[Fsf-friends] [bytesforall_readers] About Shiksha, Narayana Murthy and Bill gates..
FREDERICK NORONHA
fred@bytesforall.org
Tue, 26 Nov 2002 02:55:36 +0530
Just to point out that this issue is being debated beyond Free
Software/Open Source mailing lsts. Some relevant questions below...
FN
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Subject: RE: [bytesforall_readers] About Shiksha, Narayana Murthy
and Bill gates..
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 17:21:21 -0000
From: Murali Shanmugavelan <MuraliS@panoslondon.org.uk>
To: "'Frederick Noronha '" <fred@bytesforall.org>
The Project mission and its gensis:
Shiksha India is a non-profit initiative, aimed at bridging the
digital divide in India. This project was conceived of by the
Global Leaders for Tomorrow of the World Economic Forum, incubated
by the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Who's who:
"Shiksha India's mission is computer literacy -- a basic skill that
blue collar workers like mechanics and rural citizens like farmers
will find useful in their daily lives. It will substantially
increase the earning capacity of mainstream India in direct and
indirect ways and also help in bridging the digital divide that
exists in India " said N. R. Narayana Murthy, trustee of Shiksha
India (from Schoolsonline.org)
Does Mr. Bill's donation to Shiksha and his choice of NGOs tell us
anything? The Political economy of NGos have powerful roles in
informing and shaping policies in today's informing society.
Especially, when the political economy is governed by business
corporations.
I would like to know if there are examples as to how many ICT4D
projects have implemented non-microsoft platforms to increase the
flow from and towards the poor and marginalised.
Pointer URLs:
http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/The+World+Economi
c+Forum+ Announces+Global+Leaders+for+Tomorrow+Task+Forces
http://world-links.org/english/assets/india_project.pdf
Murali Shanmugavelan.
Panos Institute
London.
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