[SPAM] - RE: [Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items/ICT Definition - Email found in subject

Elizabeth Carll, PhD ecarll at optonline.net
Wed Oct 13 11:02:23 BST 2004


Hannah,

Thank you for the informative and detailed descriptions of the 3 pilot ICT
projects of Reflect.   It certainly highlights the diverse functions of
telecenters tailored to meet the particular needs of a specific region.  I
will include it in the information I am compiling.

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
ecarll at optonline.net

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Hannah Beardon [mailto:HannahB at actionaid.org]
  Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 8:52 AM
  To: Elizabeth Carll, PhD
  Cc: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
  Subject: RE: [SPAM] - RE: [Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items/ICT
Definition - Email found in subject


  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 café 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: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
[mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Carll, PhD
  Sent: 04 October 2004 05:16
  To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
  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:toby.beresford at microaid.net]
  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
  ecarll at optonline.net

  -----Original Message-----
  From: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
  [mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org]On Behalf Of Joel Galgana
  Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 11:36 PM
  To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
  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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