[Telecentres] WSIS ignorance!

[Don Cameron]

Hi Hannah, Jacqueline

 

Whatever the intent the statement is ambiguous and either or both of your
interpretations are likely to be correct. I agree with Hannah - the
paragraph should be re-written and properly justified if for no other reason
than to clarify and substantiate the author's perspective. 

 

On a similar note - The WSIS Plan of Action (C4,o) states: "Volunteering, if
conducted in harmony with national policies and local cultures, can be a
valuable asset for raising human capacity to make productive use of ICT
tools and build a more inclusive Information Society. Activate volunteer
programmes to provide capacity building on ICT for development, particularly
in developing countries"

 

I find this statement more than a little offensive and indicative of a
process sorely lacking in civil engagement. Volunteerism is the mainstay of
Telecentre operations; an essential component of communal interaction and
future sustainability.

 

Volunteerism should never be limited to (something) "conducted in harmony
with national policies". I agree with a need for cultural empathy, however
to preclude all volunteer activities conducted outside, and often for
benefits greater than those encompassed by national policy is absurdly
counter-productive and indicative of a thorough lack of understanding of the
volunteer ethos. The fact this is the only reference to volunteerism in the
Plan of Action and altogether omitted from the Declaration of Principles
shows just how far WSIS is from understanding the value of true civil
involvement.

 

In the state of South Australia during the year 1999-2000 volunteerism
contributed 4.98 billion dollars to the Gross State Product (1). This is
more than 10% of the total GSP (43.4 billion) across all industry sectors
and much of the volunteer work is associated with ICT initiatives. It is my
view that rather than marginalising the value of volunteerism WSIS should be
actively engaging volunteers and promoting far greater levels of volunteer
input.   

 

(1)     The Economic Value of Volunteering in South Australia. Dr Duncan
Ironmonger, Households Research Unit Department of Economics, University of
Melbourne 2001)

 

Rgds, Don

 

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