Wednesday, March 08, 2006
“The Poor Option?” Is Open Source Software really the solution?
By Vanessa Malila
Day two of the SANGONeT ICTs for Civil Society conference has focused quite heavily on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and highlights many of the real issues that Civil Society and NGOs face in creating Universal Access in South Africa.
One of the presenters asked the delegates to indicate which of them uses FOSS or propriety software and it was interesting to note that many used a combination of the two. This immediately made me question why then civil society would currently be promoting FOSS for the communities that they work in as a solution to alleviate access issues. I asked myself, what are the benefits for communities who have fewer skills than most civil society organisations (CSOs) and who will then provide the skills to sustain their use of FOSS? Will CSOs provide the skills and technical abilities to use FOSS effectively and in a sustainable manner?
There were more questions than answers, but what was clear from the discussion is that FOSS is only one part of the bigger problem of providing real access to people across South Africa as well as the continent. As one of the delegates said (more or less) 'FOSS is only one piece of a puzzle to provide an affordable model of access to communities.' There has to be a general effort by civil society, government and business to provide both affordable software but also hardware, resources, training and infrastructure that is affordable and usable by communities.
Beyond the need for FOSS is the need for real local content, produced by South Africans for South Africans. Whether FOSS is the best way to do that is part of an ongoing process, but if it is, its not the only part and we all need to think harder about what the best way of producing local content is.
(0) comments
Day two of the SANGONeT ICTs for Civil Society conference has focused quite heavily on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and highlights many of the real issues that Civil Society and NGOs face in creating Universal Access in South Africa.
One of the presenters asked the delegates to indicate which of them uses FOSS or propriety software and it was interesting to note that many used a combination of the two. This immediately made me question why then civil society would currently be promoting FOSS for the communities that they work in as a solution to alleviate access issues. I asked myself, what are the benefits for communities who have fewer skills than most civil society organisations (CSOs) and who will then provide the skills to sustain their use of FOSS? Will CSOs provide the skills and technical abilities to use FOSS effectively and in a sustainable manner?
There were more questions than answers, but what was clear from the discussion is that FOSS is only one part of the bigger problem of providing real access to people across South Africa as well as the continent. As one of the delegates said (more or less) 'FOSS is only one piece of a puzzle to provide an affordable model of access to communities.' There has to be a general effort by civil society, government and business to provide both affordable software but also hardware, resources, training and infrastructure that is affordable and usable by communities.
Beyond the need for FOSS is the need for real local content, produced by South Africans for South Africans. Whether FOSS is the best way to do that is part of an ongoing process, but if it is, its not the only part and we all need to think harder about what the best way of producing local content is.
Village: Global, Currency: Information
By Thrishni Subramoney
What would you say is the key to eliminating poverty, illiteracy, abuse and poor health care? More likely than not you did not answer "communication". Perhaps a decade or two ago, the idea would've seemed outlandish and ridiculous at best. But today a heart surgeon can perform life-saving surgery on a patient a continent away and a child in one country can starve to death based on the performance of another nation's stock market. It truly is a global village and information it seems is the currency of choice.
The combination of NGOs and ICTs promises to be powerful formula. The team-up seems logical. NGOs provide a voice to the otherwise marginalized, communication technologies broadcast voices the world over. Yet in traditional personality, the two sectors seem worlds apart. One the domain of those in need, the other the playground of those in power.
So far, the most fitting personification of this hybrid has been a brightly coloured mobile computer unit parked in front of the conference center at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg. Inside civil society groups are for the second time in two years thrashing out ways to bring the non-profit sector into the information society.
The bus is intriguing in it's curious mixture of warmth and technology (generally perceived to be not quite as warm). This promise seems to have been embraced passionately by SANGONeT and it's partners. The small exhibition features new age solutions to age old problems. From connecting donors and beneficiaries to putting out vital information, the possibilities, it seems, are endless.
But in practice, the road ahead is a bumpy one. David Barnad, chair of SANGONeT's board of directors says all is not well in the civil society arena. In a country where much needs to be done, he spoke of NGOs shutting down and disappearing. It's a truth that's hard to swallow when looking at the delegates at this gathering. They all seem earnest, warm and committed to their respective causes. The digital age it seems will provide bring as many benefits as it does perils. And at this point, the biggest peril seems to be getting left behind.
(0) comments
What would you say is the key to eliminating poverty, illiteracy, abuse and poor health care? More likely than not you did not answer "communication". Perhaps a decade or two ago, the idea would've seemed outlandish and ridiculous at best. But today a heart surgeon can perform life-saving surgery on a patient a continent away and a child in one country can starve to death based on the performance of another nation's stock market. It truly is a global village and information it seems is the currency of choice.
The combination of NGOs and ICTs promises to be powerful formula. The team-up seems logical. NGOs provide a voice to the otherwise marginalized, communication technologies broadcast voices the world over. Yet in traditional personality, the two sectors seem worlds apart. One the domain of those in need, the other the playground of those in power.
So far, the most fitting personification of this hybrid has been a brightly coloured mobile computer unit parked in front of the conference center at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg. Inside civil society groups are for the second time in two years thrashing out ways to bring the non-profit sector into the information society.
The bus is intriguing in it's curious mixture of warmth and technology (generally perceived to be not quite as warm). This promise seems to have been embraced passionately by SANGONeT and it's partners. The small exhibition features new age solutions to age old problems. From connecting donors and beneficiaries to putting out vital information, the possibilities, it seems, are endless.
But in practice, the road ahead is a bumpy one. David Barnad, chair of SANGONeT's board of directors says all is not well in the civil society arena. In a country where much needs to be done, he spoke of NGOs shutting down and disappearing. It's a truth that's hard to swallow when looking at the delegates at this gathering. They all seem earnest, warm and committed to their respective causes. The digital age it seems will provide bring as many benefits as it does perils. And at this point, the biggest peril seems to be getting left behind.
HANA Team covers SANGONeT ICTs for Civil Society Conference
Having covered the second phase of WSIS in Tunis very effectively, HANA continues to spread its reach and is currently covering the SANGONeT ICTs for Civil Society Conference taking place in Johannesburg between 7 and 9 March.
The conference has a number of interesting areas of focus including Open Source, Open Content, looking at strategies for Civil Society to effectively use online communication, as well as telecommunications. You can download the PDF version of the daily newspaper produced by the HANA team at the HANA website: http://hana.ru.ac.za
(0) comments
The conference has a number of interesting areas of focus including Open Source, Open Content, looking at strategies for Civil Society to effectively use online communication, as well as telecommunications. You can download the PDF version of the daily newspaper produced by the HANA team at the HANA website: http://hana.ru.ac.za
