Subject: [IKD] Information overload and quality issues -- Week #6
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 18:47:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Dr Sigmund de Janos <dejanos@home.com>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Organization: de Janos & Associates Consultants
To: IKD <ikd@jazz.worldbank.org>
The UNWIRE referred to the following report concerning the topics for
Week #6.
> UNESCO To Boost Private Media In Malawi
>
> March 15, 1999
>
> BLANTYRE, Malawi (PANA) - The United Nations Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO) has said it plans to invest at least 2.7 million US
dollars in a media project in Malawi which will strengthen the country's
fledgelling private media and decentralise the dessimination of information.
>
> Johnny McClain, UNESCO's Namibia-based Southern Africa Regional
Communications Advisor, disclosed in Blantyre, Malawi's commercial city,
that under the project UNESCO plans to create a central printing
press for the private media to publish at a subsided rate and set up a
number of community radios.
>
> ''The project is designed to train journalists in the country,
strengthen the media and decentralise the flow of information in Malawi,''
he told journalists at the end of his tour during which he donated a number
of computers to the Department of Journalism of the University of Malawi.
>
> McClain said the project is in line with UNESCO's focus to have media
pluralism and independence in developing countries.
>
> The news of the planned subsided printing press has been received with
enthusiam in Malawi where in 1992 at least 22 titles emerged in the wake of
the wind of poltical change that was blowing across Malawi then.
>
> But most of them have since folded up under punitive printing costs.
Janet Zeenat Karim, a veteran journalist whose one-time market leader,
The Independent, also folded up, was upbeat about the news. ''This is
what Malawi has been waiting for,'' she said.
>
> ''Currently Malawi cannot afford to have a truly independent publication
because those who have the money are either politicians or those
well-connected to the higher-ups which means their papers reflect their
biased thinking.''
>
> Indeed the country's two leading dailies are both owned by politicians.
The long running daily, the Daily Times, is owned by the opposition
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) whose influential vice president, John Tembo,
is the chair while The Nation is owned by Aleke Banda, a senior minister
in President Bakili Muluzi's government and the ruling party's Number Two.
>
> The picture is not better in the electronic media. The public broadcaster,
the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) always reflects the thinking of
the party in power while the licensing body, the Malawi Posts and
Telecommunication, has since issued many licenses to those connected to the
ruling clique.
>
> For instance, the first privately-owned radio, Power 101, is owned by
Oscar Thompson, son of a senior minister and party activist Harry Thomson,
who set up the radio as a joint venture with Bob Morgan, a Jamaican-born
London-based investor who runs a number of radio stations and recording
studios in the UK and Jamaica.
>
> Another radio to be launched soon is Capital Radio owned by presidential
spokesman Alaudin Osman.
>
> One other private radio is an-all religious station, African Bible
School, run by an American ministry. Several other applications for radios
have been rejected ostensibly, according to the snubbed would-be owners,
for lack of proper sustainability potential.
>
>
> Copyright © 1999 Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
>
--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dr Sigmund de Janos, Senior Consultant
tel: (613) 731-3461
fax: (613) 731-3286
Subject: [IKD] Catch 22 + apologies for my grammer
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 18:49:03 -0500 (EST)
From: Stefan Gorzula <sgorzula@pshdp.wlink.com.np>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
If indigenous peoples were paid the developed world's dollar value for the
tiny fraction of their indigenous knowledge that is of market value to us,
the socio-economic impact of billions of dollars would change their
cultures irreversibly and ALL of their indigenous knowledge would be lost
within a generation.
PS:
Dear IKD members,
My name is Stefan Gorzula, I live in Nepal and I work with the
environmental and social impacts of hydropower.
E-mail: sgorzula@pshdp.wlink.com.np
Dr. Stefan Gorzula
International Resources Group, Ltd
Electricity Development Center
Ministry of Water Resources
Red Cross Building
Exhibition Road
Kathmandu
NEPAL
or
Dr Stefan Gorzula (G) IRG
USAID/Kathmandu
Washington DC 20521-6190
Subject: [IKD] Some useful statistics
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 17:05:04 -0500 (EST)
From: Isabel Carter <imc@tearfund.dircon.co.uk>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
In reply to Alphonso Dagron's queries about how many people in the
developing world have the technological means of accessing information, the
recent UNDP report (1998) provides the following figures for developing
countries:
20% have a radio
5% have a daily newspaper
0.4 % have a telephone line
0.7% have a computer
0.05 % have internet access
Given that these figures include both rural and urban areas, the situation
in most rural areas will be proportionately lower.
