[school-discuss] [IIEP] [OFFTOPIC] Open letter to B&MGF ATLA Re: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Access to Learning Award (ATLA) 2007

[Frederick Noronha <fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Rebecca, Thanks for letting me know about this. As you might be
aware, I consider myself part of the Free Software movement. As such,
I find it unacceptable to work with a fund that made its millions on
the premise of the questionable practices of proprietary software.

While INASP (the International Network for the Availability of
Scientific Publications) is a great idea and approach, can we afford
to forget the need for an International Network for the Availability
of Access to Software Products? Would this be acceptable to the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, which you might argue is separate from
Microsoft Corp, but nonetheless made its billions on just the opposite
approach?

Or do you consider scientific publications to be sharable, but not software?

In addition, I really don't believe our planet merely needs a million
dollars (or many million dollars) to spur intiiatives forward.
Specially when this money was earned at the cost of placing
unacceptable blocks on the sharing of software, curbing software
freedom, and turning nine out ten computer users into "pirates".

In my view too, what we need is talent and skill that looks at the
problems and the needs of the many rather than at the luxury and greed
of the few. While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been
claiming to do exactly this, history tells us differently. Is it
possible to take the clock back to the pre-Open Letter to Hobbyist
Days? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists or
http://www.blinkenlights.com/classiccmp/gateswhine.html Or,
alternatively can your initiative think of joining the campaigns of
the Free Software movement, and its emphasis on the freedom to run,
study, copy and improve software? If not, why not? Is it merely
because it threatens a business model that helps to concentrate wealth
in a phenomenal manner?

Am sharing this note with our BytesForAll list. If anyone is
interested in taking up your offer, it's upto them. I wouldn't. Thank
you anyway for taking the trouble to write though; nothing personal
here, but I feel such issues and assumptions need to be debated. FN

On 20/09/06, Rebecca Priestley <rpriestley@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>  Frederick Noronha
>  Founder
>  Bytes For All
>
>  Dear Mr Noronha,
>
>  Firstly, let me introduce myself. I work for INASP (the International
> Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications) and one of my
> responsibilities is to assist in the coordination of the 2007 Access to
> Learning Award, an award given by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It
> recognises excellence in providing access to information through computers,
> at no cost to the user. The recipient will receive an award of up to US $1
> million. It must be stressed that this is an award for work already
> completed or in progress, it is not a grant.
>
>  We are currently contacting our large international network with
> information to encourage applications. I am sure many of your contacts may
> be eligible. We should be grateful if you could use means at your disposal,
> e.g. news item in your bulletin or journal, or links from your website to
> inform your community and contacts.
>
>  Please find attached a copy of the ATLA brochure in English and the
> application form. Full information (including brochures in relevant
> languages, and application form) is also available on our website at
> http://www.inasp.info/ldp/awards. I would like to send you
> a few hard copies of the brochure too so could you please let me know you
> postal address?
>
>  If you think I can help in any other way, please do get in touch with me.
>
>  Best wishes,
>
>  Rebecca
>
>
>
>
>  -----------
>  Rebecca Priestley
>  Programme & Events Officer
>  International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications
> (INASP)
>  58 St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1ST, UK
>  Tel: +44(0)1865 249909
>  Fax: +44(0)1865 251060
>  Email: rpriestley@xxxxxxxxxx
>  Skype: rebeccapriestley
>  Web: http://www.inasp.info
>
>  INASP is a registered UK charity: number 1106349
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Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org  9822122436 +91-832-240-9490
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