Technology and Education

For years and years the international development community has emphasized the importance of education to promote sustainable economic development in the developing world. However, for much of the developing world it has been difficult to institute more advanced learning method due to a lack of resources to serve its population. Despite improvements in educational indicators, such as enrolment, significant challenges remain with regard to the delivery of quality education in developing countries, particularly in rural and remote regions. In the attempt to find viable solutions to these challenges, much hope has been placed in new information and communication technologies), mobile phones being the primary example. A new initiative has been launched in Africa called eLearning Africa in order to best utilize this new mobile phone technology to promote education in rural areas and thus move one step closer to achieving the millennium development goal of universal primary education. 

eLearning Africa 2011 conference

The recent, eLearning Africa 2011 conference demonstrated Africa's commitment to active participation in developing technology to aid global development. Speakers at the conference highlighted the worldwide phenomenon of distance learning by mobile phone. There are more than 500 million mobile phone subscribers in Africa now, up from 246 million in 2008, according to industry estimates. Clearly the movement has taken off, and this is partly in a large part because of the massive penetration of mobile phones in the developing world because it is an easy replacement for a lot of infrastructure that is lacking. Students in Africa are rushing and excited to use mobile phone learning, however the only issue is that there still are not enough mobile phones to meet the exponentially growing demand. Distance learning works primarily through SMS. Students often are school teachers in very remote areas who have restricted or no access to electricity and the Internet. We use bulk SMS – short messages that can be sent to many students at the same time – as well as interactive SMS services. These help students communicate with our staff about the subject matter or on administrative issues, and allow for the easy transfer of expertise to students. Mobile phone technology has proven particularly effective in teaching mathematics to students, through the exchange of hints and key concepts via SMS. But this technology needs to be expanded and applied to all subject areas. A key challenge will be to promote literacy among 


The benefits of global learning extends beyond the traditional classroom education, and in fact empowers students to customize and tailor their own educations to their own personal interests and career aspirations; mobile technology gives students the greatest gift: information. mLearning also facilitates designs for authentic learning, meaning learning that targets real-world problems and involves projects of relevance and interest to the learner. For example, it can teach a farmer about botany, or a factory worker about machines and design. GIven that career readiness is integral for a functioning society eLearning that emphasizes this readiness will have widespread societal ramifications that will make the investment in mobile phone technology a highly cost effective investment. Nokia has already recognized this value and is donating 10 additional phones to each school utilizing eLearning, and given that the average school in rural Africa is comprised of only about 100 kids this is a substantial donation. 


It is integral to institute this new mobile learning technology, in order to allow for equality of education between urban and rural Africa. The gap is large as it is, but it is growing at an alarming rate and it is imperative that this learning gap is closed to prevent political and social unrest due to societal inequality. Educational inequality translates to social inequality which translates to a less than productive society. It is worth investing in mobile technology because education is a virtuous and self-sustaining cycle unlike many other investment opportunities. Although some may question, why give these people cell phones, why not instead give them food and water. However, by providing education the hope is that they will learn how to lift themselves up and solve there substantial issues and one day provide their own food and water. "Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants." Mobile education avoids this pitfall all together an will really provide the future of the developing world with resources to propel forward their own development goals to create a better society for both their country, and the global community. 

Mobile Money Spurs Global Development

The ubiquitous nature of poverty around the world is easily apparent to anyone who opens their eyes to see it Almost half the world- more than three billion people- live on less that $2.50 per day. The poorest 40 percent of the worlds population account for five percent of the worlds income. Over 70 percent of those living in poverty are women. Half the worlds children-1 billion- live below the poverty line. In a society with prominent international organizations dedicated to the eradication of this widespread poverty, it would seem that nothing has been done. This criticism may seem harsh, but in reality the measures that have been undertaken to combat global poverty have been ineffective at best and wasteful at worst. Through trial and error it has become clear that attempting to treat the side effects of poverty, such as hunger and illness is not enough when done alone; society needs to target the source of the poverty in order to make any sort of solutions. However, new initiatives promoting ,microfinance through mobile phone technology in developing countries is promising in the fight to end poverty, particularly in the case of women, as well as aid in the attainment of the millennium development goals. 