My recent research with farmer groups in rural areas of Ghana and Uganda
incorporated 1200 farmers of whom just 4% owned any kind of book on
agriculture, usually a single item. Average literacy levels among group
members was 65%, though groups with low literacy levels did not see this as
a barrier to access printed information - there was always someone "to read
for the group". Research revealed a huge unmet desire for access to more
information, both through local networking and access to outside sources
such as extension agents, NGOs and printed information, particularly in
local languages. None of the groups met had telephone, computer or internet
access, though they were sometimes in contact with NGOs who had such
access.
The laws of supply and demand simply do not apply in such situations. There
is a massive demand for information but no means to purchase access whether
through travel, telephone, print, or internet access. Radio, though more
available, was seen as of less importance for sharing facts - people
commented " you can't refer back to information heard on the radio". As
Alphonso so rightly points out, there is no overload of information in much
of the world. Internet access will only benefit the highly intelligent and
articulate farmers met during my research, if it is either available in
their language or in accessible bite sized pieces written in
straightforward language that they can understand (since most are using a
second or third language when using French or English etc) or when it is
conveyed by sensitive development workers facilitating group members.
It seems to me that far too much time is spent talking about the needs of
people in the Third World and far too little time directing information
into their hands which directly meets their needs. Most of the farmers met,
were quite able to determine what practical information was useful to them
and what was not. They didn't need others to intervene, just to allow them
some choice.
Isabel Carter
Editor of Footsteps
imc@tearfund.dircon.co.uk
Subject: [IKD] Re: Reply to Graham Dutfield
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 17:32:11 -0500 (EST)
From: Durval Olivieri <olivieri@seplantec.ba.gov.br>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
I personally see no knowledge that was not once indigenous. What seems to
be important is that privete businessmen on their own ethics refrain from
appropriating as theirs the diffuse common knowledge . One solution may be
the creation of NOT FOR PROFIT NGOs, as proposed before, to attarct this
kind of knowledge, develop and diffuse. I do not think indigenous
knowledge, all by itself will be a big help for humanity, execpt and
doubtfully to local users, if responsible science and technology
organizations do not get involved. But let us remove the immediatism and
lack of ethics in delaing with that, please. Thanks. Best regards, Durval,
Bahia, Brazil.
Subject: [IKD] Re: Indigenous Knowledge
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:25:09 -0500 (EST)
From: z.marhea@cshe.unimelb.edu.au (Zane Ma Rhea)
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Firstly, a response to the Henryka/Mundy discussion:
It seems to me that the precise point is the assumption by some people of a
right, duty or responsibility to 'change attitudes and behaviours' whether
by the church, by policy makers, by politicians no matter what the
'cultural' context, whether exogenous or indigenous.
The normative presumption of 'power over', however disguised, probably
underlies much of these discussions. All persons have a fundamental right
to live free of interference except when they, themself/themselves, seeks
out information for their own life, individually or collectively.
(The execption of course is when a person, or group of people, by their
action exert/s power over another/others)
The maxim 'do as you will and harm none' allows for respectful,
collaborative problem solving. It also provides an ethical framework for
the analysis of ideas and information exchange between people.
Discussions about information overload or paucity can obscure the fact that
there are dominant and subjugated ideas within every cultural/ethnic group.
That many more of these ideas are now out in the open for public inspection
and discussion is, I believe, a very positive 'democratisation' of idea
legitimation. Previously, ideas and information were filtered through the
local dominant ideology, legitimated or discarded according to their
suitability within the dominant framework.
As humans maybe we are growing up, taking the opportunity to decide for
ourselves what we want and what we believe in rather than relying on some
elite, economically powerful group or cultural norm to decide for us what
is good or bad, right or wrong.
it then gets very simple...do as you will and harm none.
Regards and greetings to all you anonymous humans out there!!!!
Zane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Zane Ma Rhea
Research Fellow
Centre for the Study of Higher Education
University of Melbourne
Parkville 3052 Victoria Australia
Phone: +61 3 93447577
Facsimile: +61 3 9344 7576
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [IKD] RE: What do you mean by indigenous?
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:26:27 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tirmizi, Maliha Khan (IIMIPK)" <M.TIRMIZI@CGIAR.ORG>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
I have to agree with Olivieri Durval, all knowledge at some point is
indigenous. And at some point non-indigenous. The spread of knowledge from
one area to another and from one culture to another is not a new phenomena.
After all, everyone knows the examples of paper, gun powder and noodles.
When we get too wrapped in the notion of "indigenous" and "non-indigenous"
we start to erect artificial barriers and division where none exist.
