Here are my comments on the "third way". For the record, I�m leading a small
NGO working with at-risk youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of our
activities is teaching computer skills (for free) using SURV PC�s. I spent a
dozen years or so as a commercial Analyst / Programmer in my native New
Zealand, and am attempting to apply my skills to improve these kids� chances
of having a future.
> According to several posts before, it is clear that most of
> institutional users of SurvPCs are social workers, educational,
> and non-profit organizations. It might be possible, to set up an
> international socially-funded (i.e. UNICEF or USAID) educational-
> related IT development NGO (Non Govt Org), that geared toward
> older computer recycling issues in general -- *including* software
> development projects. So, despite the fact that the org by nature
> is not-for-profit, talented people who work there are still get
> fairly paid for their working time.
I believe this is a very reasonable possibilty. For example, at the moment
we are applying for a grant from the UN to pay for a full-time computer
teacher, and some other stuff we need. It is certainly not unreasonable to
request that a similiar organization pay development costs for a suitably
credible software project.
For example, I�ve heard a rumour that the Brazilian Ministry of Education is
funding development of a version of GEOS / New Deal for use in schools here.
Imagine if we could get funding for an open-source, easily customizable GUI?
Here I�m using a VB/DOS application I wrote which teaches the basics of
Win9x - it�s sad but what we need to teach at the moment. My app has a
paint, notepad, calculator and fits any other DOS app within the framework.
And of course it runs on anything that�s IBM compatible (except the VGA
requirements of Paint).
I�m watching the FreeGEM development with interest, to see if it will become
useful enough for us to customize and use here. It�s big problem is the lack
of open-source apps for us to translate, and it�s still kind-of primitive
(although there seems to be seem neat activity on dragging GEM into the 20th
century).
> To minimize costs, the actual development projects then could be
> placed in low-GNP countries, where living costs -- and thus skilled
> labor costs -- are way lower than high-GNP countries. Once well
> established, there might also several alternative funding method
> that could be implemented, so the org could self-sustained in long
> run.
Employment for our kids that we�re teaching to program!
> Just my 2c... But as usual, this might no longer an original
> idea in this small small world <g>. If there's such NGO already
> exist that I'm not aware of, please don't hesitate to inform us.
I�m very interested....
> I had my own illusions, especially on north-south-oriented,
> "development" NGO, and learn the hard way: almost all of the people
> there are the most willing (if not stupid) victims of letting
> themselves be lured into the technology trap. Latest fad is to get
> iMacs with the M$ office suite (sure, on the sponsored money, mostly
> from gvt. or public funds) and to blow their memos over wires bloated
> into fifteen to fourty times the content volume by multiple formatting;
> well, they don't *see* on the screen that it's doubled and tripled into
> idiot waste - and they don't *care* to see, and anyway they don't pay
> the bill themselves either (public funds...) But they feel
> personally insulted (and not: helped) when made attent to that.
:-) Not all NGO�s are like that! Maybe just the rich ones. :-) Of course,
I�ve seen *heaps* of waste, financial mismanagement and downright-theft in
the NGO "helping-Brazil-street-kids" scene. It seems that the Projects that
attract attention have a big PR budget, and maybe don�t actually get around
to spend much money on the kids! Seriously, if I was back in the "first
world", I wouldn�t give money to *any* Big Name Child Charity without
visiting them and checking them out first. I�ve seen too many scams. But,
I�m way off topic...
> Ironically, a key word in that is "good governance": which would keep
> to public standards and accountability, and thus would keep the field
> open for development in the direction of efficiency and added common
> value - and not into the direction of appropriation of public funds by
> private monopolies: the gvt of Northrhine-Westfalia, the biggest and
> richest of the German states, some months ago did exactly that latter
> and gifted, granted[!] the whole public educational system's
> "Information Technology" - from schools to univs to local
> administration's to regional network building - to Microsoft Inc. And
> another historical irony, speaking of "good governance", is that the
> very "capitalistic" US, for instance with it's ADA [Americans with
> Disabilities Act] has done so much better in that respect.
And Latin American countries, with Brazil certainly being no exception, are
*very* prone to corruption. (Can you believe, in our city of 200,000, with
children literally starving in the slums, the Mayor earns a modest US
$12,000 per month!).
> It's on such reliable public ground (good rules, some least existential
> security, good scholarship system for students for instance) that you
> can expect both developers and ("developing") users to thrive.
Let�s do it. Find a good base for a GUI, do some serious planning, and start
looking for funding.
Cheers
-------------------------------------------
Paul Cull
Associa��o Civil Casa Esperan�a
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.pcebrasil.org
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