Africa

Last week, there were many criticisms about Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and other technology companies’ submission to the Chinese government’s request to censor the information on the Internet. It has become a public concern that these companies are doing business there at the peril of human rights.

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.)

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.

This is a very interesting article on how cell phones are being used for Mobile Banking in Africa. This is also a hot issue here in the US and there are several companies such as Visa International focusing on using the cell phone as a tool for making international remittances from the US.

Amina Harun, a 45-year-old farmer, used to traipse around for hours looking for a working pay phone on which to call the markets and find the best prices for her fruit. Then cell phones changed her life.

I am in Camden, Maine this week for the annual PopTech Conference - 'The Impact of Technology on People.' Sam will also be here.

The conference website is http://www.poptech.org/index.cfm

The conference is interesting in and of itself, but I thought the following subprogram particularly interesting...Robert, maybe we should hook you up with these fellows and Karen, they may be worth reaching out to...I know Andrew Zoli, the conference curator and am going to try to attend the fellows meeting on Sunday to jumpstart any possible collaboration.

As the Following article in the Associated Press points out, cell phone use in Kenya is having a profound impact on lives in Africa. Equally interesting in this article is the caveat from the director of Safaricom in Kenya:

I was suprised to read about social entrepreneuship covered in one of Kenya's leadin daily - which it defines thus:

The most commonly quoted definition of social entrepreneurship was formulated by Prof J. Gregory Dees of Stanford University in 1998. He outlines the five factors that define social entrepreneurship as adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value); recognising and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission; engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning; acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand; and exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created