To understand what is indigenous knowledge, we have to know who are
indigenous people. In what area. At what time. A people who are
considered indigenous in one area at one point in time may not be considered
so in another place and time. Sindhis in Rajastan and Gujrat, India and
Sindh, Pakistan are indigenous there now, but not in Hong Kong or Bangkok or
London. And these same Sindhi's were considered "invaders" and "outsiders"
500-600 years ago.
Knowledge that is not spread and applied is of no use to anyone. So I see
no harm in using knowledge that is with other people, making a practical and
useful product, and spreading it to those that need it. Whether this is
done through informal means, or by multi and Trans national companies, the
result is the same.
This is of course not to indorse exploitation of peoples efforts, knowledge
and skills (who ever they are, indigenous or not) by others motivated by
profit (Trans national companies or not). There should also be the
realization that the exploitation does not come only from huge and powerful
pharmaceutical companies (who are certainly no angels!). Local businesses
and middlemen are in there for the money too and have more opportunity.
Maliha Khan-Tirmizi
Social Scientist
Lahore, Pakistan
m.tirmizi@cgiar.org
Subject: [IKD] information overload and scarcity
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:33:36 -0500 (EST)
From: "Lucinia Bal" <Lbal@osi.hu>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: <ikd@jazz.worldbank.org>
I found that information overload may be due to:
- too much rubbish that is produced and easily published
- the lack of policies in organising the electronic information services
- the lack of knowledge in assessing the usefulness of available information
- the lack of properly defined channels and protocols of transmitting
information from the ones originating it to the ones needing it (for
instance: information channels between researchers and policy-makers).
In tackling the problem of information overload, many of us keep
databases of reliable resources. We may try to define here what types
of information are needed for development, what formats does it come
in, who provides it (if available), and how it may be retrieved? If
a community of development workers build such a database together,
there are opportunities that new sources be entered that are reliable,
but very local, and that news on concerns with some sources of information
are shared.
Information scarcity may be tackled by looking again at the causes:
- is it a problem of access
if yes, is it due to policies deliberately limiting access
or is it due to lack of funds and resources
or is it due to failure of creating the awareness of the usefulness
of existing information
- is it a problem of availability
if yes, is it due to the fact that the information is not available
in the format it is needed (this includes the language, but also type of
processing, the media on which it is provided, the way it is provided, etc.)
or is it lack of knowledge on where the information exists
or is the needed information not produced.
In principle, access to information should always be accompanied by an
education component. Simply providing open access to information does not
mean equity, as long as people are not helped to understand it, to use it,
and to "separate wheat from chaff". Also, information-sharing is a two-way
process, and knowledge existing in the poor countries must be valued and
shared equally (which was to a large extent discussed on this list the
previous weeks). When tackling scarcity of information, we may also tag as
such the frequent lack of information on the real problems of poor
countries.
Lucinia Bal
Information Officer
Institute of Educational Policy
http://www.osi.hu/iep/
Subject: [IKD] Re: INFORMATION OVERLOAD--WEEK 6
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:35:07 -0500 (EST)
From: P J Dixon <P.J.Dixon@durham.ac.uk>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Reply to Vongalis.
I'm not quite sure what point Vongalis is making, but I suspect that it is
that since English is the language of international relations, the rest of
us had better learn it quick and learn it proper! But language, as
Wittgenstein, Crystal and other in the liguistics field are clear about,
is nothing if not socially constructed. As such it is a dynamic product
which is constantly negotiated (as well as reproduced) through practice -
and that applies to structure, rules of the game, etc. As a 'living'
entity, a language may change rapidly, and may decline and disappear -
and they do so for non-linguistic reasons (eg. functional considerations
to do with trade, identity, etc.). English may appear as a dominant
language in world affairs at the moment, but Spanish, Chinese etc. (to
name but two) are waiting in the wings, while in a host of countries
around the world (eg.Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, even USA) English as I
understand it is no longer spoken! (Is American English creole or
pidgin-English??). Given all this,interpreters are likely to be around for
some time to come, whether or not translation interferes with 'pure'
communication.
Secondly, diplomats and so on are really a miniscule proportion of the
world population. A diplomat who does not speak English may be at a
disadvantage in that particular arena, but all the rest of us can just
ignore that particular arena. Additionally, since English-speaking
diplomats deal with real issues in real geographical locations (eg.
Bosnia, Kosova, Ruanda, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil) it is they who are at a
disadvantage if they do not understand the vernacular in which localised
events are inscribed.
Vongalis seems to suggests sqeezing everyone into one linguistic
mono-culture. This might (a) reduce linguistic and cultural variety
(with a loss of poetry, theatre, music, song, technology potentials,
etc.), though the inventiveness of mankind suggests such strait-jacketing
is impossible. More importantly it might (b) lead to a loss of a whole
range of potentialities encapsulated in local languages (eg. Amazonian
Indian languages and associated environmental 'wisdom') of value to the
development effort and to mankind generally.
