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Linux Advocacy in Ethiopia: A Traveller's Journal
Jutta Horstmann writes "At the Horn of Africa, little is known about Open Source. To change this, Jan Muehlig and Jutta Horstmann (relevantive AG, authors of last year's Linux Usability Report) set out to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Read their traveller's journal and get more information on Linux and Open Source in Ethiopia at relevantive.de/ethiopia." Their travel report is the most interesting section.
Linux advocacy worldwide is clearly important, but i'd like to highlight something far more pressing : poverty, disease, malnutrition. Honestly readers, which is a more pressing problem? The evil genius residing in Seatle, or the thousands of people dieing in Ethiopia?
I know what many might say, but i'm guessing dealing with the social problems there prior to trying to inflict technology on them might be the better option.
The information economy requires infrastructure, access and education. How is Ethiopia ever going to move beyond a "non-developing" status if the technology gap just grows and grows?
A vibrant information economy in Ethiopia can only be a good thing. Greater access to computers and more local programmers can help stir economic growth. Economic growth means higher salaries which means more money for food.
I think the idea behind it is if the tools to build/base the economy on are good, it'll help facilitate development of a economy that can produce that food/development/etc on its own. Giving food treats the symptoms, not the real problem. It does most certainly help, but ideally we want them to stand on their own two feet.
Making them aware of free, powerful software gives opportunities to people/natives of the country who otherwise may not be able to contribute to making a place in their economy due to the massive fees non-open source software often has. Now, that's not to say telling them about Linux will single-handedly let all sorts of small businesses spring up, but it will help SOME. Or so one would hope. If they can get their hands on a computer, then they won't have to pay through the nose for (say) microsoft on top of it. I'm sure just getting a working computer alone is enough luck for a new would-be businessperson. With open source, they won't have to jump through hoops for lisences on pricy products as well, and yet will still be able to use their computers for computing instead of as ugly uncomfortable stools.
Both food and linux have their place in the grand scheme of things!
Anyone here speak Amharic? (See also Wikipedia: Amharic language.)
From the travel report:
From the Links to African Projects Page:
And the Ge'ez ftp server:
ftp://ftp.ethiopic.org/
Only Women Bleed (Sex, Sharia remix)
The timing is interesting. I had just written up a short composition on the digital divide for a class.
__
The general definition of the digital divide, by consensus of websites inquired
on Google[1], seems to be that of a "technological gap" between the
"haves" and "have-nots." The Digital Divide Network defines
the digital divide as "this gap between those who can effectively use new
information and communication tools, such as the Internet, and those who
cannot." A key point to raise is the importance of this "gap"
and whether or not such technological benefits like the Internet are holding the
"have-nots" back. One thing to note is that the "digital
divide" does not necessarily lie upon a line between the rich and the poor,
but even between people who choose not to use new technologies (either through
lack of access or through lack of knowledge and the fear that may come with
that) and those that do. The Digital Divide Network has more information on
this[3].
One major factor that the Internet seems to bring into is the effect it has on
education. The proliferation of information and the speed of that proliferation
on the Internet is often breathtaking. The immediacy and breadth of access that
students, particularly in Western-industrialized nations, is unlike anything we
have had before within human history. This could be an argument in favor of
defining the digital divide, and all attempts to bridge it. However, many times
this does not address more immediate needs that often exacerbate the digital
divide, particularly in poverty. Impoverished nations, especially, have
problems beyond simply lack of access to new technology and the Internet, such
as the quality or lack of education, which, however, could be helped by access
to new technology such as the Internet for the very reasons stated above.
India, the Philippines, Russia, and other such "Third World" nations
have been making headlines for "usurping" American jobs. An argument
could be made that they are simply taking advantage of new technologies and
their lower standard of living, just as any other person would use their
advantages to get a job. With that argument, one could further it by saying
that those nations are taking one route to "bridge the gap of the digital
divide."
Another issue to deal with is simply the lack of access certain areas,
particularly rural areas, have to technology. Getting technology to such areas
is often costly, and uneconomical for commercial entities. Technological access
to such areas must often be "donated" or some clever solution, such as
wireless access, must be conceived.
Finally, the lack of access is often created by a lack of education,
particularly within US schools. There are many who do not use something such as
the Internet simply due to lack of education, and possibly the fear of not
understanding how to use the technology. This is often exacerbated by the
cultures of the Internet that quite often have disdain for those who have little
or no understanding of how to use it. Another problem with the lack of
education is that there can be difficulty in obtaining education due to the fast
pace at which technology advances. However, one could argue that while
technology often advances at blinding speed, the usage of such technology
usually stays the same for long periods of time, and so the education in the
usage of technology is unlikely to be quickly antiquated.
Bridging the digital divide may not be necessary for the "have-nots"
to survive, or, in the case of the impoverished, necessary to find wealth, but
it can be a route out of poverty. The United States went through some horrific
times to get to the point it is at now, as did many other modern industrialized
nations, but many would argue that currently impoverished nations should n
// file: mice.h
#include "frickin_lasers.h"
You can't really see a US sponsored team going to Africa without peddling chriatianity and Windows, can you?
I watched a show called Seriously Funny on the CBC, and there was this American mocking his country when he was joking about gun laws:
...give a man a gun, and he can steal fish to feed himself for today.
"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime"
(Not trolling or flamebaiting)
"There is no spoon." - The Matrix
Amen.
Of course, once those things are accomplished, having the beginnings of an education, a high speed net connection, and some cheap hardware with free software will do wonders for your economy.
No reason the placing of an infrastructure can't be used as a motivating factor in e.g. breaking up the arms dealing. I actually think it would help, yes.
"The Internet is made of cats."
I don't find anything compelling about your religious/missionary parallels. Here's how I see it: Ethiopia needs a technological infrastructure if they're to have any hope of raising their standard of living. This means not only having the fruits of technology (the software) but the freedom to do with it whatever their ingenuity will allow, and the ability to educate themselves on how that software works.
Linux is both a good operating system and a good teaching tool. It's the sort of thing budding IT professionals really ought to be cutting their teeth on. It is also important that a country as poor as Ethiopia not be flushing money down a giant tube that leads straight to Redmond, Washington.
I see the efforts of this article as only slightly more "religious" than if they were going around teaching crop rotation and demonstrating ingenious water purification techniques.
You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!
Food does get to those people.
It just that food doesn't help them next year.
Sure, they need the food now, so they don't starve.
But there are no rampaging warlord in Ethiopia. UN Food programs actually distribute food to people who are starving.
I've seen it, and can atest to it.
What they need is jobs. Trust me, that's what they are asking for.
WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
Some friends and I did a similar thing in Burma a couple of years ago, except focusing on opensource's security aspects and handing out OpenBSD distros.
-
open the national bank,
- abolished slavetrade in the country which allowed Ethiopia to join UN,
- he formed the univercity of Addis Ababa,
- started Ethiopian Airlines,
- was one of the founders of Organisation Of African Unity which reformed couple of years ago to African Unition,
- took the power from local rasses so that there would not be "local wardlords"
- Founded the first Constitution of Ethiopia
and some other minor things like tha. Yeah he must have been evil because he used weapons to put down riots. And personally, i can say that he didnt steal the peoples money, atleast to the extent of giving it to his family. I personally have met his grandson who drove his own car (standard family volvo) and has humble to share his shelter with unknown white peep who just happened to be there. What a wicked and backwards ruler he was.yush