Sorry to be so out of synch, I am going through unread messages a bunch at a
time after being away for a couple of weeks...
I think that it is right
to have examlpes of what is expected from telecentres by their users or
designers/ managers... In the Reflect ICTs project we took as a starting
point the capacity of groups or communities to analyse their communication
needs, practices and gaps, and from there was established what a telecentre to
serve that group or community might do (and look like).
In each of the
three pilots the process has been similar in facilitating the needs analysis,
but the resulting 'telecentres' (actually mostly more amorphous than that -
called 'communications systems') are all very different. Here a very brief
summary of what the three teams came up with (I should mention that all three
pilots are linked to Reflect, an approach to adult learning and empowerment
which is structured around facilitated groups in villages -
www.reflect-action.org to find out more!):
Uganda: Reflect participants
want good information on agricultural practices and services, control over land,
marketing advice and credit facilities. A breakdown of information needs
shows differences in priorities between men, women, young and old. Women tended to focus on their rights
and their reproductive health, especially how to cope with HIV. In particular
participants asked for a databank to be elaborated with information on herbs
used to fight opportunistic infections. Men were generally more concerned with
their income. According to male Reflect participants, disease is a
product of poverty.
The Uganda system
is based around a central resource centre with a full-time coordinator to help
develop materials and coordinate information exchange, and a technical assistant
to look after the equipment and provide technical training and assistance, in a
more typical telecentre model. This is mostly because the
infrastructure and policy environment allows. The centre will also develop
a databank of traditional medicines and their applications, act as a training
centre and undertake pro-poor advocacy with information providers and policy
makers on the development and information needs of poor people. Equipment
includes internet-connected computers, digital cameras and world space
receivers. Airtime is also being purchased for radio programmes.
Burundi: For the community of Ruyigi, just
coming out of war, reliable information can mean life or death and is considered
very important. In particular, Reflect participants want the 'telecentre'
to provide: experiences from elsewhere to stimulate debates on peace,
reconciliation and development; information for income-generation;
information on donors for development work; information on relevant government
commitments and rights; governance, land policies, and local government
institutions during the reintegration period.
The system aims primarily
to strengthen participation in an existing community newsletter, Ejo, which has
correspondents drawn from Reflect groups and is widely distributed (even
to refugee camps in Tanzania and other provinces)and trusted. The project
will provide a new Information Officer to source relevant and requested
information, translate and distribute it as necessary, manage equipment and run
training. Equipment will include video, to capture and share information
and record debates, songs, story-telling and theatre; radio, for which
programmes will be developed based on analysis by Reflect groups; newspapers and
leaflets. Although electricity, transport and telecommunications infrastructure
are not reliable for the area, a computer-training centre will be set up in
Ruyigi Town to provide training and access for facilitators and project staff as
well as general internet caf� style services. This will enable the
communities to diversify the information available and also spread awareness of
the internet, allowing future strategies for its adoption and
appropriation. Staff will also ensure a strong link between local
issues and national -level advocacy and between development planners,
communities and policy makers.
India (Orissa): Reflect participants wish to be better informed about their rights and available benefits and schemes, to ensure food security and to mitigate the causes of migration, including agricultural practices, water conservation and seasonal employment opportunities. Finally, they wish to push for more transparency in governance.
The system they have developed looks at access to information as a matter of both the capacity of the poor and the responsibility of the government at different levels. The structure of the system mirrors the structure of local government, with resource centres, people and management committees at village, block and district levels. Recognising the importance of verbal communication, the system will work to make facilitators better informed and supported. Electronic media, such as video, audio and television, will be stored at district level and available to use by all Reflect circles on request. Internet will be used where available (in the offices of some partner organisations) to feed information into the system. At village level, resource centres will hold materials developed by Reflect groups and collected locally, including newspapers and letters, posters, leaflets and booklets, cassettes, pictures and so on, and a radio set for each circle. Methods of sharing and disseminating information include cultural performances, a quarterly newsletter based on issues arising from circle analysis, weekly radio programmes organised centrally in partnership with the local FM station, occasional television programmes, audio and video recordings.