Currently, over 90 percent of the worlds poor do not have access to safe affordable savings accounts and resort to risky, expensive, inefficient ways to save because of the high costs or unavailability of traditional banking services. This unavailability of banking services is largely due to the high costs of physical bank buildings with dedicated bank tells that are exponentially less cost effective when serving poor clients with small deposits. However, although unstable in some cases and meager quantities in comparison to more developed nations, the poor people of developing nations can and do save money. But they usually must resort to saving in expensive, risky, and inconvenient ways, like hiding cash at home or converting savings into livestock and jewelry. Safe, affordable places to save would allow them to increase their financial security and improve their lives. In places where such services are available, it has been shown that the demand is extremely high. The inability for the poor to safely store their money in financial institutions in undoubtedly quashing the hope of any type of economic growth because the first key to entrepreneurship is access to capital. Additionally, evidence from the millions of microfinance clients around the world demonstrates that access to financial services reaches beyond capital for business ventures and actually enables people to increase their household incomes, build assets and most importantly reduce their vulnerability to the crises that are part of their everyday lives. Even beyond this access to reliable financial institutions to safe-gaurd money has led to both the empowerment of women and increased investment in education. Though traditional banking systems are infeasible in many poor regions of developing areas, the idea of mobile banking has flourished and is clearly a key to providing banking services to many without. Cell phone proliferation has been on a monumental scale, and has infiltrated even the poorest demographics, thus it is highly effective to utilize it as a banking technique. 

Some question how access to banking will have a substantial impact on poverty reduction. The truth is that microfinance is an unparalleled path to global development Microfinance is unique among development interventions by developing countries in that  it can deliver social benefits on an ongoing, permanent basis and on a large scale. Many well-managed microfinance institutions throughout the world provide financial services in a sustainable way, free of donor support. Microfinance thus offers the potential for a self-propelling cycle of sustainability and massive growth, while providing a powerful impact on the lives of the poor, even the extremely poor. Evidence shows that this impact intensifies the longer clients stay with a given program, thus deepening the power of this virtuous cycle. For example, an impact assessment study by UNICEF of BRAC in Bangladesh suggested that members who stayed in the program for more than four years increased household expenses by 28 percent and assets by 112 percent. Additionally, comprehensive study of microfinance conducted by the World Bank in 1990 elucidates the positive impacts it has in the developing world. The study looked at three of the largest programs in Bangladesh- Gremeen Bank, BRAC and  RD-12- and found that female clients increased household consumption by 18 takas for every 100 takas borrowed, and that 5 percent of clients graduated out of poverty each year by borrowing and participating in microfinance programs. More importantly households were able to sustain these gains over time. There were also spillover effects in the village economy. In effect all of this research asserts the point that if villagers empowered through a method to effectively manage their money, as well as access to even small amounts of capital, they are in fact able to build themselves out of poverty in a sustained and self-determined way.

Woman in Haiti utilizing mobile banking

One of the greatest virtues of microfinance through mobile phone technologies in developing countries is the way that it empowers women by giving them better control over household finances. In much of the developing world the role of the woman has traditionally been subordinate to that of the man and without access to money or security in a sense it has been very hard for them to change their designated role in society. Additionally, it has been shown that women are more likely than men to invest increased income in the household and family well-being, therefore getting the extra cash into the hands of women is actually beneficial for society as a whole so that the money is not squandered away and is rather invested in the future. Furthermore, access to financial services has made women clients more confident and assertive and thus better able to confront gender inequality. In a book I read entitled "1000 splendid suns," a woman in Afghanistan was in an abusive relationship and the novel made it clear that financial stability was a major reason why she was unable to escape. By giving women the ability to access the families finances it will confront at least some of the gender imbalance issues within households, and also will hopefully foster an independent spirit within women that will allow them to escape abusive relationships. In fact, in a study by Naila Kabeer it was found that in microfinance programs changes occurred at a personal level in the form of increased self-worth. At the level of the household, she finds that women’s increased contribution of resources led, in a great majority of cases, to declining levels of tension and violence. Women often reported feeling an increase in affection and consideration within the household with longer program membership. This research illustrates that the microfinance programs really change society at a grassroots level, and is even creating a greater acceptance of women's empowerment among men, which is an integral part of an evolving society. 

   

Despite the numerous draws of the microfinance programs for global development, I initially was skeptical if it could actually help those way below the poverty line, whom the millennium development goals sought to reach. The goals claim that by 2014 they wish to cut the number of those living in absolute poverty, which is about 1.2 billion people living on a dollar a day, in half. It is difficult to imagine a banking institution, even through mobile banking,  that could be financially sustainable with the small amount of deposits put in by the poorest people in the developing world. Additionally, these people are particularly unfamiliar with banking systems so the question of how to get them to utilize and trust a seemingly foreign system of storing their money is also a potent pressing issue. However, these issues have been addressed through innovative program design for example the ASA in Bangladesh channels many of its transactions through post offices. This is not only cost effective, since it doesn't need to build any new buildings or hire new workers and uses the existing network of postal systems for transaction efficiency, but is also ideal for fostering the trust of the people by using an already well established a trusted institution so that the whole operation seems more homegrown and provenly reliable. Participation of the poorest of the poor is key for success so it is essential that each microfinance development program is tailored to satisfy the needs and the culture of the country that the constituents are in to minimize costs and maximize involvement. 

