[UgaBYTES] AFRICA KOWLEDGE NETWORK launched in Dar es salaam|Strategy

Thu Jul 9 11:49:24 GMT 2009

Paul,
Sorry for cross posting. I like your admission that this exchange will help
shape the focus of AKN. Polly was involved in OKN, I was not.

In my humble and last submission on this matter, I would say that it would
be beneficial if more resources are put on the capacity building of
telecentre managers on the new approaches to creating wealth and doing all
there is to this AKN. This enhances capacity.

It may be helpful to look at some of your approaches like employment
generation etc and see if they are not just the common stuff, we have been
exposed to since the Millennium Declaration was done. 

I hope the baseline that is implied in your mail will help those crafting
the programme focus more on what creates value.

Reading the contents of your project goals or what AKN is poised to address
makes one resign to your advised position - we shall see.

Good day and all the best.

Kiringai

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
[mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of pbarera at yahoo.fr
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 1:49 PM
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] AFRICA KOWLEDGE NETWORK launched in Dar es
salaam|Strategy

Thank you Polly and Kiringau for your valuable contribution.
Sorry, for jump in late. As one who has been participating in various
worshops
since I wish to share what I know on this project. Abebe will supliment.

          As I
highlighted  in my previous blog the the
main goal of the project is to empower poor and disadvantaged communities
through the transformation of existing ICT access points in selected
countries
around the world into knowledge hubs of global knowledge networks. It
intends
to increase the involvement and engagement of disadvantaged communities -
with
an emphasis on women - by encouraging and promoting the dissemination, in
existing access points, of knowledge that pertains to key areas of
sustainable
development such as employment, education, gender and health.  The following
are some of activities the
project will focus on:

·        
Conducting participatory research,

·        
Building the capacity Telecentre users,
Telecentre managers and Network leaders

·        
Strengthening public access,

·        
Creating content and applications appropriate to
local context and languages.

In
this discussion I understand 2 concerns coming out: Fear of Reaping what was
done or being done by other iniatiatve and Fear of not Involving  
Telecentre and Telecentre networks in the
process.

The
first activity of the project was to
conduct a assessment at regional level to assess and to capture what is on
the
ground at telecentre level interms of content and services and to identify
the
gap. Therefore, a strategy was built on these findings. 

As far as involvement of
beneficiaries (Telecentres and Network) is concerned, first a workshop was
held
in Kampala to develop appropriate strategy, mechanism and tools for
transfoming
selected ICT access points/Telecentres into knowedge hubs.The  mechanism
,strategies and tools that were agreed form the guideline of project
implementation .

I
strongly agree with you that  learn from others
experiences is a key to success.We need to know OKN experience, strength and
weaknesses. I would appreciate if Pete and Kiringau
share with us some OKN stories so that we draw lessons .

Regards,

Paul
BARERAKigali-Rwanda

--- En date de : Jeu 9.7.09, Kiringai Kamau <kiringai at willpower.co.ke> a
écrit :

De: Kiringai Kamau <kiringai at willpower.co.ke>
Objet: Re: [UgaBYTES] AFRICA KOWLEDGE NETWORK launched in Dar es salaam
|Strategy
À: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Date: Jeudi 9 Juillet 2009, 11h20

Well done Sulah!
We welcome this move and indeed the inclusion of AKN to the telecentre
network. What AKN can do to help those of us who have been on the ground is
ensure that there is a layered collaboration with clearly defined grassroots
role and cascading upwards to AKN's portal or portals.

It would for instance not make sense to go to a village and find an AKN ICT
Access point next to a telecentre that has struggled to grow with community
participation. Let there be an inclusion mechanism, right from the national
level to the grassroots that is more based on content rather than concept so
that whatever inclusion strategy is defined, it affects the thinking of all
stakeholders.

My honest belief is that collaborative linkages will provide us with the
best solutions. Let AKN use the Academies that have been created by
telecentre.org and the resources so far developed so that there is no
duplication [waste] of efforts and resources.

A systemic perspective will help AKN cover more ground and indeed help
enrich our contextual focus. I am for instance an agricultural and learning
enthusiast, I would like to know what AKN has in store for these sectors.

Over to you Abebe/Francis.

