[CI] RE: [Telecentres] requesting immediate feedback: telecentres/educationstatement

Tue Feb 22 22:42:42 GMT 2005

Michael et al,

Some mention of the role of volunteers needs to be acknowledged and valued 
somewhere within these recommendations.

Here is Western Australia thousands of volunteers work in Telecentres 
throughout the State and barely get mentioned! Their labour is worth 
millions of dollars a year in wages and resources and their contribution 
factored into to funding proposals, particularly where 'in-kind' 
contributions are called for, to make up the case for funding.

It would be wonderful if we could get multiplier effect of 1.5 to 2 
recognised as the 'worth' at least of this energy and commitment by 
volunteers.

So may I suggest a point g:

g. That all volunteer contributions to telecentres be valued by 
implementation of a multiplier effect value, calculated on estimated 
telecentre activity worth e.g. QV = (I + A - E) * ME

where:

      QV =
     Qualitative Value

      I =
     Income

      A =
     Assets

      E =
     Expenditure

      ME =
     Multiplier Effect (volunteer value)

Hope this makes sense,

Cheers,

Gill:-)!~

Dr.Gillian Sellar
Managing Director
1 < 2 > 1 Education, Software and IT PTL
PO Box 170
Denmark 6333
Western Australia
ph/fax: +61 08 98482865
mob:0417 953 489
gill at omninet.net.au
http://www.albanygateway.com.au/Member/1_2_1_Education_Software_and_IT/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gurstein, Michael" <gurstein at ADM.NJIT.EDU>
To: "Andy Carvin" <ACarvin at edc.org>; <telecentres at wsis-cs.org>
Cc: <communityinformatics at vancouvercommunity.net>; 
<ciresearchers at vancouvercommunity.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:36 PM
Subject: [CI] RE: [Telecentres] requesting immediate feedback: 
telecentres/educationstatement

> Andy,
>
> Thanks for this opportunity and I've forwarded this to the Community
> Informatics CIResearchers elists where there will likely be some
> additional interest and response...
>
> I'd like to contribute a few points as well, although I'm not sure from
> your note as to whether this might be the appropriate place to introduce
> these...
>
> I think that mention should be made of the need for:
> 1. funding for bottom up and self or community organized
> ICT initiatives
>
> 2. support for local content development including
> training, applications development, market development
>
> 3. the means to utilize ICTs as supports to citizenship and
> e-participation including in exercises such as the WSIS and particularly
> in any agency or institution created as a follow up to the WSIS.
>
> 4. an "effective use" approach to public investments in
> ICTs for Development at the local level, that is one which focusses on
> locally significant/valuable ICT application areas such as learning,
> health, local economic development, emergency and disaster management,
> environmental management among others. An "effective use" approach is
> one that ensures that the range of elements required for successful
> implementation of an application at the local level are recognized and
> supported and including
> a. Carriage facilities -  the telecommunications
> service infrastructure is needed to support the application being
> undertaken?
> b. Input/output devices - the devices (computers,
> pda's, etc.) which users need to undertake the particular activity?
> c. Tools and supports - the software, physical
> supports, protocols, service supports required?
> d. Content services - specifically designed content
> needed for particular application areas including in local languages and
> for various levels of literacy (or non-literacy)?
> e. Service access/provision - an appropriate and
> supportive social and organizational infrastructure, links to local
> social networks, para-professionals, training facilities are necessary
> for the particular use being developed?
> f. Social facilitation - the local regional
> authorities/resources, community and environmental infrastructure,
> training, animation required to locally enable the desired application
> or use? and
> g. Governance - the required financing, regulatory
> or policy regime, either for governance of the application or to enable
> the implementation and long term sustainability of the application
> within the broader national, regional and local legal or regulatory
> systems?
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> MG
>
> Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
>
> (for information only and does not imply organizational endorsement)
> Member Advisory Board: Telecenters of the Americas; Member Advisory
> Board Association for Community Networking; Board Member Telecommunities
> Canada; Board Member Carrefours Mondial; Foundation Chair Community
> Informatics Research Network
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
> [mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Andy Carvin
> Sent: February 22, 2005 1:36 PM
> To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: [Telecentres] requesting immediate feedback:
> telecentres/educationstatement
>
>
>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I've been working with Divina Frau-Meigs and Jane Johnson from the
> education caucus to craft language to be presented in tomorrow morning's
> plenary. As we wrote down our ideas, we realized that much of what we
> had to say was similar to some of the ideas we have discussed on the
> telecentres list.
>
> So I would like to propose that we consider issuing a joint statement
> with the education caucus on areas of agreement regarding the role of
> schools, universities and telecentres in meeting the MDGs. Please give
> me feedback on the following ideas as soon as possible, because our
> telecentres meeting tomorrow afternoon will be too late in the process
> to impact the discussion on financing mechanisms. thanks! -ac
>
> ICTs are a key tool in achieving universal education, while wired
> schools and non-formal learning institutions such telecenters can play a
> major role in promoting development.
>
> 1. When considering financing mechanisms, do not neglect the role that
> schools, universities and informal educational institutions such as
> telecentres an play as a community hub for building knowledge and
> integrating marginalized communities into the information society.
>
> Schools, libraries and other institutions are existing infrastructures
> that focus on the future -- the potential of our children and young
> people. Young people should be a priority for accessing these
> educational ICTs as they cannot afford to wait for policymakers; their
> longterm prosperity is at stake.
>
> 2. It's not enough to finance infrastructure - professional development
> for educators and curriculum development must also be addressed -
> curriculum that is linguistically and culturally appropriate, including
> open courseware.
>
> 3. Multi-purpose access points: schools should be able to serve as
> telecentres, while telecentres can serve as educational institutions in
> themselves
>
> 4. Encouraging local/community vested interest in the success of these
> institutions. Community members must have a true stake in their
> technological and educational development.
>
> 5. Promote the development of regional open courseware initiatives as a
> primary means for cultural and linguistic diversity, for pluralism of
> educational formats. These initiatives should be networked for worldwide
> capacity building.
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
> Andy Carvin
> Program Director
> EDC Center for Media & Community
> acarvin @ edc . org
> http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org
> http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/
> -------------------------------------------------
>
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