Although no single program will be able to eradicate global poverty, by empowering the poor with greater control over their own financial resources, however scarce they may be it will lead to a ripple effect such as improvements in healthcare, business, and education. Thus financial services do effect poverty in multiple ways and will help to attain the Millennium Development goals and more importantly, financial services will create a sustained level of prosperity and financial stability in the country that reaches far beyond the scope of the resources put in to enact the initiative.  

 

Social Media and Politics

Politicians are constantly seeking to communicate with the American people; not only to assert their positions on the important issues of the day, but also to connect on a deeper level and prove to them that they are just "one of the boys," or "the average joe."Political advertising has proven the most advantageous and feasible way to do this, most prominently by the use of massive funds to spur advertising campaigns on the most potent technological mediums of the time. The colossal amount of political advertising as well as its importance is illustrated by the fact that campaign spending in the United States grew fifteen-fold since 1952 from $140 million to nearly $2 billion in 1988, largely because of media expenditures. The technology used to access the American public has evolved with the ages, from newspapers in the 19th century, to radio in the early to mid 20th century, television in the latter 20th century and the 21st and now the up and coming political tool has been the Internet. An even more recent trend has been the use of Facebook and Twitter in order to better reach their constituents, especially young people who may not be as politically involved. With each change in technological medium that has been used by politicians to reach constituents it not only reflects the values of a society, but also has larger societal impacts. 

It is obvious why politicians would choose to advertise via mediums such as Facebook. In the month of June according to the Neilson advertising group Facebook amassed 87 million US users who each spent an average of four hours and thirty-seven minutes on the site. In order to be successful in the current political climate it is essential that politicians have a successful media campaign that incorporates the use of such mass mediums such as Facebook and Twitter. It is even say that Obama won in a large part because of his brilliant online media campaign. He swarmed the Internet with his campaign strategy including Facebook, twitter, myspace, youtube and flicker. Through these mediums they rallied supporters and organized communities, registering 1.5 million volunteers through myBarackObama.com and raising $600m from 3 million people. The benefits of online political advertising especially through social media extends beyond the masses of people reached, in that it changes the nature of politics. Instead of the didactic speeches seen over television social media creates a network of supporters and makes issues a personal, relevant two way conversation that inspired and empowered a generation that has rejected political apathy. Social media represents a direct engagement by users and politicians that leads to a sharing of ideas, opinions and information; essentially people are taking control of their own politics. Now it is not as much about the politicians views or issues, but rather about the fact that they take the effort to reach out to constituents on a more personal level. Social media is in effect taking politics back to the people. Politicians have always been obsessed with this idea of being portrayed as a “regular person” and have achieved this through a variety of ways, for example knowing how much a carton of milk costs, or going to five guys and getting a burger. Social media is yet another way of proving that a politician is in touch with the American people and up to date with current societal trends rather than being removed from the reality of the modern society we live in. If a politician knows how to “tweet” effectively or post on Facebook it validates their connection to the American people.

While I believe that the more personal politics fostered by the new social media is all well and good, it does irk me that social media has really sensationalized politics and has led to the creation of extreme factions because of the superficial nature of the issues presented. Whereas previously, Americans would read articles and articles about candidates view on an issue in the newspaper, now people will read a 400-character tweet on twitter and rapidly form their opinion from a miniscule amount of information. It is a reflection on modern culture that we won’t take the time to delve into the complexities of an issue and would rather be fed a small sound-byte to avoid thinking about the deeper issues at stake. Catchy headlines have become infinitely more important than substantial stories taking media away from both the more potent issues of the day as well as the multi-faceted nature of many issues.

Additionally, Internet allows any political figure to more easily create a façade while hiding who they truly are. The fact that any well established political official has a qualified media team posting on behalf of the politician, thus exemplifying the issue; it is not even the candidate creating this image it is a team who in effect create a artificial image that caters to the desires of the American people.