Hannah
-----Original
Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
On Behalf Of Elizabeth Carll, PhD
Sent: 04 October 2004 05:16
To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [SPAM] - RE: [Telecentres] Re: Basic
Telecentre Items/ICT Definition - Email found in subject
Joel,
I
certainly agree with your suggestion as to identifying what telecenters are used
for, which brings us almost full circle to my initial request for people to list
telecenters they are involved with, their function and how these relate to the
WSIS Declaration. However, it appears that most are not interested in
posting this information, as only Toby has done so to date.
I have pasted
Toby's brief summary below, again, for other peoples reference, should you
be inclined to submit this information and code it to the table of
Contents/sections of WSIS Declaration, which is pasted at the bottom. It
is simpler for each person to describe and code their own information than for
one or two of us to have to undertake that as an additional project.
If
everyone submits this information, I can compile the information and draft a
paragraph in conjunction with Joel developing a matrix from the purpose
indicated for each of the various
telecenters.
Elizabeth
-----Original Message-----
From:
Toby Beresford [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent:
Thursday, September 30, 2004 5:00 AM
To: Elizabeth Carll, PhD
Subject: Re:
[Telecentres] Content areas - application to telecentres
Hi
Elizabeth
For MicroAid the following two categories are most applicable
to our 40 current online centres in UK, Indonesia and
elsewhere.
2.1.1 Poverty
Eradication X
MicroAid online centres
help community based organisations to plan and execute micro-projects targeted
at (and usually suggested by!) specific low-income individuals within the
community.
2.1.8 Development of Sustainable and Community-based ICT
Solutions X MicroAid online centres are designed to provide tools for commuity
based organisations to raise funds to pay for the online centre and to fund
micro-projects themselves - empowering them to be sustainable and
self-financing.
Good luck!
Toby
"Shaping Information
Societies for Human Needs"
Civil Society Declaration to the World Summit on
the Information Society
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. A VISIONARY
SOCIETY-
2. CORE PRINCIPLES AND CHALLENGES
2.1 Social Justice and
People-Centered Sustainable Development
2.1.1 Poverty Eradication
2.1.2
Global Citizenship
2.1.3 Gender
Justice
2.1.4 Importance of
Youth
2.1.5 Access to Information and the Means of Communication
2.1.6
Access to Health Information
2.1.7 Basic Literacy
2.1.8 Development of
Sustainable and Community-based ICT Solutions
2.1.9 Conflict
Situations
2.2 Centrality of Human Rights
2.2.1 Freedom of
_expression_
2.2.2 Right to Privacy
2.2.3 Right to Participate in Public
Affairs
2.2.4 Workers' Rights
2.2.5 Rights of Indigenous Peoples
2.2.6
Women's Rights
2.2.7 Rights of the Child
2.2.8 Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
2.2.9 Regulation and the Rule of Law
2.3 Culture,
Knowledge and Public Domain
2.3.1 Cultural and Linguistic
Diversity
2.3.1.1 Capacity Building and
Education
2.3.1.2
Language
2.3.1.3 International Law and
Regulation
2.3.2 Media
2.3.2.1
The Role of the Media
2.3.2.2
Community Media
2.3.3 Public Domain of Global
Knowledge
2.3.3.1 Indigenous
Peoples' Knowledge
2.3.3.2
Copyright, Patents and Trademarks
2.3.3.3 Software
2.3.3.4
Research
2.4 Enabling Environment
2.4.1 Ethical
Dimensions
2.4.2 Democratic and Accountable Governance
2.4.3
Infrastructure and Access
2.4.4 Financing and Infrastructure
2.4.5 Human
Development - Education and Training
2.4.6 Information Generation and
Knowledge Development
2.4.7 Global Governance of ICT and
Communications
3. CONCLUSION
Elizabeth
Dr. Elizabeth
Carll
Focal Point
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies;
Chair Media/ICT Working Group, NGO Committee on Mental Health, New York
Tel:
1-631-754-2424
Fax:
1-631-754-5032
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Original
Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
Behalf Of Joel Galgana
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 11:36 PM
To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items/ICT
Definition
<<<I humbly propose that we identify first WHAT
the telecenters would be used for, maybe coming up with matrix of categories of
telecenters, and based on the various applications / objectives, THEN focus on
the
details.>>>
-Joel
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