[UgaBYTES] [tc-mena] "creating a local digital divide"!!!

[Koda-Traoré, A.]

Dear all,

Thank you all for the interesting discussions which I follow regularly but do not always have time to join. Regarding the issue of digital divide introduced by Kareem, whether it is local or not, this goes, I believe, beyond the mandate of telecentres.

Digital divide is often seen from a technology perspective whereas but the underlying problems often stem from the bedrock of any community: its culture and traditions. Telecentres alone cannot address this but should integrate this dimension in the way services are provided and organised.

What can be done?

General considerations
As for any development interventions, telecentres should be part of a general rural/community development framework which combines extension systems, market linkages, health, data centres...etc. They should benefit from the inputs of all these different layers to play an effective and sustainable role in providing shared access to information and information related services.

How to reduce marginalisation?

Unfortunately it can only be reduced!

First, maintain the "public good" spirit although telecentres can still make profits. Governments should continue to play a key role in subsidising part of the facilities: bringing the ICTs to the last miles and sponsoring the cost related to connectivity, ensuring free or low-cost access (what is low?) for primary and secondary education, providing power cuts and .....

Secondly, bring in the private sector management attitude and train the telecentre owners and managers how to run telecentre as a business with proper market analysis (the community), activities monitoring and evaluation (including financial)

Koda
www.kodatraore.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org [mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Reem N Bsaiso
Sent: mercredi 5 août 2009 01:29
To: 'Telecentre Discussion List for North Africa and the Middle East'
Cc: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org; tc-network-leaders at dgroups.idrc.ca
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] [tc-mena] "creating a local digital divide"!!!

Exactly my point Karim..we are ready for the solution



From: kareem kasim [mailto:kkasim at mcit.gov.eg]
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 12:51 AM
To: Telecentre Discussion List for North Africa and the Middle East
Cc: tc-network-leaders at dgroups.idrc.ca; ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: [tc-mena] "creating a local digital divide"!!!



"Greater clarity is required in deciding what telecentres projects are
aiming to do. If these issues
are not thought through, there is a risk that telecentres will either 'fail'
and waste money, or will
serve to bring the division between the 'information haves' and 'have-nots'
into communities -
creating a local digital divide." Benjamin and Dahms, 1998

Last week end I came across this quote, which  I read years ago when I
graduated and started to work in the very first telecentre in Egypt!!
Things have changed dramatically since then (1998), but one thing struck me
the most as I read it today!! it is the term; "creating a local digital
divide"!!!

It made me think and thought to share this with you, may be we can think
together!?



Karim A. Kasim
Telecentre.org Knowledge Sharing and Networking Project Manager-Middle East
and North Africa
Egypt ICT Trust Fund - (MCIT/UNDP Egypt)
http://mogtamaa.telecentre.org/

Tel: (202)353 42179 (Ext 2179)
Fax: (202)353 41813
Mobile :(20)10 170 8474
Cairo, Egypt
Work: kkasim at mcit.gov.eg
Personal: karimkasim at gmail.com
Academic: kasim at aucegypt.edu,

www.ictfund.org.eg
www.mcit.gov.eg
www.undp.org.eg



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