Furthermore, is a grasp of effectively using social media really necessary for the work of a politician? Should a public figure really be punished because they can’t effectively condense their views on an issue into a post under 50 words? It can be seen that this is a retrogressive trend in society with politicians becoming only concerned with how to market an opinion rather than the opinion itself. They too, rather than worrying about the depth of an issue are being rewarded for thinking on a superficial level in order to get elected. For example currently the first three posts on President Obama’s Facebook page are about the world cup women’s soccer game. This is clearly to create the image that the President is a down to Earth American just sitting around the television with his family watching the game, but shouldn’t the President be more than that? The time we live in is wrought with political issues threatening the very existence of our nation as we know it, from the war on terrorism, the underfunded social security program, healthcare and most currently the debt ceiling crisis. Sadly, I don’t see one post on the page about the crisis yet again exemplifying the superficial nature of social media and political advertising.

Social Media could be a chance to raise the level of politics in that it gives almost every American access to enormous resources to educate themselves about the issues and thus engage and form more well thought out opinions. However it turns out that many use the Facebook pages to see whom their favorite celebrities are voting for rather than for a higher purpose. In the words of Alice Cooper “If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a bigger moron than they are.” It is up to the American public hold politicians to a higher standard and stop the trivialization of issues to elevate the level of politics in America and thus the nation as a whole. 

Where Did the Doctors Go?

The United States has always been known to hoard resources such as energy and power, but it surprised me to hear that healthcare is on the list as well. While our healthcare system is certainly no where near perfect, we are stealing resources, such as doctors, from other countries particularly the developing world. Despite accounting for only 10 percent of the global disease burden, the America's have 37 percent of the world's health care workers and spend more than 50 percent of the worlds healthcare budget. On the other hand Africa, which has 24 per cent of the world's disease burden, has a mere just three per cent of the world's health-care workers and accounts for less than one per cent of global health-care spending.

This graph shows the great disparity between the number of physicians in developed and developing countries. This data is old and the difference has only increased since. 

Furthermore, it is not even the case that doctors are not being trained in these countries, but rather that 25 percent of doctors and five percent of nurses trained in Africa have opted to work in developed countries. The countries who need the aid the most have been the hardest, for example Zimbabwe has lost thirty four percent of its nurses and Ghana has lost 26 percent of its doctors. But honestly, who can blame the doctors who want to go to another country where they will have a much higher success rate in patient treatment, as well as a higher standard of living for themselves and their families. 

However, this has left the citizens of these developing nations out to dry, and the World Health Organization has estimated that more than four million more health-care workers are needed in 57 countries, mostly in Africa and rural parts of Asia, to even begin to fix the medical disparity between the developed and developing world. Realistically, even with extra money for medical training and foreign doctors, it just isn't possible to have enough doctors in these developing regions, particularly in rural areas of Africa and India. Training doctors takes time, and motivating these doctors to work in these regions is tedious. Therefore, I believe that the answer lies in new information and communication technology to reform healthcare in these developing areas. Obviously doctors are irreplaceable, but amongst this shortage of doctors and exponentially growing diseased population it is imperative that technology be put in place that can act as a supplement to doctors. This technology has already touched the lives in the lesser endowed parts of the world why not apply this to healthcare as well? ICT technology will be able to reform the healthcare field particularly in developing countries where often times many treatable illnesses result in death because of a lack of communication. 

Villager taking the temperature of a rural boy in India
he will then send this information via SMS to a
doctor in a more developed part of the nation for a diagnosis
and prescription.

The concept of the Tele-Doc put into place in rural India is the idea I see as promising to reform healthcare in the developing world. TeleDoc essentially allowed village health workers in India to serve as real doctors to populations in dire need. It provided hand held mobile devices to village health workers, trained in primitive diagnostics, in India permitting them to collect information about patients and then communicate with doctors in other locations through pictures and SMS,  who could then use a web application to help diagnose and prescribe for patients.  The goal of TeleDoc was a low cost healthcare option for those areas often underserved by the healthcare system and thus better combat illness and disease in these areas. It is much cheaper to have a local villager, trained in diagnostics, collect data than a doctor go on site, thus saving thousands of dollars right there. Additionally, this will allow the doctors to help more people, more efficiently which is especially important where doctors are a scarce resource and time literally is lives. The benefits of the TeleDoc program are endless, from improved care since many of these villagers had never seen doctors in their lives, to job creation for the village. TeleDoc offers the opportunity for village men and women to earn an income by conducting basic medical help to their fellow villagers and in this way ensure that a large share of healthcare revenue remains in the local economy. It is a self-sustaining system, which will ensure its success. I think one of the most appealing parts of this system is the idea of a remote doctor. 