Vongalis' approach is reminiscent of the old transfer of technology (TOT)
model in agricultural development, and of failed 'centrist'
philosophies. By contrast we need to recognise indigenous language and
indigenous knowledge as resources, as offering opportunities for learning
new possibilities about the world and about ourselves, rather than
constraints to communication per se. Secondly, rather than focusing
primarily on the problem of communication (and determining that others
need to learn English first before we can communicate with them), we
should focus on client needs, and see how we can then address these. I am
not a fan of American Bible translators, but at least they identify what
their client's needs are (according to their development objectives - as
Paul Mundy notes - ) and their client's capacities, and try to meet them.
Put another way, we don't all want or need Rolls Royces (they are too big,
expensive to run, don't float, are poor off-road, scare off the game,
etc.).
Peter Dixon
Dept of Anthropology,
Durham
p.j.dixon@durham.ac.uk
Subject: [IKD] Re: INFORMATION OVERLOAD--WEEK 6 (reply to A.G. Dagron)
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:46:07 -0500 (EST)
From: "Mark Gourley" <MGourley@acoa.ca>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
OK, so if your argument makes sense, where is the role of IK in the
development process? If my culture is irrelevant to yours and is ignored,
what is the harm in my sending it your way? If the IK that I have is
incomprehendible to you because of language or culture should I stop
sending it along? The concept I come away from your argument with is that
communication of IK is a one way street. You are the victim.
Sorry, but you have choices. No one says that you have to develop. That
choice is yours and yours alone. The dirt poor farmer in some cultural
backwater may not agree with you when the family is caring for a small
child in need of medical attention that cannot be afforded because the
family is unable to participate in development because everyone is so
concerned about cultural integrity. Well, maybe that farmer would agree
that cultural integrity is paramount. The point is that the choice in that
decision belongs to the farm family with the sick child not to us as
Internet philosophers. In either direction the choice involves some
sacrifice, some trade-off.
US cultural imperialism is easily recognized. It is not subtle. It is
pervasive. You have the choice whether or not the TV or US publication
enters your home or communication time. The sad thruth is that after a
day in the field or the factory or searching the streets for food the
ordinary person doesn't have much energy left to fight the tide of
cultural imperialism much less care about it.
If IK can affect the person who is poor by increasing their power and
or wealth and they can recognize that possibility, then the barriers
of culture and language won't be very important. When cultural barriers
become instruments of power by restricting access to IK then we have real
problems for the person who is poor. There are so many examples of this,
in all parts of the world, that would inflame the debate that it is not
useful to invoke even one example here.
Give me access, give me the resources, give me the wealth so that I have
energy left at the end of the day. Then get out of the way and let me
decide for myself. I'll do what it takes to overcome the communication
problem just give me the chance.
Mark Gourley
mgourley@acoa.ca
Subject: [IKD] Information overload -- Introduction to Week 6
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:57:58 -0500 (EST)
From: alistairs@ids.ac.uk (Alistair Scott)
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Regarding James Deane's two questions on information quality and
information overload, my organisation, ID21, was set up largely in
response to both these issues. Funded by the UK Department for
International Development (DFID) ID21 uses the Internet to provde
development practitioners and policy-makers with knowledge and policy
recommendations based on development research carried out by academia
and NGOs.
Our experience strongly supports the view that so-called information
overload is still largely confined to northern industrialised nations.
By contrast, development practitioners in the majority world still
report a severe shortage of useful knowledge resources. There is
considerable demand from across the globe for high quality, reliable
knowledge - knowledge based on empirical research and analysis - which
can be used to inform development decisions.
Ironically, there is a lot of useful knowledge out there, but it doesn't
always reach those who can put it to best use. Far too often, valuable
research findings never make their way beyond the ivory towers of
academia or the internal files of NGOs. Development researchers must
therefore redouble their efforts to disseminate their work to the
wider development community. Our own service - which is entirely free
of charge - is one attempt at doing this (please use us!), but our
limited resources currently restrict our coverage to English-language,
UK-originated research. It is vital therefore that more channels are
provided for Southern researchers to communicate their work more widely
- particularly in languages other than English.
Alistair Scott
ID21
http://www.id21.org
ID21 is enabled by the UK Department for International Development
and hosted by the Institute of Development Studies at the University of
Sussex, UK.
