Digital Divide

TAVOS Media Network is a trail-blazing venture based in Palo Alto, California, that empowers people in underserved communities around the world through local media services. Our vision is to build a global network of local media microfranchises to give voice and promote the life and prosperity of every community.

I recently watched Muhammad Yunus full of joy, sharing his story and advocating for his ideas during his Nobel Lecture of December 10, 2006, at the Oslo City Hall, Norway. I was deeply inspired and connected to his values and believe. I would like to contribute my 2 cents in promoting his lecture in this post.

As part of a class I'm taking called "Social Sculpture", I designed the attached multimedia concept piece, "Points of Departure to the Global Economy." It's best viewed by playing it automatically, u

There is much to be learned about creating interfaces for non-literate populations. Since this is not a group that most companies target, very little hands-on research has been done with non-literate user groups. Most of what I have learned is theoretical, based on user research on sight-impaired users, or is from very limited case studies. Some of the best information has come from other the projects of RDVP fellows and the work they have done. (Thanks, Aman.)

Attached is a New York Times article from Davos about Microsoft's response to the One Laptop Per Child project by MIT's Negroponte. They propose using a cellphone as a computer connected to a TV and a keyboard. I don't know about the feasibility of Microsoft's proposal but the fact that they have one demonstrates the power of OLPC, open-source and market dynamics.

There is no dispute that “Electronic Governance” is gradually entering the domain of public administration concepts and strategies in developing countries. (or, in what we term as the broader governance sphere)

Electronic Governance, in simplest terms, it refers to those governance processes in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are playing an active role in delivering governance related products and services.

Digital Governance Initiative is a virtual network of over 2800 E-governance policymakers and practitioners from developing countries. The Initiative identifies and propagates innovative e-governance models which are suited for developing countries. The models are based on strategic application of knowledge and information technologies to create an e-governance system which is citizen specific and addressess a particular development concern, viz: lack of information, corruption, bureaucracy etc.

I need a couple of days at the school to show the teachers the blog we have up and teach them how they can start blogging themselves. I will make sure they have a plan and a commitment to add a couple of entries in the coming months. When I get back to Stanford, I will continue working on a audience for these posts, which I have already started this year.