A small piece of the exchange between Kris Dev and Taran Rampersad: Kris Dev wrote:
>Dear all, > >My observations are simple and straight. > >The community knows what they need. > >And Taran began his answer this way: <<To an extent, I believe that this is true.>> If we are to make a difference, it is important that we be careful with this word "community." It is a word that conjures up images of people who care about each other and understand what they need and can make a difference in their lives if they are allowed to speak and are heard and their voices and needs respected. To an extent, as Taran says, this is true. To a certain extent, the statement is also false.. The "community" is not a single entity whose "mind" can be known quickly and accurately, say by consulting and/or voting. The moneylender who profits by charging peasants exorbitant fees for loans is part of the "community," and his interest and voice and vote are different than those to whom he lends money. The squire who has tenant farmers on "his" land is part of the community. The rich and the powerful are part of the community as well as the poor and the powerless. Kris Dev's observations are indeed simple and straight. The world and the communities that comprise it , however, is not simple and straight, but complex and jagged, and believing otherwise is to court failure. Steve Eskow [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] 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.
