Hiya Lodewijk :) I apologize if this is going off-topic.
On Sat, Sep 12, 2015, Lodewijk <lodew...@effeietsanders.org> wrote: > Interesting. Over here, the 'experts' are adjusting the image exactly the > other way around: that smartphones are much more common there than we would > expect, and that we underestimate the inventivity of people to get access > to information/the internet. Especially in the context of people being > suspicious of all those refugees being photographed with a smartphone. > Those "experts" seem to be building a narrative, I suppose. There might be political motivations or general apathy at play there so I won't know what image people are formulating in Europe. There are two groups of refugees at the moment, one that are making their way through Europe and fleeing constantly and the other, that are stuck in overcrowded refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. The original post seemed directed towards the second group. So, those entering through Greece pay as much $2500 per person to smugglers, they take huge risks with their lives, and physically carry all they own in this world on their backs, in comparison, smartphones cost less than $100[1]. It starts becoming a necessity for a family to stay together and keep in touch with relatives - phones become quite necessary for this group of refugees fleeing across borders. The article does state that human rights group in Serbia are setting up free wifi, and UN agencies are handing out thousands of free SIMs, similar to what Teemu envisions - but you have to remember that is mostly in Europe. The other group in refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, which is more than half of the total number of refugees, have more dire concerns - Food, being the most prominent one[2][3]. They are usually the poorest and most vulnerable group of refugees in the situation. Things are getting so close to rock bottom in fact that the refugees are considering going back to the Warzone in Syria instead of starving in the camps.[2] > I don't know what is the truth, and why this difference of understanding > exists - just adding to the noise here. It's certainly a bad situation all around. Coming back to my on-topic suggestion, Wikipedia Zero is a much better alternative. Partnering with other agencies and setting these devices up physically in sometimes hostile areas, is a huge undertaking that I believe we are not set up for. WP Zero already exists in a dozen markets in the developing world, all it needs is a single agreement with a local carrier - it just makes access to Wikipedia free for everyone with a phone (smart or not). It's a better fit in my opinion. Kind regards Theo [1] http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/for-syrian-refugees-smartphones-are-a-lifeline-not-a-toy-1.3221349 [2] http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/sep/11/destitute-syrian-refugees-jordan-lebanon-may-return-to-warzone [3] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34220590 _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
