[Fsf-friends] Another world is possible

[PostgreSQL Server]

Hai friends,
 During the last week of Dec '02 there was a 'Kerala Sangamam'  organized by 
Kerala chapter of 'World Social Forum' . The main agenda was to create a 
common platform for the efforts of various groups who works for alternative 
Keralam, and make them work together for common cause. 

Ther was very active discussion on Software under GPL and on Modernisation of 
Goverment Program (MGP) using IT. The meet has come to a conclusion that 
current IT policy and MGP are not on the correct track.  It is also decided 
to conduct a workshop at Kochi during March '03, on MGP for Keralam and IT 
policy for Keralam. The targeted output of the workshop is  an alternative 
MGP programm and Alternative IT policy for Keralam.  

ATPS (Appropriate Technology Promotion Society - Kochi) is entrusted to 
organise the workshop. The ATPS is trying for maximum participation in the 
work shop. Prior to this a discussion on this subject can be started on this 
subject. Here I submit a draft document prepared by me for initiating a 
discussion on IT policy for Keralam.

Regards,

Anil-Kanhangad
ATPS

       DISCUSSION PAPER
       --------------------------------
History of Science & Technology
-----------------------------------------------
Almost all technical advances are response to social, economic demands made 
entirely in earlier times and some times even now by the craftsmen, 
themselves working over and improving their traditional skills.  Science is a 
later event, which emerges in recognizable form from common social tradition 
on crafts, only with the beginning of civilisation.  These separate streams 
of technology and science were  run apart from each other in earlier age.  
The conditions of earlier civilisation led to a division of classes, which 
put scientists in a privileged  class while manual craftsmen were only a 
grade above slaves.  This division and its impact on all walks of life 
condemned science to sterility and techniques to frequent stagnation, while 
radical advances came only rarely.  These occasional advances partially broke 
down and there was gradual growth in mutual stimulation of scientist and 
craftsmen.  The recent scientific technical transformation by which modern 
Information Technology has been evolved is results of such a fusion of 
Science and Technology.

Information Technology Revolution 
--------------------------------------------------
The Information Technology revolution, as any other historical creative 
process appear as a consequence of great social, economic and political 
movements. The period of technical scientific advance which gave birth to 
modern Information Technology is in full swing for above fifty years.  
Ignoring these historical facts, Information Technology, which is a 
collection of techniques for gathering, storing and processing of data and 
its dissemination as information, which is as old as society itself, is being 
presented as a new discovery by its new pseudo care-takers. By this 
continuous and vigorous campaign, Information Technology often termed as mere 
software and computer hardware technology.  These new imposed definition has 
led Information Technology as facilitation for a group of elite classes, 
which in turn leads for a so called digital divide in the society where 
people is divided as information rich and information poor.

Information Technology  and society
----------------------------------------------------
The relation of IT and society are fully reciprocal, just as transformation 
are produced inside IT by social events, so have social transformation been 
brought about through the use of IT.  These direct or indirect effects 
operating on the material frame work of society and on the idea by which it 
is sustained.  The easily seen direct changes are taken to be the main result 
of IT by most people.  But indirect effects are for more important.  Though 
initial growth of IT was a product of economic and political factors, once it 
is established as means of securing economic and political power, its very 
existence become a factor in social life.  So it is very much essential to 
study the total impact of IT, on society whether it is manifold, direct or 
indirect .

Judging from the appropriate flexibility of IT as any other technological 
tool, it can be stated as neutral and it is the purpose for which it is used, 
is making the difference. Following are the major economic and political 
compulsion behind the rapid growth of modern Information Technology.

--Processing large volume of Information generated within a short time of war 
related operation for strategic advantage of nations and for extending the 
control of state over its citizen.
--The Information processing needed to monitor and control production cost and 
setting of large surplus of capitalist production in a dispersed market.

IT for Sustainable Development
----------------------------------------------
Bright futures that IT  brings to human kind have been described by many of 
its conventional promoters.  They name it Information Society where 
information and scientific knowledge replaces human labour as main productive 
force.

These future is not going to be that bright or may be even disastrous until 
and unless the big mass, to whom it ultimately affects, whose jobs will be 
ultimately replaced, has effectively intervened in the process of making 
information society with a definite intention of bringing a sustainable 
development where all sorts of inequalities are narrowed down.

But, the current growth of Information Technology is a typical example of cart 
before bull.  New innovations rarely match the sustainable development needs 
and always focus on elite sections.  New IT innovations are the result of a 
fierce war for larger market share by a few trans-national companies. Major 
impact of this phenomenon are
--It effectively hegemonies technology by providing earlier access to new 
technology only to interested parties.
--It limits the production and availability at low technological, low cost 
options, preferably most profitable one.

Appropriate IT Solution
---------------------------------
For financially starved but intellectual rich country like India emergence of 
IT revolution is taken as good news.  But harnessing the full potential of IT 
requires an aggressive and visionary policy frame work and creative planning 
and wider participation of its people at large.  The current white collar 
jobs which fills the gap of conventional inefficient information system will 
be made void by extensive use of IT.  However with a vibrant vision and 
action plan the human power can be diverted to the more productive zones 
where they can contribute more effectively which are newly created with the 
advent IT. If the peoples participation in implementation of IT is not 
ensured, the complete benefits will be taken away by section of the society 
with vested interest.

Now, global market for IT is predominantly western.  A less developed economy 
trying to penetrate in the world market of information technology can thus be 
effectively contained by the market leaders.  The strict intellectual 
property rights law in some developed countries are already threatening the 
new innovation in IT sector.  Unless one can design an IT solution truly 
needed for the social and cultural milieu, it may be impossible to develop 
systems that satisfy the sustainable development needs.  It is therefor very 
much essential to develop our own methodology and techniques in providing IT 
solution for social needs. 

Compared to other activities of  IT  software, hardware and infrastructure 
cost seems to be at higher level, while its local expertise remains low. 
However, cost effective solutions such as localy assembled hardware and 
relatively higher bandwidth of Wireless Local Loop (WILL) which exactly match 
the rural network need can be considered. 

In case of software there is a global movement for cost-effective solutions, 
popularly known as 'free software' which are distributed  under General 
Public License (GPL). With the use of these software local software expertise 
will increase and  cost of software development will be fully distributed for 
local employment generation. Closed approach of patented software ultimately 
cause degradation of our existing software expertise. While use of patented 
software will take away a huge ammount as software cost and license fees by 
trans-national companies.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prepared by Anil-Kanhangad K V for ATPS