuss] REVIEW - Wireless Training in Winneba

Hi
> 
> I think Vickram has a lot of relevant points. (see below)
> 
> Workshops can deliver effectively only a certain distance - to
distribute new skills, to enthuse and energize people and to make
friends and contacts. The high of the workshop and the energy generated
- specifically the visions generated and fantasized often come crashing
back to earth because the real world is a "bit" more difficult than the
workshop + positive environment. Group energy works differently from
individual energy
> 

let me put the question a little wider: What benefits can we expect from
a specific event? it is certainly a part of every events preparation to
set up an agenda, in which the event is located, in which the the event
is playing a certain role. When we have a conclusion on that we can
easily identify how the meeting should look like. We need experieneces
like dharamsala or winneba to actually learn about ourselves: What do we
want? Knowing more about that we will know who to bring in, I guess.

> 
> The "real world" has lots of distractions and other attendent problems
- physical resources, problem solving capabilities, human resources. The
poorer and less connected the community the harder and slower it is to
make things happen.
> 
> 
> A question i have for participants of workshops (esp the hands on one)
is that how many have a plan of how they are going to use their
learning. - Frankly this is a very tough question to answer. How many
workshops build into their programme a real follow up mechanism and a
real assurance of help. Workshop organizers don't get me wrong but
across the spectrum this is a lacunae - where do we draw the line
between how much to spend on workshops and how much to spend on enabling
a programme. 
> 
> Indians / South asians  (since thats my context)  on this list are
free to disagree - but we do not have the resource people who are
willing to work / help with small  less resourced projects - the bigger
the project the scale goes further away from the poorer communities. 
> 

That is definitly a problem but not an automatism. It depends on the
ability of the organizers to combine good contacts to grassroots project
as well as big NGOs, ministries and other sponsors.

grts, marco

ex-cathedra means something like frontal teaching. one is talking, all
others are humbly listening ;)

> ram
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/22/07, Vickram Crishna <v1clist at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Speaking as a 'local' from a 3rd world country, I have
> witnessed the difficulty faced in organising local
> events that will justify the time and effort put in by
> participants who will travel far and wide to be there.
> 
> Thing is, so do the locals, often enough, although
> that doesn't seem to be so obvious to outsiders till
> they get (t)here.
> 
> For such events to happens smoothly (and believe me
> this has nothing to do with 'self-organising', but
> 
> unfortunately is perhaps perceived as being related),
> even the local groups need support.
> 
> The regrettable truth is that the costs of such
> support are more or less the same as needed to meet
> the ongoing costs of such events anywhere in the
> 
> world, but are considered to be out of 'proportion' to
> the results. Which is to say, locals cope with and
> often overcome obstacles that do not exist in other
> parts of the world. Naturally, this is not valued
> 
> proportionately.
> 
> A reality we all face is that the value of things
> (resources, efforts, human time and ingenuity) is
> equated to money, but that money (currently, or
> perhaps inherently) does not reflect the equitable
> 
> value of the resources expended. Part of the wsfii
> think process is naturally aimed at overcoming this.
> Seems like Winneba has richly illustrated it.
> 
> 
> 
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