(Dear Colleagues: I'm forwarding this from the
"Global Voices Online"
email distribution list, because I think it's worth it for
us to
ponder this. Best regards from Deborah)
-----original message-----
From: Andy Carvin <acarvin edc.org>
Date: Mar 29, 2006 12:27 PM
Subject: What does it mean to be a technology activist?
To: globalvoiceseon.law.harvard.edu
Taran Rampersad of Trinidad & Tobago has just authored
an insightful
essay on what it means to be a technology activist. Some
highlights:
"Really - what is a technology activist? This has been
something I've
been trying to figure out, as it is presently a primary
description of
me... I joked about it, saying that the 'pay sucks' (and
it does), and
that there's little room for advancement....
"And I still can't quite put a finger on what a
technology activist
is. At the end of the day, it's a very broad and ill
defined area
which is a bit scarey, because perception might lead people
to believe
that technology activism is limited to a select group, when
in fact I
believe it isn't. I believe that it's a part of the
natural course of
technology.
"For my part, I see it as an issue related to quality
of life. I know
that a lot of other people feel the same, though most I do
know of
would be categorized as Digital Divide Activists...."
--------------
Taran goes on to say that technology activism in itself is
"a pretty
poorly defined area." Generally speaking, he
concludes, it means
"trying to bring about change with technology."
I think that hits the nail on the head. Being a technology
activist
and working to bridge the digital divide isn't about
putting an
Internet PC so we can grow the market for e-commerce, online
gaming or
entertainment....
Instead, being a technology activist is something more
basic:
fostering equitable access to tools that will improve
people's quality
of life - quality as they define it, on their own terms....
At its root, it's not about the technology. Being a
technology
activist is being a community activist, a social justice
activist, a
political activist, an education activist, a development
activist.
We've got these amazing tools that are revolutionizing the
way we all
live, learn, earn and interact. Shouldn't everyone have the
same
opportunity to benefit from these tools, so they too can
make a better
life for themselves?
Taran's essay: http://www.knowpr
ose.com/node/11473
My response: http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2006/03/w
hat_does_it_mean_to.html
andy
--
------------------------------
Andy Carvin
acarvin (at) edc . org
andycarvin (at) yahoo . com
http://www.digitaldivide
.net
http://www.andycarvin.com
------------------------------
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