Request our free ID21 Newsletter by emailing: id21news@ids.ac.uk
Subject: [IKD] Re: Reply to Graham Dutfield
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 17:08:09 -0500 (EST)
From: "M. Gordon Jones" <mgjones@cwix.com>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
I think Sr. Olivieri made several important points in his brief
contribution. He put indigenous knowledge into the right long-term
context -- IK obviously arises somewhere and, ipso facto, is indigenous to
that place. Whether or not someone patented it there and/or otherwise made
it into an economic good becomes important to our inquiry. However, if it
is physically located in the Third World and is not in the hands of the
formal business community, then we (or, at least, quite a few of our IKD
participants) must think of it as having some special ("community")
character. If we insist on that, how does that lead to economic development?
Sr. Olivieri says one channels such IK through a nonprofit NGO; is that
somehow to be mandatory? I hope not.
I also liked his skepticism about how much help indigenous knowledge will be
for humanity writ large (though he hedges that, if "responsible science and
technology organizations" -- those non-profits?? -- become involved, perhaps
it can). Finally, however, I must wonder what he is referring to by "lack of
ethics."
M. Gordon Jones
mgjones@cwix.com
Subject: [IKD] Re: INFORMATION OVERLOAD--WEEK 6
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 17:09:54 -0500 (EST)
From: "M. Gordon Jones" <mgjones@cwix.com>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
I replied a few weeks ago to another of Ms. Vongalis' contributions. Let me
be briefer this time: she has clearly tapped into a major concern, and has
articulated very well the "inevitable" advantage of English in technology
transfer. Others may rue this reality, but it is a fact of economic life at
this point in globalization.
M. Gordon Jones
mgjones@cwix.com
Subject: [IKD] Information glut and scarcity
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 99 15:03:47 +0800
From: "Com. Dev. & Eco" <gxcao@km.col.com.cn>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
My post has been partly motivated by the message from Vanghan Davidson, not
neccessarily repsonsing to the idea of grouping information or knowledge as
like.
I am mainly concerned about the obvious conflict or contradiction between
information glut and information hungry, talked here specifically in a
country, province, county, township, and even at village level. The reason,
in my view, is more or less attributed to knowledge and transfer of the
knowledge, and because of this indigenous knowledge appeared as the sound
alternatives. Let me again make my basic assumption: information is created
or existed between the differences of knowledge of concerned entities. I
personally think that status of knowledge and movement of knowledge (or
information) can be expressed as the follows: 1. knowledge existed with
loose connection, 2. knowledge packaged for transfer, 3. knowledge packaged
for transfer in order to facilitate understanding, and 4. knowledge packaged
for the needs of traget groups, all of which will be discussed in Chinese
context.
Interestingly, there are also the two contrast complaints or comments on
information and knowledge: one is that we have too much informtion and how
to use them, and the other is that information is scarce that we should
badly improve the information access and others for people to get
information.
1. Knowledge existed with loose connection, unsystematized, and difficult to
understand or learning, and thus,
2. people want to packaged or systematized for facilitating the exchange,
however often that packaged information is not so easily understood,
although easily transfer, so,
3. knowledge or information is packaged for facilitating the understanding
by receivers. And information is often focused on the learning
characteristics of the receiptant and in peerly judged what kind of
information is needed by the target groups.
I think that what information glut is mianly refering that above three
categories of infomation is overly provided. But how about those who really
need information, does the information providers know what the need of
others. I suddenly recall one experience, one outsider with sound background
travelled to the poverty areas in Yunnan for consultancy of the development
project, he was indeed absorbed with the local culture and landscape, and
exclaimed "wonderful" and question why develop? The local people condemned
very much with this comment: "Damn his wonderful, he is the person who is
fed with food therefore does not know the need of those in hungary."
Therefore in many development projects although much information is
seriously and honestly provided to local community, they are not in the
needs of local people. Consequently the importance of indigenous knowledge
has been realized and also was thought as somewhat the panacea for local
development, it is still far to be the case. We must also keep in mind that
the importance of indigenous knowledge is because of the outside knowledge
being transferred or introduced in such way that it fails to respond to the
local condition. It would be impropoer to conclude that outside knowledge is
ineffective, so on. Therefore the so called more advanced knowledge, if it
would be effective, should learn how the indigenous knowledge has responded
to local condition, how it created, and how transfered or flowed etc.
4. Therefore the real issue is how to transfer and therefore package the
information that is not only uderstandable but also really meets the needs
of target group. An old Chinese proverb says: "When you use the book, you
will hate that you have too less books". When I travelled to the rural areas
in China, I often heard that local farmers complain and need the
information. When I asked about local farmers why they not use the
information available in the newspaper, radia, TV etc., most of them
responded that "most of them are useless". So the popular movement of
improving information access has always gained the majority support,
although too much often the effect is not so significant.
