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

needs?

[MattyCobb]

hmm i think that spreading linux/oss to other countries, particularly poverty stricken ones, is very important. it allows them to get software that they might otherwise be unable to afford. HOWEVER, im pretty sure that the hiarchy of needs comes into play here. that is, i dont think that most of these people could care less if you gave them a new decked out 'nix box or not. why? because they have to worry about stuff like food, clothing, shelter, and safety. satisfy those and THEN maybe these people will start to care about sharing of information...

Re:Intriguing

[WhiteWolf666]

No offense, you aren't being as bad of some of the people replying to you.

ETHIOPIA IS NOT A CRAZY UNSTABLE NATION FULL OF WARLORDS. ETHIOPIA IS NOT A CRAZY UNSTABLE NATION FULL OF WARLORDS. ETHIOPIA IS NOT A CRAZY UNSTABLE NATION FULL OF WARLORDS.

Thank you, had to get that out of my system.

All of you, talking about the Ethiopian warlords----

GET A FRIGGING CLUE

The government is extremely stable. And pro-capitalist. And understands the nature of the problems the country is facing.

The people of Ethiopia also understand the need for development.

And not robber-baron style of development, either. They get it, they really, really do, when I was there for a bit, speaking with all levels of individuals, from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, to Industrialists, lowly taxi drivers, farm laborers, and even Tribal leaders.....

THEY GET IT.

That country is hobbled, because it was an Empire under a backwards ruler till the 70s, then a crazy, totalitarian communist government till the 90s.

Then they got into an unfortunate war of succession.

They've had, what, 6 years of peace?

You expect them to repair 100 of years of damage in SIX FRIGGIN' YEARS?????!

Ethiopia is populated with intelligent, caring, educated individuals.

What they don't have is capital, or organization.

(That means jobs, and corporations, for those of you who refuse to see what I am saying).

It is a nation rich in resources, which hasn't had much time to get it together yet.

Trust me, they will, on their own.

But faster if the rest of the world invests.

And in MY HUMBLE OPINION, open source is high on the list of priorities. Why? Because corporations will be able to equip the employees in Ethiopia with perhaps 10 times the number of computers they would otherwise be able to afford (under traditional, MS'ian licensing scheme).

And many of those systems can be recycled from 'waste' piles of wasteful nations like the U.S.

Ethiopian no longer wants food aid.

Trust me, everyone from the Deputy Prime Minister to 14 yr old farm labor told me that, face to face.

What they want is jobs, and opportunity.

Stability is not the problem. War is not the problem. Crime is not the problem.

Capital is. And Open Source reduces the cost of capital.

I don't know what I am getting on this rant. Not like I'll even have much to do with Open Source in Ethiopia. We are going to farm there.

But it pains me to see this impression of Ethiopia as a war-torn battleground, of despondents.

That is simply no longer the case.

It is a beautiful nation, with a proud people, who are looking to join the developed world.

Try and visit there before you talk about 'their' problems.

And don't be afraid of being a tourist. Your tourist dollars will go FAR for the street vendors that you are buying stuff from.