Research makes it plain and clear that doctors are able to diagnose many diseases from a remote location with adequate pictures and diagnostics from the site, especially when it is in an are where the disease is highly prevalent. For example, the diagnosis for malaria has clear signs that can be assessed by a doctor with the right information sent by a village professional. Thereby the patient is helped, the doctor retains a cushy lifestyle in a developed nation and a local villager is earning income from running basic diagnostics that ordinarily would require a doctor on site to perform. The TeleDoc revolutionizes the medical field in that it creates doctors out of ordinary citizens. As our speaker Jody Ranck asserted, it is clear that these basic check up procedures do not require four years of an expensive medical school and rather can be performed by the average joe with a bit of training. Many of the patients who can be helped will be those who would likely have died from simple curable diseases, and teleDoc's will also be integral in spreading awareness and prevention of diseases. This would be particularly useful to combat HIV in Africa. 

TeleDoc allows rural children access to check-ups. Teachers
can even act as pseudo-doctors.

Furthermore, I think the idea that even the poorest of countries deserve to have access to help from high quality doctors in developed countries is intriguing. Why are the poor in less developed countries deemed unworthy of good medical care. The UN has deemed healthcare a right, and it is atrocious that with the high level of technological capabilities why should we not extend the resources of the developed world to these developing countries if the cost is minuscule? My mom who is a psychiatrist in Kentucky is advocating for increased tele-medicine, where doctors video-chat with patients who can't come in physically to see them. In many of these developing countries there are millions of citizens who have gone through great trauma and psychological issues run rampant, this would be extremely useful. Specialists are especially short stocked in the developing world and through the use of video chatting victims of the genocide in Rwanda, or rape victims in India to show two examples can be helped by remotely located specialists. 

Despite the clear health benefits of this and other initiatives to minimize the use of doctors many in the medical field are hesitant. They fear that this type of impersonal medicine is a threat to the doctor patient relationship. "It essentially dehumanizes medicine"- according to one doctor who is against reforming the medical system in this way. Additionally, many bring up the point that doctors must be going to medical school for the four years for some good reason, if they could do it in less it is probably society would have changed its ways by now; however, this rule has stayed in place for decades now and has led to the creation of knowledgeable and capable doctors. I agree that the knowledge of a doctor really can't be replaced. However the workers that are trained are not trained to be doctors, they are instead merely an agent to collect information and who are collected to doctors. ALthough this is an indirect means and people may say it lacks the human touch isn't this indirect care better than no care at all? I call upon the argument that "Data is Care." The use of modern technology such as the phone makes healthcare more efficient for large quantities of people and most importantly more effective, which is profitable to patients and thus illustrates a level of caring by the medical professionals. Another argument made is that diagnoses made this way have the ability to be largely inaccurate. I agree that the methods of data collection need to be examined to be as effective as possible to ensure accuracy, however this threat of inaccuracy is no reason to abolish the idea. The solutions to the healthcare issue in developing countries is so limited as it is, every possibility to provide help to these nations should be considered, even if it bypasses the traditional scope of medicine and alters the traditional role of the medical professional.

The world will always need doctors, it is simply the type of doctor needed that will evolve. Clearly the traditional doctor patient relation is irreplaceable in some cases and it will always continue to be an integral part of society. However, medicine needs to evolve to adapt to the growing needs of the human population. Doctors need to rise to the challenge, and to the new technology that does enable us to provide effective widespread treatment if harnessed correctly. The growing population of the world needs healthcare, and to create this widespread access use of technology is imperative and inevitable. 

Information Breeds Aspiration

The power of aspiration is truly unbeatable. The hope that parents kindle of their children growing up to a better reality than themselves, and the hope shared by all kids that they will in fact be able to achieve their wildest dreams is able to drive small communities to unimaginable heights. The small north Indian town of Bihar is a quintessential example of the power of aspiration.

 When I think of Bihar India, I conjure up the traditional image of India as a toxic cloud of pollutants, a gray cloud of humidity coinciding with astronomical temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, undrinkable water, and tens of millions living on an income of less that one dollar per day. But now India has grown so much and among this great poverty exist the most modern plentitude including five star hotels, a sizable middle class, gleaming office towers, and some the of the worlds most advanced high tech firms. Bihar is a city of blaring contradictions between what exists and what could be made possible primarily through the use of technology by the masses. The gap between what many term the "two faces of India" is astute, between the haves who are journeying through Europe and providing good educations for their children, to the have nots who have barely been able to give their children two decent meals a day. Experts have studied and studied the developmental question of how to bridge the gap between these two groups and one expert Sugata Mitra believes he has found the answer: technology. He decided to tackle this technological inequality through his hole in the wall project which started in Bihar but is mirrored in cities across India and the developing world. 

