[Telecentres] CATALYSING LIFE-ALTERING CHANGES

[Pamela McLean]

Ref Karin Delgadillo Poepsel's story of the* PASTOCALLE: MATANGA AND 
PUCARA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY* CATALYSING LIFE-ALTERING CHANGES
and the issues of access to pornography, women's empowerment, 
challenging the existing power structures and subsequent closure of the 
telecentre.

Yesterday I was writing our newsletter, and thinking how VSAT use is a 
mixed blessing. I was wondering how I should raise the issue of 
pornographic sites with my friends at the InfoCentre.

I was also thinking of other discussions I had in the past with Peter 
Oyawale about how access to information challenges existing power 
structures and how we could achieve win-win situations. For example the 
InfoCentre is in premises provided by the Local Government. Access to 
information may threaten corrupt practices in LG. We don't want to 
alienate LG. Somehow we have to develop InfoCentre services in ways 
where LG officials will see great benefits for themselves and their 
families. It seems that we need a situation where, even if access to 
information affects various "payments" that local officials are used to 
getting, other benefits will outweigh what is lost and they will, on 
balance, still support the InfoCentre.

This threat to existing power is one of the reasons that Peter intended 
starting off with his LG foot ball league, rather than the InfoCentres, 
so that there would be strong local awareness and support for what he 
was initiating in Oke-Ogun "To bring good things that the developed 
world enjoys..." . The ideas was that through the football league, and 
the trophies donated by Peter's group to the LGs, the LG chairmen would 
be positively involved from the start. With Peter's death the football 
league work faltered, and the trophies remained at his home in the UK.

I have only been dipping into the list and don't know if these issues 
are on or off topic. I would appreciate feedback, on or off list, from 
others who have faced these issues.

Pam

Pamela McLean - Cawd volunteer and CawdNet convenor
CawdNet – Networking in rural Nigeria and in the virtual communities of 
the Internet.
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