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Re: [school-discuss] One Laptop Per Child?



I think it is important to also look at the maintenance of these laptops.  If we take a previous example of development, NGO's have gone into Cambodia to dig wells and give people the basic tools for survival.  In Battambong, there are wells that are broken down and not being used forcing people to cross landmine contaminated fields.  If we are unable to help people at the most basic level by training a technical person and leaving them with spare parts for their wells, how are we expecting them to maintain a laptop technology.
I am 100% supporting this initiative, I feel however, that there are issues that need attention such as the before mentioned and localized software that reflects cultural and communal values.
 
Teprine Baldeo

David Lloyd <lloy0076@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hmmm...

> As long as the people of a particular region/country and the government
> do not have a hand in these programs or initiatives all efforts will be
> the equivalent of the US trying to establish democracy in
> Iraq/Afghanistan with a gun.

You have many valid points which I've snipped to save bandwidth.

Wouldn't it be better to ask ourselves:

* In what areas or in what ways could one laptop per child help?
* How could we, at schoolforge, encourage these ways?
* Do our important messages and ideas get to the right people by simply
posting them to this list?

It is true that developing communities from all countries seem to have
different so-called helpful "fads" pushed upon them. Sometimes it's feel
good; other times it's political. These "fads" can come back to haunt
us, as developing communities aren't helped as in your Indian example OR
we have to remove what we once supported by force [and execute its
leaders quickly so they don't tell the truth].

I think OLPC's goals are commendable - realistically WHAT IS WRONG with
the concept of giving the world's children a tool that you might be
using right now to read this e-mail? Arguing against the basic idea is
silly, if you ask me.

It can only be wrong if we implement it wrong and if we get the
priorities wrong.

This leads back to my three questions...

DSL



Teprine Baldo
Bleu Rouge Productions
(514) 201-7801
(514) 522-3168
 


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