Therefore in view of the receipient needs, information is not glut but
scarcity. Then how to know the needs of the concerned groups, difficult I
think. AT least in this discussion I sense many conflict views, which are
not absolutely right or wrong just from the discussions themselvies. The
discussion itself reflects the conlide of the partical truth, perhaps that
is how the development moves.
Cao Guangxia
ADDRESS: SOUTHWEST FORESTRY COLLEGE
KUNMING 650224
P.R. CHINA
Tel: 86 871 3862525
Fax: 86 871 5615879 /3862525
Email: gxcao@km.col.com.cn
Subject: [IKD] Reply to Gordon Jones: "Humanity at large"
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 10:50:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Reinald.Doebel@t-online.de
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Gordon Jones wrote:
I also liked [Olivieri's] skepticism about how much help indigenous
knowledge will be for humanity writ large (though he hedges that, if
"responsible science and technology organizations" -- those
non-profits?? -- become involved, perhaps it can). Finally, however, I
must wonder what he is referring to by "lack of ethics."
Yes what help can these miserable and miserably poor "indigenous" people
without resources be for "humanity writ large"? And what has that to do
with a "lack of ethics"?
Very simple: they still KNOW that "knowledge" is when I can act in MY
environment so that I achieve what I want. And if I want more than I
really need, there will be harm - somewhere.
Thus, they could - if they cared to - teach those who believe in
knowledge as a "thing" or an "object" that there is NO WAY to "Transfer
Knowledge" by way of putting "information about knowledge" into hwever
well-meant and well-stocked "databases" - the database CANNOT take care
of the "essential element" of the relationship between ME and the
ENVIROMENT. Knowledge is always and necessarily more than an idea, it is
a practice and all practice takes place within an environment.
And all members of this list practice typing words on their keyboards
aiming to support or counter the meaning they have put into other words
they have read on the screens of their computers.
All these words are irrelevant for the practices of "indigenous peoples"
in their "natural" (and often unnaturally degraded) environments - until
someone who is in a position to do so decides either decides to disburse
funds for the support of their practices or decides to stop practices
which harm them.
Because this is so, I sadly miss reflections on how the members of this
list can influence those "decision makers" - and precisely in what
direction.
Regards
Reinald Doebel
(Reinald.Doebel@t-online.de)
Knowledge simply is not a "commodity" which can be "transeferd" and
"traded" - and it can never be made so. Whatever famous busisness
teachers like Peter Drucker say about the "knowledge worker" and the
"knowledge society."
Subject: [IKD] Re: Information overload -- Introduction to Week 6
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 10:55:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Fitzgerald Yaw <fitzyaw@uwimona.edu.jm>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
I agree with Alistair Scott of the UK DFID. The work that is being done by
ID21 needs to be replicated. The important thing with the so called
knowledge overload is to sift the available information properly. Also
means have to be found to enable wider access to these knowledge resources,
including widening access to media such as the internet. The work of the
Sustainable Development Networking Progrmmes of the UNDP is an example of
this effort to widen access to the internet and other media for
information on sustainable development. An example of this initiative
can be obtained by going to the website of the Jamaica Sustainable
Development Networking Programme: www.jsdnp.org.jm
Fitzgerald Yaw
CALL Associates Consultancy
www.callassociates.com
Subject: [IKD] Indigenous Knowledge: reply to Paul Mundy
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:00:14 -0500 (EST)
From: Henryka Manes <hmanes@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Paul Mundy wrote:
Henryka accuses proseltyzing churches of deliberately distorting
indigenous knowledge. Yet those churches have presumably gone through
the same learning process that he (she?) advocates: they've learned
enough about the local culture to be able to use its myths to pursue
their "developmental" goals.
Compare the churches' actions (which Henryka and many others would
object to), with an NGO which uses local myths to help spread the idea
of hygiene, of vaccination, or of education. Most development workers
would regard these goals as praiseworthy, the NGO as being culturally
sensitive, and the approach as being effective because it draws on
indigenous knowledge.
In response, I wish to state the following:
There is a fundamental, essential and crucial difference between
learning about the culture and beliefs of the community one wishes to
work with, as partners, in order to respect them and not to trample on
them, and using that knowledge as a tool for pernicious purposes such as
proselytizing. Proselytizing destroys a very important part of
indigenous knowledge. Though I have worked on many projects that
provided basic health, immunization, hygiene, nutrition, education,
jobs, etc. I have never had to use local or "exogenous" myths to spread
that knowledge. Illiteracy does not preclude knowledge or
sophistication. From time immemorial, people strove to improve their
lives and have been willing to use new methods to do it. Treatment, as
a concept, exists everywhere whether dispensed by tribal doctors or
Western ones. One can inform and explain what one does in factual
terms, demonstrate how things work and partner in implementing the
services.
