[OLPC-Oceania] Activities for unique Oceania XO's

[Sean Linton]

Perhaps I am wrong to assume the statement of monoculture in the email
below, when in many cases the opposite may be the reality, maybe it is not
monoculture but disconnection that is the real danger?

On 3 February 2011 22:26, Sean Linton <sean at lpnz.org> wrote:

> Hi again:
>
> One of the things I would like to know is that even at the current level of
> deployment the OLPC project doesn't get attacked for eroding the indigenous
> cultures of places when with some careful planning and insight it could
> contribute to the opposite. The sort of thing I am thinking about is for
> example where you have the TamTam activities, which have a pretty good
> representation of instruments from around the world built in to the activity
> already, but at this stage are not tailored to different regional
> environments. I am thinking about the difference in using that program for a
> child whose local music culture is represented by the program, and a child
> whose musical instruments are not included in that program.
>
> I have to say at one level the activity is useful for either child - the
> first can see that his or her culture is part of this world wide project and
> that is really neat, and the second child is at least given the opportunity
> to see what other instruments from around the world are like. So either way
> it is an education for who ever is using it, but with out that renewal of
> the traditional instruments and the unique backgrounds (culture) being
> brought into the light of this empowering technology I feel there is a
> danger that the result is a monoculture. To counter this one other thing
> that I can see being accomplished with the OLPC project is the ability to
> create audio content, and distribute it locally. In this situation although
> we don't have 'place specific instruments' loaded as a part of the music
> iconography of the OLPC, we at least have the ability to couple with
> community radio, or other audio frameworks to promote locally generated
> content.
>
> One thing I have heard is that OLPC, in a way, creates this situation of
> the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Maybe you have heard this too? I think as
> long as a focus of the project is making a contribution to building
> communities through learning and networking the technology itself is less
> like a piece of the pie and more like mixing dish.
>
>
> It would be great to see the Canadian 'drumbeats<http://www.olpccanada.com/content.php?id=12>'
> activity ported to all the places where the computers are, and that all of
> those places could create their own version of that interface, drawing on
> indigenous knowledge and experience of sound. However if for example
> 'drumbeats' is what makes OLPC in Canada unique, and that unique identity is
> being expressed through this activity then it makes less sense to try and do
> it in other places because that would be back to creating a sameness which
> is contrary to the aim of renewal of indigenous music, which is possible. My
> feeling is that the identity created by 'drumbeats' is in the content and
> not in the fact that it is unique to Canadian machines, and for that reason
> think it would be great to see some more discussion on how to better equip
> this technology to provide insights into more specific / less generic
> backgrounds.
>
> It would be good to establish some more contacts who are on the same page
> with this, I have also heard similar thoughts expressed by someone in Nepal.
>
> all the best,
>
> Sean
>
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