The hole in the wall project is based on the theory that if computers are provided to children they will be able to teach themselves computer literacy. Mitra, essentially put a high speed computer connected to the internet in a  hole in the wall of the slum and see how kids reacted to it. The results were truly amazing in that children were making discoveries and propagating the information to other students illustrating the power peer influence on learning. Reading through articles about this project made me realize what an amazing impact that these hole in the wall computers made on society. Not only did these computers enable kids to develop computer literacy on their own, but also it gave the creators of the kiosk huge amounts of valuable real world information about how the kiosk work best and how they are actually used. 

Despite this, I believe that the power of these computers was less about teaching the children computer literacy, and more about allowing them to establish some sort of connection with the outside world beyond the slum. The computer provided a window for them to see what was possible, it allowed them to learn information about the world that there is no way they would have even had access to without technology. The computers allowed the kids to dream about the outside world, and acknowledge that there was something bigger out there beyond of the slum; it gave them each a glimmer of hope. This is why when people say, "Why are we giving these kids computers, they don't even have basic food and water," I can honestly say that the computers give something valuable to the kids almost as essential as food and water. Poverty has two definitions, there is a poverty of materials, and a poverty of information and the same method can't be used to solve the two types. It is clear that the world has spent billions of dollars over the past decade attempting to solve the issue of material poverty, and has little to show for it. Thus, it may be time that we turn our attention to the case of information poverty and provide people with the resources so that maybe in the future they will be able to solve the problem of material poverty on their own. By giving computers specifically for the use of kids it is clear that Mitra is investing in the future of the country and hopefully by providing kids with the skills they will be able to go on to come up with solutions to modern problems in the context of their own country much better than any solution thought of by an outsider. 

In India particularly there is a strong belief in the power of the education system and technological education is no different. It has always been astounding to me that my relatives who live in India, though not even middle class find a way to provide a computer for each of their sons. Their house is two rooms, my grandparents living in one and my uncle aunt and two cousins sleeping in the family room, yet in the corner of the family room sits two computers. When I asked my uncle why he would be willing to scrimp on everyday necessities to give kids their own computers, he told me confidently that the computers are the future. My investing in computers he is investing in his kids, he wanted to give each of his kids a computers so that they could develop a connection to the technology and take ownership of it. He believed that the computer is a source of inspiration about what is possible and this inspiration and aspiration is critical for success. The computers clearly have worked since my cousins are fluent in three languages and after only a year of using their computers literally know them inside out, a skill vital for success in the real world. They both dream of becoming computer science engineers and I can attest that having the computer allowed them to believe that they can do this. Additionally, I noticed that the computers became hubs for their friends as well. In only sixth grade, they all gather around the computer playing together making discoveries that benefit many of the kids in the complex. Just one computer propagates vast amounts of information across areas. Unlike food that can feed one mouth for one day, the computer creates a pool of information that can be shared my multiple people and could possibly be used in the future to feed the mouths of millions.

Therefore, developed countries need to show faith in the future of these developing countries and solve the issue of the dearth of information available in these countries. The argument is made by these countries that are they less deserving of the technology to access information? In America they are trying to provide laptops for every child to solve the education disparity that exists, but why wouldn't this strategy work in developing countries by at least providing computers to one in every ten to twenty children where results are clearly outstanding. The hole in the wall project is the first step and it needs to be expanded throughout developing nations as a leap of faith that by giving them to tools, these countries can solve their own problems.

However, a key problem that is to be noted is the gender gap in technological literacy. Oftentimes, boys have the upper hand in access to this technology even when it is just in a public place either through their own will or even the will of the community. It is essential that the developed countries providing computers do not let it widen the knowledge gap between the sexes and create a heightened sense of inequality. Rather a computer could be a tool to advance girls who are often given inferior educations and resources especially in rural communities. These computers would show girls that the world has faith in them as well, that they too should be inspired to dream big and expand their knowledge base beyond that of the slum. In one community in order to ensure girls received equal access to the hole in the wall computer, that previously was being used 85 percent of the time by boys, often on instruction of there parents, the school created different schedules for boys and girls to have their recess where the hole in the wall computer was so that the girls could in fact have the time to explore the computer in an environment where they felt safe, without the peer pressure of males. This idea could be expanded by strategically places these computers in places of high concentrations of women such as Women's Health Centers, and marketplaces. I firmly believe that technology and access is the key of creating an empowerment among women so that they themselves are able to lift themselves out of poverty. 