Paul also states that " The development agency should strive to
CONnserve that knowledge and culture, but not necessarily PREserve it
unchanged, as in a museum." I beg to differ. It is not for us to do
either. We are outsiders. We must RESPECT THEM and learn how to fit
into the community so as not to cause too many disruptions. For that,
we need to study the culture and the beliefs.
I strongly believe in the necessity of creating a charter that spells
out the basic principles that should underlie development projects and
the conduct of development agencies in the field.
Another need is to create a forum where one could exchange experiences
of success and failures in the field. This could result in a small
encyclopedia of sort, organized by sectors: agriculture, health, etc.
The compilation should include both indigenous and "imported" solutions.
There is a tremendous wealth of information that needs to be harvested
to become an invaluable resource for all of us.
Henryka Manes (yes, Paul, I am a woman)
hmanes@earthlink.net
Subject: [IKD] Information Overload or Relevance?
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 11:41:51 +0100
From: mwape@infonie.fr
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: <ikd@jazz.worldbank.org>
Evaluating how Agricultural Extension Service has been operating in
Malawi makes one wonder whether the problem is information overload or
relevance. Johnson (cic. 1996) and Jones (1996) observed that the advice
given was largely inappropriate for resource poor farmers in Malawi.
Hence, it is not really a question of overload in countries such as
Malawi but relevance. And this is partly coming about as a result of
trying to change people's perception from without regardless of the
indigenous knowledge, environmental, economic and social factors
inherent in these societies.
On a different but related note, one notices that information is sought
for all kinds of activities in the name of authenticity/originality. Yet
to what extent do we differentiate "needed" from "wanted" information
and "original" from "imitation". Therefore causing overloads due to
inappropriate or duplicate information. It is interesting to see current
advances on indicators for educational development progressing
independent of educational regulations and laws. But to a policy maker
the regulations are as critical as the indicators. Beside both
indicators and regulations largely address the same issues and are
related to or arise within policy matters. Thus, why not try to develop
indicators within the context of regulations or vice versa etc.
Definitely such an approach will improve relevance and scale down if not
totally undo the overload.
Augustine Kamlongera.
mwape@infonie.fr
Subject: [IKD] Information overload and Indigenous Knowledge
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 13:16:39 +0100
From: "Westrienen, Gerard van" <gerardw@nuffic.nl>
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: "'ikd@jazz.worldbank.org'" <ikd@jazz.worldbank.org>
Yaw Fitzgerald wrote:
>> I agree with Alistair Scott of the UK DFID. The work that is being done
by ID21 needs to be replicated. The important thing with the so called
knowledge overload is to sift the available information properly. >>
I agree completely with Yaw Fitzgerald and favour activities like ID21.
At Nuffic/CIRAN we facilitate the access to information for those who have a
professional interest in the field of indigenous knowledge (IK) and
development. The enormous growth of IK related information on the Internet
requires new tools to get the user at the relevant information in a fast
way. That is why we started the Indigenous Knowledge Pages (IK-Pages:
http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/index.html). The objective of the IK-Pages is
to search and index relevant IK information scattered throughout the
Internet, and to make the information available for potential users.
The IK-Pages offers two methods: browse function and full-text search
1. Browse
Resources that offer an overview of a specific subject or that are specific
for one region or country can be browsed. We have given every resource a
short description. This gives you an idea what you can expect when you
select a certain resource. You can browse in 'topics', 'regions' or
'organizations' to familiarize yourself with the many aspects of the issue.
2. Full-text search
For people looking for specific subjects--people who know exactly what they
want to know--we offer the possibility of making full-text searches of
certain subjects. We have made a full-text index of all the sources we have
selected and found relevant for the IK-pages. A full-text search on the
IK-pages is therefore an option NOT for searching the whole Internet, but
rather for searching hunderds of resources in the field of indigenous
knowledge. Our aim is to reduce the quantity of hits you normally receive
when you use a 'regular' search engine like Alta Vista and to improve the
quality of hits.
An information specialist selects and describes the different sources. We
also receive suggestions from people in the IK-network for taking up sources
on the internet which are not yet on the IK-pages.
In this way we try to "sort the wheat from the chaff", to answer the
question of James Dean in his introduction to the discussion on information
overload.
