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David,
Your points are well taken. Not being
a techie, my view of a telecenter is fairly simplistic. I see it as a
point/place in a community for interactive (two way flow) dissemination of
information. I view telecenters as interactive libraries. Community
libraries disseminate information, have community meetings/
seminars/discussions. It is the interactive nature of the ongoing
communication that distinguishes the telecenter from a library, which obviously
is related to the medium of the communication.
The importance of including necessary
content areas in the language of any outcome document is similar to insuring
that all the necessary sections for books are included in the library from the
outset. Once a plan (of action) is implemented, funding and space
allocation become very competitive. What is not in the initial
agreement/plan may end up being excluded.
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 David Leeming PFnet
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 12:39
AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Telecentres]
Basic Telecentre Items/ICT Definition
Then perhaps a definition of a Telecentre needs
to map out the functions these human resources perform. There
are also functions that are required for useful information exchange to take
place, that may not be strictly associated with the telecentre. These include
awareness raising, training, mobilisation of the stakeholders all along the
information "chain" including the "knowledge centres" (in a country like ours,
CRM is not widely practiced....the central institutions are often the worst at
communication). ICT strategy building is important,
too. In
fact it is difficult to see where to demarkate a telecentre, looking at it
from the "information flow" point of view.
As a simple example, to allow rural people to
obtain legal advice by email, it was not as simple and notifying them of the
(say) Public Solicitor's email address. We had to train (remotely) the rural
ICT operators to publicise it and raise awareness, hold meetings with the
Public Solicitor and other stakeholders and discuss the procedures required
and other practicalities, and above all get everyone on board. (now
it works marvellously). Information doesn't just flow - it needs to be
driven by the knowledge owners as much as their "customers" or
"clients".
I suppose we are getting into a defination of
"content" as well as "function".
David
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 12:48
PM
Subject: RE: [Telecentres] Basic
Telecentre Items/ICT Definition
David,
Thanks for the clarification. I
always thought that such staff support would be available at all telecentres
and considered that to be in the category of human resources. It
is always interesting to hear how others view and designate telecentre
support activities.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth et al.
Well, how about living ones - human
intermediaries. Community intermediaries to help people understand their
needs, to interpret and respond to incoming information, for consultative
processes, to learn how to filter information appropriately. Technical
intermediaries (commonly known as "assistants" or "operators") to
help people use the ICTs, when there are no existing skills, and to train
them as the demand and awareness grows. The
community driven ethic is extremely
important, these are facilitators only.
David
David,
Excellent point, as ICTs are certainly
only a means to the end product of learning and participating.
To what other appropriate tools are you referring, in addition to
ICTs?
Elizabeth
Hi,
If we're talking about the Information
Society then we should concentrate on the information activities and not
the techology. A telecentre may be simply described as a place where
people can participate (and learn to participate) in the wider emerging
information society, using appropriate tools including ICTs.
David
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