Additionally, computers are quite expensive the same effects may be achieved through the distribution of mobile phones, for a fraction of the price. As elucidated in the article, "Phone vs Laptop," phones may be the future of developmental technology. They are smaller than the laptop and soon will be able to store just as much information. The mobile phone provides the same outlet to the outside world as a laptop and is a more technologically advanced and economical choice. Providing mobile phones to the children of the slums may have favorable results that help not only by giving these kids one on one contact and connection with the technology, but also bringing them the future of technology.

A small hole in the wall may very well be the key to solving the most potent economic, pollution, inequality and health problems in developing country- not by providing material resources but through information and the knowledge that the world believes that if they aspire to fix their problems they will surely be able to. The power of aspiration is infinite. 

Communicating Climate Change

When looking up information concerning the growing issue of climate change on the internet one come across statistics such as, "Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) around the world since 1880, a good bit of this in recent decades" according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, or " The Arctic is feeling the consequences by far the most. Average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada and eastern Russia have written at two- fold the global average. Polar Bears and indigenous cultures are already affected by the damage this has inflicted upon the sea ice." For the average American struggling with unemployment, paying their kids college tuition and trying to finance their retirement after funds were depleted in the recent crash, these statistics mean little to nothing to them, and give them no motivation to consider climate change a serious issue that will effect them any time in the near future. In fact, according to a study by the Yale Project on Climate Change and Communication since 2010 there has been a decline in energy conservation behaviors, in a large part due to the heavy economic downturn. I was shocked to discover that despite the copious amounts of research into climate change and the alarming effects of global warming only about 40% of the total population is very worried or somewhat worried about the effects of global warming. This is in part because humans are naturally egocentric and without awareness about how it could affect their personal lives, many people just won't care.

However, as we spoke about in class the solution to climate change is different from a cure for cancer. A small group of experts who are aware of and have extensive knowledge of the problem will not be able to find the solution and fix it for everybody. Rather, it is imperative to advance public understanding and engagement with climate change science and thereby catalyze action by the general public, leaders of government, business, academia and the media to work together towards a solution. For any progress in regards to climate change to take place it is essential that the gap between climate science and climate policy be bridged; in our highly politicized world this can only take place through massive public support.

The support of the public is not won over easily and it is a plaguing question as to who exactly is in charge of communicating about science. In my opinion, it is not as much a question of who communicates about it but rather how it is framed in order to foster public acceptance. The importance of framing to activate participation from a wider, more diverse and otherwise inattentive public is highlighted in the Nisbet article. This especially applies to the issue of climate change, by looking at the issue through the framework of the economy and national security ordinary Americans will be energized and ready to take action. Looking at the need for renewable energy sources that reduce our impact on the environment as a new green initiative that will stimulate job creation is a way to encourage Americans to jump on the climate change bandwagon.

In my home state of Kentucky, many people for many years were adamant that the consequences of climate change and that they would all be dead by the time any of the negative effects affected anyone, additionally, since the coal industry is integral to the economy people were extremely reluctant to make any changes. However, studies performed at the University of Kentucky highlighted not only immediate negative health effects of the coal industry but also the potential growth in the economy that could result from the investment in green industries such as nuclear and solar power. These studies were highly publicized by the local media and were in a large part successful in changing many people's attitudes towards environmental concern. This change in attitude is in part because the new studies and news reports re-framed the issue to make it one of immediacy rather than a doomsday far in the future.

As shown in my home state, Universities are integral to enhancing communication with the general public about science. Universities are fashioned to be the sight of cooperation between multiple disciplines to bring about positive results for society.  I found that Yale University is leading the way through its Forum on climate change and the media. The online forum fosters dialogue among climate scientists, journalists, policy makers and the public, four groups that often suffer from a great disconnect. One of its most important features is providing climate scientists with practical insight on how to inform the public about climate change- this cooperation between all sectors is exactly what needs to be seen in forums around the country. It allows journalists to take a complicated scientific concept, realize its broader implications for society and effectively convey this to the public who are eager for increased information.

It is not the issue that the public chooses to be ignorant about problems, but rather than they are not presented with the problems in a way that allows them to recognize their necessity and significance. The US government should take a lesson from Yale University in the way that it portrays the issue of climate change on the website for the conference in Copenhagen. Although the conference was meant to energize and stimulate people internationally about the importance of environmental reform to combat climate change I saw the website as a list of articles that no one would really take the time to read, and the articles themselves made broad abstract statements about cutting fuel emissions that mean little to nothing to the general public. It is the responsibility of the US government to highlight the economic ramifications of environmental initiatives especially in this time of economic peril. For example, illustrating the hand in hand nature of our deplorable economic situation and excessive dependence on oil I have no doubt will energize the public.