Gerard van Westrienen
Nuffic/CIRAN, Centre for International Research and Advisory Networks
P.O.Box 29777, 2502 LT The Hague - The Netherlands
Tel: +31-70-4260325
Email: gerardw@nuffic.nl
Home page: http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/
Subject: [IKD] Introduction to Week 7 - Information and Communications Technologies
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 09:38:51 -0500 (EST)
From: jamesd@panoslondon.org.uk (James Deane)
Reply-To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
To: ikd@jazz.worldbank.org
Introduction to Week 7: Information and Communications Technologies
Most discussions on the role of knowledge in development have been heavily
focused on the revolution in information and communications technologies
(ICTs). In designing the structure for this dialogue,we deliberately left
this issue until late in the discussion so that that it did not overwhelm
other important dimensions of the debate. ICTs, as we have discussed, are
not the only factors defining how knowledge is shaping societies. They
(especially the internet and wireless telephony) are, nevertheless, becoming
the most important.
The potential benefits that ICTs can bring to poor people and poor countries
have been well rehearsed. They include:
· In economic terms, developing countries have the opportunity to
exploit new, cheaper wireless technologies and to leapfrog
industrialised countries, thus maximising a competitive advantage in
the globalised knowledge economy. The economic return of
investments in telecommunications are substantial - China estimates
that every 100 million yuan invested in posts and telecommunications
will lead to an increase in national income by 1.38 billion yuan
over a period of ten years.
· In development terms, ICTs have the potential to improve and to
provide better access to health care and education.
· In political terms, centralised control of information by
governments or commercial interests is becoming much more difficult;
the capacity of people to access information is unprecedented; the
capacity of people to organise, advocate and lobby beyond physical
boundaries is greatly enhanced; the capacity for people and
organisations in developing countries to communicate information -
their aspirations, demands, experiences, analysis - is becoming
cheaper, more powerful and far more pervasive; and human
organisation is moving away from rigid hierarchies based around
nations or organisations, and moving towards more horizontal, often
more informal networks.
The information gap, however, is stark.
· At the beginning of 1997, 62% of all main telephone lines were
installed in just 23 industrialised countries, even though this
group accounts for less than 15% of the world's population,
according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
· One quarter of the countries in the world still have less than one
telephone line per 100 people.
· The majority of the population in developing countries - 60% of the
total - live in rural areas. Yet in these countries, over 80% of main
telephone lines are in urban areas.
· Eighty four per cent of mobile cellular subscribers, 91% of all fax
machines and 97% of Internet host computers are in developed countries.
· One in three people globally lack access to electricity
In Panos' critique of the World Development Report, we were interpreted by
some to be downplaying the importance of these technologies. This was not
our intention. However, while recognising the huge potential and
opportunities they provide, we questioned whether they were as inherently
beneficent as is sometimes suggested. In particular, we argued that the
focus should shift from the fascination with the technologies themselves
(and they are genuinely fascinating) towards the often less interesting
policy debates and decisions that will determine how these technologies will
benefit - or disempower - poor people.
Global liberalisation of telecommunications, and the highly commercial and
competitive nature of the communications industries, makes this a private
sector revolution. This revolution is highly efficient at delivering ICTs
to those who want and can afford them. It is also efficient at delivering
these technologies at a price that it is affordable to many, and it is
delivering technologies to a much greater number than the old state run
monopolies had been able to do. Yet the fact remains that much of the
planet cannot afford even the most basic of these technologies, the
telephone.
Information is power. If this is accepted, the information revolution will
not only leave behind those who lack access to ICTs, it will positively
disempower them. While there are many creative and excellent initiatives
designed to improve access to ICTs (such as through telecentres), nearly all
of them have an element of cost recovery and therefore exclude the poor.
Addressing information imbalances requires highly imaginative and creative
policymaking and action at many different levels.
· At the international level, where the trade rules of the information
revolution are largely being set by the North, and especially the US.
Decisions made at the ITU, the WTO, by the US Federal Communications
Commission, the European Union and other institutions are defining the
rules and conditions of the information revolution playing field.
· At the national level, imaginative legislation and expert, committed
regulation are critical to determining who and who will not benefit from
ICTs.
· At the project level, through the efforts of telecentres, on-line
universities, and initiatives such as GrameenPhone in Bangladesh.
I suggest the discussion focuses on:
· Initiatives which are targeting the poor (directly or, more often,
indirectly);
· Examples where legislation and regulation and other policy
interventions are leading to imaginative provision of ICTs to poor
people.
· Highlighting the impediments to real progress in gaining broader
access to ICTS.
James Deane
Panos Institute - London
22 March 1999
===========================================================================
James Deane
Director, Programmes
Panos Institute
9 White Lion St
London N1 9PD, UK
Tel: +44 171 278 1111
Fax: +44 171 278 0345
e-mail: jamesd@panoslondon.org.uk
or panos@gn.apc.org
Web site: http://oneworld.org/panos/
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