And to you Sulah, my brother, there is nothing wrong with judging, for it is
from judging that the right approaches are evolved, avoiding pitfalls that
could make us repeat the errors of yesterday, thereby living the same lie
our politicians do.

Kiringai Kamau
Nairobi

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
[mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Ndaula Sulah
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 11:57 AM
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] AFRICA KOWLEDGE NETWORK launched in Dar es salaam
|Strategy

Dear All,

It is nice reading all the reactions to the AKN. As someone who took
part in the workshop, I'll assure you that I did bring out all these
fears many of us have shared or continues to share - the lessons of
OKN, how telecentre.org unfolded, the difference in the target groups
for both networks, their strategies etc.

But I believe the best way for these answers to get responded and also
for telecentres here to be part of shaping AKN if it make sense to the
movement is to get the Team at UNECA to this list. And thankfully
Francis has already done so.

Please Abebe, join in whenever you have time, Francis will forward you
whatever suggestions you may have missed before join the group.

Important to know: Abebe Chokel, works with UNECA and has been working
on this project for the last 2 years. I would pray that we don't judge
the project but help it to fit within the lessons of the past,
telecentre needs and the broader experiences of the African continent
on the matter.

Best regards,
---
Sulah

On 7/8/09, Kiringai Kamau <kiringai at willpower.co.ke> wrote:
> Dear Paul and All,
> What is coming out of this discussion is that there is need for caution
not
> to repeat what has been done by other initiatives, or as Polly put it in
her
> post, to reinvent the wheel.
>
> Within the perspective of the telecentre focus, we have done a lot making
> policy shifts within institutions that we have been seeking support to
work
> with the telecentre movement. In my view, what needs to be done through
AKN
> is to identify the gaps that the existing model of telecentres is not
> addressing and meet those within the purview of AKN.
>
> It is for this reason that the posts that are coming through are asking.
Can
> you give us the goals and objectives of the AKN so that we can
> participatorily contribute to its dream and strategic thinking?
>
> It is necessary not to make us dance to so many drum beats. We need to
forge
> ahead. Integrate, crate capacity, mobilize utilization. So much has been
> done on the sensitization front-ask the TEAMS team.
>
> Kiringai
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
> [mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Meddie Mayanja
> Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 1:52 AM
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] AFRICA KOWLEDGE NETWORK launched in Dar es salaam
|
> Strategy
>
> Colleagues,
>
> It's all nice to know about the creation of AKN.
>
> Would someone share the strategy and primary actions or AKN? I think as
> well, that the telecentre community would want to know to participate in
> this initiative.
>
> It's nevertheless critical AKN learns from what has happened before. For
> instance, as Polly said with OKN. There are also several experiences that
> can be drawn from telecentre.org efforts in building/supporting networks
> around the world. Infact telecentre networks in Africa might be a great
> place to start in creating the AKN  - if they buy into the program
> objective.
>
> Best, Meddie
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
> [ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Polly Gaster
> [polly.gaster at uem.mz]
> Sent: July 7, 2009 3:44 AM
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] AFRICA KOWLEDGE NETWORK launched in Dar es salaam
>
> Dear Paul
>
> This is interesting. I'm wondering if the Africa Knowledge Network has any
> relation to the OPen Knowledge Network, a project that ran for several
years
> in countries such as Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Senegal... Or is it starting
> again re-inventing the wheel? The OKN project did some interesting things,
> but
> was not successful in some of its ambitions. I do think it wd be important
> for
> you to at least be aware of what was done, what worked and what didn't,
and
> why, so the AKN can benefit from lessons learned. The Kenyan partner was
> ALIN,
> are you in touch with them?
>
> I wd also be interested in knowing more about the concrete AKN strategy
and
> goals.
>
> Polly
>
> ----
>
> Polly Gaster
> TICs para Desenvolvimento/ICT4D
> Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM)
> Campus Universitario, Maputo, Mozambique
> e-mail: polly.gaster at uem.mz
> cel: +258-82-3264540
> tel/fax: +258-21-485779
> Skype: polly_gaster
>
>
> --
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>
>
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-- 
Executive Director
UgaBYTES Initiative
Tel: +256414370163
Mob: +256712314969
Skype: sulah.ndaula
Yahoo: ndaulasula
Email: ndaulasula@
(ugabytes.org,yahoo.co.uk or gmail)

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