[UgaBYTES] Asian replication of Ugabytes....is it a possibility...???

Fri Nov 9 14:05:40 GMT 2007

dear all,
having worked in Asia for a while, I know of some similar initiatives,
including a UNESCAP one:
http://telecentresap.org/

best,
marc

2007/11/5, Harsha Liyanage <smilingharsha at googlemail.com>:
>
> Dear Partha, Christine and all,
>
> I would try to seize the moment to build up on following mail from Grace
> (from Philippine).
>
> Well, Ugabytes is providing us enough inspiration to build an Asian
> parallel (a Telecentre Discussion Group!), can we invite Vignesh or CSDMS to
> take the lead, to build the stepping stones. I can imagine D.Net +
> Bangladesh Telecentre Network, Sarvodaya - Fusion + Telecentre National
> Alliance, Mission 2007 partners - would love to join this. But, we are
> missing the leadership, skills +  genuine regional affection that Ugabytes
> provides in African situation.
>
> Well - I am passing the idea, for somebody to take it - who ever
> appropriate.
>
> Best.
>
> HL
>
>
> On 04/11/2007, Grace Mirandilla <gmirandilla at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Dear friends,
> >
> > As an ICT4D researcher, I have gained some very valuable insights from
> > this discussion, especially those coming from people who are working on the
> > ground and implementing telecenter projects. No amount of theorizing can
> > offer answers to questions about telecenters compared to the real experience
> > of either running a telecenter or engaging people who are involved in
> > telecenter development.
> >
> > Like Harsha, I also hope that a similar forum can be done for the Asian
> > telecenter community, apart from holding conferences where there is limited
> > participation from different stakeholders. I think UNDP and IDRC are
> > supporting such an initiative to establish telecenter networks in various
> > countries and regions. Looking forward to seeing the same kind of enthusiasm
> > and dynamism in the sharing of ideas in an Asian telecenter forum like what
> > we see in Ugabytes.
> >
> > Cheers!
> > Grace
> >
> >
> >  On 11/3/07, Harsha Liyanage < smilingharsha at googlemail.com> wrote:
> >
> > >  Dear Friends,
> > >
> > > Thank you so much for the brilliant display of experience /
> > > intelligence / wisdom / foolishness / ignorance.....  and most importantly
> > > patience and warm heart..>!
> > >
> > > It was the best online discussion that I have participated in recent
> > > history. Some of you may have seen I have already extracted and adapted some
> > > lessons to the 'Sustainability First' research work (www.sustainabilityfirst.org)
> > > for telecentre.org. The Newsletter circulated today (even to Ugabytes
> > > list - but did not see circulation yet) and this reaches broader ICT4D
> > > community. So does the impact of this discussion.
> > >
> > > Thank you all again, and wish you all the very best for upcoming
> > > gathering.
> > >
> > > Special thanks for Loic and also Meddie and Ugabytes. (We certainly
> > > miss similar vibrance within Asian telecentre community yet. Probably one
> > > day some body may follow the path of Ugabytes).
> > >
> > > Best.
> > >
> > > Harsha Liyanage
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 02/11/2007, Dean Mulozi <deanmulozi at yahoo.com > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Dear Friends,
> > > > The online discussion has been very educative. I have
> > > > actually benefited a lot from contributions of
> > > > Telecenter managers in East Africa who have tirelessly
> > > > brought this discussion lively.
> > > >
> > > > >From this point it is important to put into practice
> > > > what we have learnt to benefit information exchange
> > > > and resource access within our communities.
> > > > Let us ensure that sustainability responds to
> > > > efficient service delivery and ultimately improving
> > > > livelihoods within our African communities.
> > > >
> > > > Let us keep the spirit moving and benefit from each
> > > > others contributions.
> > > >
> > > > It has been a breathtaking discssion,
> > > >
> > > > Thank you
> > > >
> > > > Dean Mulozi
> > > > ZAA-ICT,
> > > > Lusaka,
> > > > Zambia.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > want to say sustainability of telecenters in Africa
> > > > will depend on
> > > > --- Leonce SESSOU < lsessou at songhai.org> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Dear friends,
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I want to tell my congratulations to all of you who
> > > > > contribute to this
> > > > > online discussion. I have enjoyed the discussion and
> > > > > have kept a lot lessons
> > > > > that will be share with the French community. Loic
> > > > > thanks for the summary.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I also want to share this article with you.
> > > > > "Communities of Practice and
> > > > > virtual learning communities: benefits, barriers and
> > > > > success factors"
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Read the summary and download the full text from
> > > > > Telecentre.org <http://telecentre.org/>website.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > http://community.telecentre.org/en-tc/node/48691
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Regards
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Leonce SESSOU
> > > > >
> > > > > Community Content Facilitator
> > > > >
> > > > > Telecentre.org <http://telecentre.org/>
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Telecentres Coordinator
> > > > >
> > > > > Songhai Centre (Benin)
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >   _____
> > > > >
> > > > > De : ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
> > > > > [mailto: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] De la
> > > > > part de Ananya Guha
> > > > > Envoyé : vendredi 2 novembre 2007 16:49
> > > > > À : ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> > > > > Objet : Re: [UgaBYTES] EATLF- Social enterprise and
> > > > > how tosustaintelecentres
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Dear Loic,
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks very much. I have also attempted a summation
> > > > > of the discussions, but
> > > > > yours is very comprehensive, and a real crtique of
> > > > > the overall views. I have
> > > > > been able to understand things from the vantage
