<div>> Fighting without empowering oneself is not effective. Currently people<br>do fight with external help from a political party or a social<br>organization, and external leadership and continue to remain powerless<br>
even after struggles after struggles.<br> </div>
<div> <font color="#3333ff"> As far as I considered Fighting itself was for empowering onself .Oppressed sections of the society mostly had the "<strong>help</strong>" of </font> <font color="#3333ff">external</font><font color="#3333ff"> forces or group of people or political party and very few times people like Nelson Mandela, Ambedkar, Martin Luther King etc. came from those oppressed sections to fight for them and make progress for them. But even after struggles under people of such profound knowldge are these sections empowered ?? These progress have been witnessed in othe former cases too where the oppressed sections were helped by external force or political party. Hence I believe the fighting & empowering comes with the profound understanding from a historic perspective and as you said very correctly power should be with the Oppressed sections but that shouldn't prevent them from using the methods available for advance if there are any.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><br>>They cannot claim power without knowledge. </div>
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<div> <font color="#3333ff">Can you pls elaborate the scientific basis of this conclusion? As I have mentioned previousy knowledge is essential fopr empowerment and claiming power. But how "<strong>Only</strong>" knowledge can lead them to empowerment and power ? Shouldn't we look at the other aspects of their problems too or should we restrict only to this 1 aspect - knowledge ?</font></div>
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<div><font color="#3333ff">As I raised the questions previously :</font></div>
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<div><font color="#3333ff">"I completely accept your theory of what Free Knowledge is able to provide to the deprived sections of the society, but would that be enough?</font></div>
<div><font color="#3333ff">Can't we do extra if we can ?? Can't we use ICT which has far more applications than we forsee to fight for their rights too ?</font> <font color="#3333ff">Or is it that we should only focus on Freeing knowledge and fighting for their rights would end us nowhere ??? Can't we use this tool to its potential if it can be ?? </font></div>
<div><font color="#3333ff">If so HOW ???"</font></div></div>
<p><font color="#3333ff"></font> </p>
<p><font color="#3333ff"></font> </p>
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<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 12/17/08, <b class="gmail_sendername">Nagarjuna G</b> <<a href="mailto:nagarjun@gnowledge.org">nagarjun@gnowledge.org</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">On Wed, 2008-12-17 at 15:45 +0530, Nidhin Sasi wrote:<br>> Freeing knowledge would ofcourse increase the conscious of the<br>
> oppressed about their rights, but would that automatically give them<br>> the basic rights? Most of the denial of their rights stems from the<br>> fact that the resources are still captivated by a minority in the<br>
> society. Unless they fight for those rights, these rights would always<br>> be alien for them though in the process though there might be progress<br>> in their situation based on the intensity of different struggles. ICT<br>
> has revolutionised the world in such a way that human beings if have<br>> access can attain most of the knowldge at their finger tips and also<br>> establish communication with anyone in any part of the world.<br>
> But the denial of the basic rights would still cause them obstacles<br>> even to freely pursue this available Free Knowledge. Though we see<br>> them laughing, singing, playing in the daylight and among the crowd<br>
> each of them might have different difficult situations in their homes<br>> which are mostly connected to their lack of accessibility of their<br>> basic rights.<br>> We can build good toilets and better infrastructure in their<br>
> locality if we go for fund drive, but would that give a solution to<br>> their numeorus other problems they are facing ? Especially in a city<br>> like Bangalore with high rates of inflation - what about the food<br>
> costs, health costs, transportation costs ? Most of the families at<br>> the average 3 or 4 children or more, and I think AC3 kids are better<br>> off than children in many other areas.<br>><br>><br><br>Fighting without empowering oneself is not effective. Currently people<br>
do fight with external help from a political party or a social<br>organization, and external leadership and continue to remain powerless<br>even after struggles after struggles.<br><br>Sustainable social change does not come without power in the local<br>
hands. They cannot claim power without knowledge.<br><br>Nagarjuna<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></blockquote></div><br>