[Fsf-friends] [bytesforall_readers] About Shiksha, Narayana Murthy and Bill gates..

[FREDERICK NORONHA]

Just to point out that this issue is being debated beyond Free 
Software/Open Source mailing lsts. Some relevant questions below... 
FN

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------
Subject: RE: [bytesforall_readers] About Shiksha, Narayana Murthy 
and Bill gates..
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 17:21:21 -0000
From: Murali Shanmugavelan <MuraliS@panoslondon.org.uk>
To: "'Frederick Noronha '" <fred@bytesforall.org>


The Project mission and its gensis:

Shiksha India is a non-profit initiative, aimed at bridging the
 digital divide in India. This project was conceived of by the
 Global Leaders for Tomorrow of the World Economic Forum, incubated
 by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Who's who:

"Shiksha India's mission is computer literacy -- a basic skill that
 blue collar workers like mechanics and rural citizens like farmers
 will find useful in their daily lives. It will substantially
 increase the earning capacity of mainstream India in direct and
 indirect ways and also help in bridging the digital divide that
 exists in India " said N. R. Narayana Murthy, trustee of Shiksha
 India (from Schoolsonline.org)

Does Mr. Bill's donation to Shiksha and his choice of NGOs tell us
 anything? The Political economy of NGos have powerful roles in
 informing and shaping policies in today's informing society.
 Especially, when the political economy is governed by business
 corporations.

I would like to know if there are examples as to how many ICT4D
 projects have implemented non-microsoft platforms to increase the
 flow from and towards the poor and marginalised.

Pointer URLs:
http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/The+World+Economi
c+Forum+ Announces+Global+Leaders+for+Tomorrow+Task+Forces

http://world-links.org/english/assets/india_project.pdf

Murali Shanmugavelan.
Panos Institute
London.

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