Ref recent emails between Peter and Ed (see "snipped" version below).<br><br>I agree completely that we need education for entrepreneurship and that we need to open up communication. <br><br>Now we have the communication systems of 21st century there is no need for top-down donor-recipient relationships. We can cut out unproductive middle-men and unwieldy bureaucracy. Now the external resources and knowledge can meet local resources and knowledge for a collaboration between equals. MInciu Sodas is enabling this and so is Dadamac <a href="http://dadamclean.blogspot.com/">http://dadamclean.blogspot.com/</a><br>
<br>Pam<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2008/7/9 Edward Cherlin <<a href="mailto:echerlin@gmail.com">echerlin@gmail.com</a>>:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
On Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 10:28 PM, Peter Burgess <<a href="mailto:peterbnyc@gmail.com">peterbnyc@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>(snip)<br>
<br>
> My conclusion has been for a long time now that the best USE of the OLPC<br>
> initiative would be to get information from these poor communities so that<br>
> we can set about holding the world's leadership accountable for the mess<br>
> that has been created by a legal and political system that is dysfunctional<br>
> for pretty much all of the informal sector in the world ... a sector that<br>
> serves probably well over half the world's population.<br>
<br>
Peter may well be right here. I have often said myself that giving the<br>
poor a voice could be the function with the greatest impact. Note that<br>
communication also means the ability to cooperate with each other and<br>
to make deals with the rest of the world. But dealing with corruption<br>
and unaccountability is one of the most important activities in any<br>
society. (And one that the US needs to get back to, also.)<br>
<br>
> As I am often told by my friends the best solutions are when everyone ends<br>
> up being happy ... the use of OLPC infrastructure to flow information from<br>
> the community to an accountability system (Community Accountancy) does not<br>
> preclude having the infrastructure also used for facilitating education, and<br>
> all sorts of community information activities. I will argue, however, that<br>
> ignoring the dysfunctionality issues and not having the information to<br>
> address accountability is a formula for short term comfort and ultimate<br>
> disaster.<br>
<br>
Well, you are welcome to come into the community and suggest an Open<br>
Source software project and an educational curriculum for dealing with<br>
these issues. None of it happens unless someone steps up. It is not<br>
that we are ignoring any of the genuine issues, but that we are all<br>
pedaling as fast as we can, and there needs to be a lot more of us.</blockquote><br></div>