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David,
Thanks for the further
clarification.
Elizabeth
Eliz,
Maybe I am just making general points and not
adhering to the task this group has. However, as we have largely concluded
sustainability is a critical factor/requirement, I would say that in our
experience, that can only be acheived if one includes capacity building
further out from the community, working with the providers/knowldge
centres/institutions/projects/etc. If we just provided connectivity in these
remote island communities, the linkages required to achieve critical mass - or
a dynamic growth - would not happen naturally. This is just our experience
here. So these linkages are very much part of our "telecentre" model
here.
I hope this concludes my point and focuses it a
bit on what we should be discussing.
David
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 8:24
AM
Subject: RE: [Telecentres] Basic
Telecentre Items/ICT Definition
David,
Your points are well taken. Not
being a techie, my view of a telecenter is fairly simplistic. I see it
as a point/place in a community for interactive (two way flow) dissemination
of information. I view telecenters as interactive libraries.
Community libraries disseminate information, have community meetings/
seminars/discussions. It is the interactive nature of the ongoing
communication that distinguishes the telecenter from a library, which
obviously is related to the medium of the communication.
The importance of
including necessary content areas in the language of any outcome
document is similar to insuring that all the necessary sections for books
are included in the library from the outset. Once a plan (of
action) is implemented, funding and space allocation become very
competitive. What is not in the initial agreement/plan may end up
being excluded.
Elizabeth
Dr. Elizabeth Carll
Focal
Point
International Society for Traumatic
Stress Studies;
Chair Media/ICT Working Group,
NGO Committee on Mental
Health, New York
Tel: 1-631-754-2424
Fax: 1-631-754-5032
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Original
Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of David Leeming
PFnet
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 12:39 AM
To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Telecentres] Basic
Telecentre Items/ICT Definition
Then perhaps a definition of a Telecentre
needs to map out the functions these human
resources perform. There are also functions that are required
for useful information exchange to take place, that may not be strictly
associated with the telecentre. These include awareness raising, training,
mobilisation of the stakeholders all along the information "chain"
including the "knowledge centres" (in a country like ours, CRM is not
widely practiced....the central institutions are often the worst at
communication). ICT strategy building is important,
too. In
fact it is difficult to see where to demarkate a telecentre, looking at it
from the "information flow" point of view.
As a simple example, to allow rural people to
obtain legal advice by email, it was not as simple and notifying them of
the (say) Public Solicitor's email address. We had to train (remotely) the
rural ICT operators to publicise it and raise awareness, hold meetings
with the Public Solicitor and other stakeholders and discuss the
procedures required and other practicalities, and above all get
everyone on board. (now it works marvellously). Information doesn't
just flow - it needs to be driven by the knowledge owners as
much as their "customers" or "clients".
I suppose we are getting into a defination of
"content" as well as "function".
David
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004
12:48 PM
Subject: RE: [Telecentres] Basic
Telecentre Items/ICT Definition
David,
Thanks for the clarification.
I always thought that such staff support would be available at all
telecentres and considered that to be in the category of human
resources. It is always interesting to hear how others view
and designate telecentre support activities.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth et al.
Well, how about living ones - human
intermediaries. Community intermediaries to help people understand
their needs, to interpret and respond to incoming information, for
consultative processes, to learn how to filter information
appropriately. Technical intermediaries (commonly known as
"assistants" or "operators") to help people use the ICTs, when
there are no existing skills, and to train them as the demand and
awareness grows. The community
driven ethic is extremely
important, these are facilitators only.
David
David,
Excellent point, as ICTs are
certainly only a means to the end product of learning and
participating. To what other appropriate tools are you
referring, in addition to ICTs?
Elizabeth
Hi,
If we're talking about the Information
Society then we should concentrate on the information activities and
not the techology. A telecentre may be simply described as a place
where people can participate (and learn to participate) in the wider
emerging information society, using appropriate tools
including ICTs.
David
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