[Reader-list] Press Release: FOSS infrastructure for Open Digital Villages Development

[Fouad Riaz Bajwa]

Press Release: 
http://www.ifossf.org/news/foss_infrastructure_for_open_digital_villages_dev
elopment 

FOSS infrastructure for Open Digital Villages (ODiVs):

iFOSSF and oneVillage Foundation Partner to Create a Difference

April 10, 2007 San Jose CA USA - oneVillage Foundation has partnered with
the International Free and Open Source Software Foundation (iFOSSF) on
efforts to develop "Telecenter Portals and Applications." OVF believes that
iFOSSF's knowledge and vision is vital to the development of its Open
Digital Villages (ODiVs), the first of which will be in Winneba, Ghana
(WODiV).

Background: OVF staff helped organized and participated in the AirJaldi
Summit in Dharamsala, India in Oct. 06, which showcased one of the largest
wireless networks in the world - The Dharamsala Wireless Mesh. At the event,
low-cost wireless mesh network technology including cantennas (about
antennas made out of cans) was tested. The Wireless Roadshow Workshop also
enabled participants to discuss plans for organizing events to promote
wireless connectivity around the WODiV including the WSFIIAfrica2007 Summit,
planned for later this year in Winneba.

The local Linux User Group (Winneba Linux User Group - WiLUG) is playing a
key role in the development of the WODiV. In December of last year, WiLUG
volunteers received their first Drupal open source training as well as a
series of other trainings increasing awareness of Linux and FOSS. oneVillage
Ghana, in collaboration with the University of Education Winneba Ghana
(UEW), Wireless Ghana and other institutions has been developing a plan for
a WiMax backbone and WiFi mesh local distribution system to serve a region
with two other towns and a population of 105,000.


Converging the Networks:

- Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) offers benefits for people in
developing countries including facilitating access to and increasing
ownership of ICT for Human Development; 

- Community Wireless Networks is changing the way we see and share
information by promoting the development of economically sustainable local
wireless networks; 

- Sustainable technology "Bioneers" are developing new appropriate
technologies to empower local people economically and socially without
degrading and destroying the environment.


WODiV Goals:

- Develop portal infrastructure that can be replicated to other communities;


- Promote access and develop confidence in FOSS applications by identifying
and integrating applicable 
- ICT4SD FOSS tools for each region; 

- Provide FOSS training and job skill development, training students on how
to use for their own and their community's empowerment; 

- Operate as model for rapidly replicating booming multimedia ICT training
facility/social enterprises; 

- Provide center for youth & people all ages to learn basic & advanced ICT
skills; 

- Promote sustainable human habitats and production systems;


What is an Open Digital Village?
The (WODiV) is being designed to be a practical example and best practice of
what FOSS can do as part of a Holistic ICT for Sustainable Development
(ICT4SD) strategy. ODiVs Provide educational training in both business and
technical aspects and information technology services to government, health
centers, and private enterprise, and include the following main components:

- Local Portal to enable access throughout the network and the development
of local support services to facilitate rapid ICT development; 

- Local wireless network to enable low cost connectivity in the region; 

- Community center for trainings, ICT services and community meetings. 

The WODiV will use UEW as a focused leverage point for coordinating the
efforts of graduating student teachers participating in program. Once the
Winneba facility is fully established, this program will be replicated
throughout Ghana as the teachers graduate and are deployed to outlying rural
regions. In terms of scalability, WODiV is the first step in a more
comprehensive Multipurpose Community & Unity Center (UCs) Development Model
that will be put in place in Winneba. UCs such as the one planned in
Winneba, will offer educational and research services, eventually expanding
to incubate ICT & green technologies to promote sustainable economic
development in each region where the centers are located.

Areas of Collaboration: On business and partnership network development,
iFOSSF will serve as the Research & Development arm for OVF on technology
development, while OVF will focus on marketing, business opportunity and end
user requirements identification, including:

- Research on issues & technologies related to ICT4SD; 

- Develop human capacity to use, customize, localize, develop and service
FOSS applications; 

- Develop assets-based approach as a practical model of improving collective
human intelligence to effectively address world urgent issues; 

- Improve quality of life in the communities of focus through the
implementation of ICT best practices that most directly impact and improve
people's lives on a practical level; 

The Methodology: A Complete Ecosystem Approach to Sustainable Development:
Centers will operate as connection points/portals to connect both online and
offline activities into one seamless global network for sustainability
development. Key to this process is facilitating local/global exchanges of
information and collection that are relevant to local needs. This
methodology for WODiV will be a assets-based approach called the oneVillage
Foundation Initiative and will eventually be replicated in other areas as
relevant to OVF and iFOSSF's mission and focus.

Field agents will collect, analyze and then post refined content on the web
suitable for distribution in our networks both locally and globally. They
will be backed up by a global network of innovators in the sustainability
and IT fields as well as other appropriate sectors and fields. ODiVs will
stimulate culturally and socially appropriate knowledge exchanges between
participating communities and networks.

The following practices will enhance the capacity of communities and
networks to cope and creatively address challenging issues, fulfilling both
organizations' missions to implement collective intelligence:

- Promote ICT and sustainable development research in the field; 

- Collect network content to develop local knowledge portal 

- Collect local content relevant to global network 

Desired Outcome of Partnership: Demonstrate on a practical level through the
WODiV that many disciplines and fields play a vital role in stimulating the
movement towards sustainability. These often disparate approaches will be
converged to facilitate a larger collective effort of people collaborating
and working together to harness their own talent and capacities while
serving and reinforcing the collective good of humanity.

Download: OVF-iFOSSF Partnership Press Release 04/06/07

For More Information:

- About iFOSSF contact Jenny Huang Hsueh: jenny  {at} ifossfoundation.org 

- About OVF and the WODiV contact Jeff Buderer Program Development Manager:
mailto: jeff {at} onevillagefoundation.org