[Grassroots-l] OLPC, Chile and Educalibre

[Yamandu Ploskonka]

(from Werner Westermann, werner at educalibre.cl )

Best regards from Santiago, Chile.

In May of this year, we had exciting news where the ICT-Schools program of the
Department of Education, Enlaces (http://www.enlaces.cl), asked Educalibre
(http://www.educalibre.cl/) to propose a OLPC deployment project. Enlaces previously met
with a OLPC and Brightstar representatives asuring a total of 1000 XOs. We went on to
develop the proposal and negociate where to deploy the iniciative (Enlaces required us
to engage rural areas, outside of the Metropolitan Area, among others):

http://wiki.educalibre.cl/index.php/Propuesta_OLPC_Chile

Unfortunately, as you can see, the proposal was frustrated, because as Brightstar
distributor and partner of the OLPC Foundation, argued that it would not be possible for
the Chilean State to purchase only 1,000 XOs, but would consider a minimum of 10,000 XO.
Faced with this sudden change of turn and the impossibility of buying that quantity
off-budget, Enlaces decided to discard the possibility that the XO came into the hands
of our children.

Seeing pilots open in Latin America (Paraguay, Colombia, Nicaragua) promoted by NGOs or
other non-profit institutions, we are once again dreaming of implementing an OLPC pilot
in Chile. Educalibre has been formalized as an NGO Corporation and also has the support
of other NGOs that relate to free culture (http://www.derechosdigitales.org/) and
pedagogical universities (http://www.ucsh.cl/). We have certainty of being able to
gather the financial and human resources to successfully depploy OLPC in Chile.

How and through what channel we can raise a formal proposal to deploy OLPC in Chile?

To whom can we turn for this possibility?

With harmless envy, we watch (and also colaborate) how OLPC can be a real strategy to
transform education, teaching, and especially, children's learning. From here we want to
join and contribute in that process. I look forward to your contact.

Best regards,

Werner Westermann Juárez
ONG Corporación Educalibre
http://www.educalibre.cl
(+562) 632 3660
(+5609) 7 805 7501