In response to the question that Dan raised about how to get people to respond to issues, I truly feel that human nature, being as it is, once the 'disaster' has passed, nobody wants to think about the 'issue' anymore.
During the tsunami-relief operations in India, many of the TV networks devised innovative ways of linking entertainment with disaster operations. Crass as that may sound, it actually helped fundraising tremendously. So a programme called Indian Idol (its format is very much like American Idol) had viewers sending in SMS messages - and a percentage of the revenue was donated by the networks and telcos for the relief operations. This way millions of people donated to the cause and the TV networks managed to keep the interest in tsunami operations alive for weeks after the disaster occurred. Adite On 9/3/05, Tanya Priber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > In response: > > On Sep 3, 2005, at 2:01 AM, Andrew Pleasant wrote: > > > In response to some of the general flow of the discussion ... and I > > didn't and wouldn't post anything about Pat Robinson ... it is clear > > that the hurricane ripped open not only buildings and levees but also > > society and perceptions of the country. These are issues that can't be > > separated from politics. > > > > Technology is great in its correct context and moments. But to look to > > technology for a 'solution' is to miss the point as much as it is to > > define the digital divide as if it is simply, and only, a > > technological issue. > > > > The solution will lie with people. They may use technology to forge a > > solution, or they may not. But first, you've got to get them to pay > > attention and to care - hopefully about everyone equally. You've got > > to get presidents off vacation, you've got to get participation and > > support rather than anger and fear, you've got to have adequate > > leadership emerge, you've got to quit blaming people who had no power > > or cars or money to leave or those who have been systematically denied > > access to power for being angry about the situation, you've got to > > replace special interests with human interests. > > > > ap > > Very well stated. I think that the people - including the media - took > the bull by the horns and utilized technology to promote human > interests when the government was slow to do so. It has been apparent > that journalists are outraged (as most people generally are) by what > they witnessed in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and, along with > showing viewers what has been happening, they have also broadcast a > multitude of ICT resources people could use to post and access > information to communicate with loved ones. Over and over again I have > heard it said (on TV and radio) that the Internet has been > instrumental, in fact crucial, in facilitating access to information > and communications when other more traditional methods have failed. I > think this is a magnificent example of how the Internet, an open and > free human arena, not widelly controlled by special interests, has been > a vehicle to support human interests and needs. > TP > > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] the word UNSUBSCRIBE in > the body of the message. > -- Adite Chatterjee www.icfdc.com <http://www.icfdc.com> _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