> > > > > point, as it were.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks again, and to all colleagues.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Ananya.S.Guha.
> > > > >
> > > > > Loic Comolli < lcomolli at nesst.org> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Dear Colleagues,
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > It is November 2 and, as you know, this online
> > > > > discussion of EATLF on Social
> > > > > Enterprise: Finding New Solutions to Sustaining
> > > > > Telecentres ends today. It
> > > > > has been a great pleasure discussing the topic of
> > > > > social enterprise and
> > > > > sustainability with everyone on this list, and thank
> > > > > you for your
> > > > > insightful, concrete, and thought-provoking ideas.
> > > > > In this closing post I
> > > > > would like to summarize some of the discussions and
> > > > > also talk about a few
> > > > > ways we can concretize this sustainability movement.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Some of the highlights of this discussion include
> > > > > (this is by no means a
> > > > > comprehensive list, and I know I'm not doing justice
> > > > > to all the good ideas
> > > > > that were brought up the past two weeks):
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > - Going beyond ICT: sustainability requires
> > > > > responding to community needs
> > > > > and using ICT as a tool for ICT4D. This brings some
> > > > > key questions such as
> > > > > the need to do basic market research on the products
> > > > > and services that the
> > > > > community wants (including basic financial
> > > > > analysis); and also to identify a
> > > > > willingness to pay (a customer) that is not
> > > > > necessarily the same as the
> > > > > end-user.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > - Need for integrated approach/support system/value
> > > > > chain: probably the best
> > > > > option to reach sustainability is to act as a broker
> > > > > of products and
> > > > > services that the community wants. Brokering
> > > > > services imply linking buyers
> > > > > and sellers; for this to happen a value chain and
> > > > > support system must be
> > > > > created. Here the role for telecentre networks is
> > > > > key: they can identify
> > > > > products and services that telecentres can sell;
> > > > > they can negotiate with
> > > > > corporations, donors, and government; they can
> > > > > provide 'mini-finance' and
> > > > > capacity-building to telecentres to launch new
> > > > > products and services.
> > > > > Bringing together many stakeholders is a key
> > > > > ingredient in all of this.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > - Sustainability as a whole: is sustainability only
> > > > > about money? It is true
> > > > > that a telecentre must earn more cash than it spends
> > > > > to become sustainable.
> > > > > However, one should not forget that a social
> > > > > enterprise is a complex
> > > > > structure (some call enterprises 'organisms' because
> > > > > they have many
> > > > > interlinked and moving parts) that goes beyond cash.
> > > > > Human resources (ie,
> > > > > qualified staff), ethical/transparent/and competent
> > > > > management, systems, and
> > > > > social impact are some of the elements that should
> > > > > be addressed to reach
> > > > > sustainability.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > - Mission drift: in the quest for sustainability it
> > > > > is important not to lose
> > > > > focus of the social mission. Otherwise we risk
> > > > > turning telecentres into
> > > > > cybercafés. To avoid mission drift, it is important
> > > > > that telecentre leaders
> > > > > first set clear social impact targets. Then they can
> > > > > assess how much money
> > > > > is needed to achieve these targets and sell the
> > > > > corresponding products and
> > > > > services that will help them to achieve their
> > > > > targets.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > - Sustainability equations: thanks to Damas for the
> > > > > equation C+M+P = SSE;
> > > > > and Shaddy for the 5 C's framework. It would be
> > > > > interesting to continue
> > > > > developing these sustainability frameworks for
> > > > > telecentres to use as they
> > > > > develop their own sustainability initiatives.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Another important contribution of this list has been
> > > > > the products and
> > > > > services that have been mentioned and proposed to
> > > > > increase sustainability.
> > > > > UgaBYTES made an inventory of these so they are
> > > > > documented for anyone to use
> > > > > to expand their services (thanks to Mariam for
> > > > > compiling the list):
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > === message truncated ===>
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > ugabytes mailing list
> > > > > ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> > > > >
> > > > http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > __________________________________________________
> > > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > > Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> > > > http://mail.yahoo.com
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > ugabytes mailing list
> > > > ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> > > > http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Harsha Liyanage, PhD
> > > Managing Director, Fusion, Sarvodaya. www.fusion.lk
> > > Regional Coordinator, South Asia,
> > > GKP
> > > Visiting Research Fellow, IDRC (telecentre.org), Canada.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > ugabytes mailing list
> > > ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> > > http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Life is what happens to you
> > While you're busy making other plans.
> > -- from "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > ugabytes mailing list
> > ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> > http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Harsha Liyanage, PhD
> Managing Director, Fusion, Sarvodaya. www.fusion.lk
> Regional Coordinator, South Asia,
> GKP
> Visiting Research Fellow, IDRC (telecentre.org), Canada.
> _______________________________________________
> ugabytes mailing list
> ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.ugabytes.org/pipermail/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org/attachments/20071109/bae05cdb/attachment-0001.html