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.

Comments

Re:Um..

[rikomatic]

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.

German Open Source Advocacy

[Noodlenose]

It's interesting that the whole crusade was organised by a German IT consultancy, with support from the Goethe-Institut and the GTZ, representatives of a secular state strongly pushing Open Source.

You can't really see a US sponsored team going to Africa without peddling chriatianity and Windows, can you?

Re:Get your priorities straight!

[WhiteWolf666]

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.