Once environmental issues are no longer presented as abstract concepts, by way of journalists and policy makers understanding the issues and how they relate to public life, I am sure that the public will take initiative and allow and facilitate implementation of effective reform. 

Citizen Journalists saving Journalism

The Internet and other communication technologies have revolutionized journalism, transforming it into a media imperceptible to the journalism of forty years ago. The Internet has enabled millions of people all over the world to gain instant access to copious amounts of news, media, entertainment and general information in the blink of an eye. However, more importantly, it has empowered the common person to share their own personal account of the world with millions of other ordinary citizens grasping for some truth in the whirlwind of information they are bombarded with on a daily basis. The rise of citizen journalism is one of the hallmark achievements of the 21st century.

However, for this to be possible it is integral that the Internet is truly a source of free exchange, where all of the information including unpleasant particulars, are present online for the people to read and evaluate as they wish. I never before realized what a luxury it was to have access to any amount of information I wanted online, and then be able to blog, tweet, comment or post my own views about it without the government previewing and editing what they will. But then when I thought about it again, I realized it is not a luxury; It is a right. People all over the world should have the right to freedom of information and freedom of speech. Just as economists would say that free trade is imperative to world economic prosperity, I would say that the free flow of information is an equally important step to protect the freedom and basic rights of citizens internationally in our ever-globalizing world. However, a major issue remains that some of the emerging world leaders are trying to put a halt to this free flow of information; most potently China. 

I recently read an article, posted below, regarding China's censorship barriers that last till this day. It is preposterous to think that an emerging superpower could still practice such arcane methods of trying to control and limit the freedoms of its citizens and that the world can stand by idly and watch and big world corporations can collaborate with the practice. In the midst of the Japanese nuclear crisis Chinese government propaganda officials banned independent reporting of possible radioactive contamination from Japan’s stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. This directive represented more that just a single instance of censorship, but rather represents a larger ideal of the Chinese government that the press and media should be used for their purposes rather than the purpose of the common people; the Chinese government do not consider the media an independent entity, but rather a larger arm of the government to target people and achieve their own aims. They justify this system to the world by claiming that it promotes "harmony" and "stability" within the country. However, the facts speak for themselves, the system of censorship is a clear violation of their own constitution that explicitly allows for freedom of speech and the press.

 I am in shock that the world has not been up in arms, as they were when Mubarak shut down the Internet earlier this year. However, in China when Egyptian protesters spilled into Cairo’s Tahir Square in January 2011 to demand democracy and respect for human rights, China’s censors responded by blocking keyword searches of the word “Egypt.” The Chinese were not even allowed to know that others were in uproar about the denial of the same rights that were not extended to them and they took without questions. Not only does China's censorship policies infringe the human rights of the people of China by denying them access to information that could possibly reform their way of life and pave the way for a better future. But it also masks the many other human rights atrocities that could be going on in their country from the rest of the world. Consequently the rest of the world has chosen to turn the other cheek and accept China's facade about moving towards a more democratic nation. Even mainstream companies such as Facebook that we envision as a champion of free speech here in the USA have caved to the demands of the Chinese government and allow them to dictate the terms of censorship. The apparent willingness of countries to lower their standards on basic human dignities brings me to my next point: the importance of the emerging citizen journalists.

Unlike companies, government and current large media conglomerates citizen journalists are the sole entity that are able to work without the barrier of economic interests holding them back, and thus oftentimes can give a much more reliable picture of the conditions in the world. According to the readings, 72 percent of Americans agree that the major news organizations are biased in their coverage, often times only covering the stories that they think people want to hear, leaving out the important knock out news. For example, the organization that I am working with this summer GoodWeave International sent independent journalists to Nepal and India to uncover the true conditions of child laborers in these countries. What they found shocking, and it clearly needed to be shared with the world. Although, at first they attempted to go through the major news outlets they were severely disappointed with the reluctance they were met with the air the "faces of freedom" video that the independent journalist shot. This reluctance comes from the journalistic elitism of many of the news organizations, but GoodWeave was not deterred and instead posted the videos online for all to see, with an overwhelming response from the public. This situation exemplifies the triumph of the citizen journalist in the new age of information and the necessity that everyone report on what is going on around them and about causes that they believe in even if they are swept over and ignored by the mainstream media, this does not mean they will be ignored by the world. The new Internet age propagates information all over the world, and should be world-wide, free for all to receive and spread information so that citizen journalists can overcome government limitation, economic motivations and political bias to deliver the real truth to the world.

Link to Article:

http://wpfd2011.org/targeting-chinas-media-censorship-barriers