Geekcorps

Last updated
A Geekcorps volunteer setting up a Wi-Fi antenna in Mali Geekcorps Mali.jpg
A Geekcorps volunteer setting up a Wi-Fi antenna in Mali
A Malian man writes an article ("Wisdom") for the Fula language Wikipedia in the Geekcorps Mali headquarters. Aliu Amadu Jallo working on the first article for ff wp-1.jpg
A Malian man writes an article ("Wisdom") for the Fula language Wikipedia in the Geekcorps Mali headquarters.

Geekcorps is a non-profit organization that sends people with technical skills to developing countries to assist in computer infrastructure development. [1] [2]

Contents

The non-profit was created in 2000 by Ethan Zuckerman and Elisa Korentayer in North Adams, Massachusetts. [3] In 2001 Geekcorps became a division of the International Executive Service Corps located in Washington, D.C. [4]

Creation

After a visit to a Ghana library by Zuckerman in 1993, the lack of up-to-date resources available prompted him to create Geekcorps years later. Humanitarian and banker Elisa Korentayer became co-founder of Geekcorps due to the organization's need of financial wisdom. [3] In effort to increase access to current information and bridge the digital divide in developing nations Zuckerman, and associates from his now bought out internet company tripod, funded most of the $350,000 budget for Geekcorps' first year.

Major projects

Ghana

Starting September 2000, with 6 volunteers selected from over 200 applicants, Geekcorps first mission was in Accra, Ghana. Co-founder Zuckerman was already familiar with the infrastructure of Ghana. Zuckerman stated, "The government has relatively liberal telecommunications and investment policies, making it possible for IT businesses to be built there." [5] Geekcorps initial focus in Ghana was assisting companies in the capital city Accra with its IT expertise. Geekcorps had an understanding with local businesses, after receiving help, the businesses involved were to help the locals with their newfound resources. Initial challenges for Geekcorps were communication and teaching skills needed by volunteers, and reliance on outdated programming languages for local businesses. [5] Geekcorps involvement led to innovations such as a new java based payment system for local businesses in Ghana. [4] Geekcorps was also instrumental in the creation of Ghana's internet exchange point in 2005. [6]

Mali

Initial assistance in Mali came from the CMRT (Community Mobilization through Radio Technology) program sponsored by USAID. Under CMRT, Geekcorps installed 5 radio stations to enable local communication through the area. Later under another program Radio for Peace Building, Geekcorps installed another 11 stations, and renovations were done to older existing stations. [7]

Geekcorps set up ICT stations in less populated areas of Mali in 2006. These stations were updated by a memory stick delivered from a computer center with internet access in Ouelessebougou. Although this allowed many rural locations access to specific web resources, such as web pages and digital media, due to lack of interest the program was modified after a year. Yearly updates to more desired information such as Moulin, a French version of Wikipedia, became the focus. [8]

Intel partnership and OLPC astroturf controversy

In 2007 Geekcorps Director Wayan Vota was accused of disparaging the OLPC project through a "OLPC News" website without disclosing Geekcorps' promotion of Intel's rival laptop, the Classmate PC and Microsoft's Windows XP. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

Global digital divide Global disparities in regards to access to computing and information resources

The global digital divide describes global disparities, primarily between developed and developing countries, in regards to access to computing and information resources such as the Internet and the opportunities derived from such access. As with a smaller unit of analysis, this gap describes an inequality that exists, referencing a global scale.

Information and communications technology Extensional term for information technology

Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications and computers, as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage and audiovisual, that enable users to access, store, transmit, understand and manipulate information.

One Laptop per Child Non-profit initiative

One Laptop per Child (OLPC) was a non-profit initiative established with the goal of transforming education for children around the world; this goal was to be achieved by creating and distributing educational devices for the developing world, and by creating software and content for those devices. After disappointing sales, the foundation shut down in 2014.

Ethan Zuckerman American media scholar, blogger and Internet activist

Ethan Zuckerman is an American media scholar, blogger, and Internet activist. He was the director of the MIT Center for Civic Media, and Associate Professor of the Practice in Media Arts and Sciences at MIT until May 2020, and the author of the 2013 book Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection, which won the Zócalo Book Prize. In 2020, he became an associate professor of public policy, communication and information at the University of Massachusetts.

The mass media in Mali includes print, radio, television, and the Internet.

The Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) trade association's Children's Machine (XO), which has a similar target market. Although made for profit, the Classmate PC is considered an Information and Communication Technologies for Development project (ICT4D). Introduced in 2006, the device falls into the then popular category of netbooks.

The VIA pc-1 Initiative is a project of VIA Technologies, established in January 2005, to help bridge the digital divide by developing information and communication technology (ICT) systems to benefit those who currently do not have computers or Internet access.

ICVolunteers

ICVolunteers is an international non-profit organization (federation) active in the field of communications, in particular cybervolunteerism, languages and conference support. ICVolunteers works with volunteers to implement social and educational programs in order to help populations and local communities to develop. Through volunteer effort, it cooperates with organizations in the humanitarian, social, environmental and medical fields to implement projects and conferences at local, national and international levels. In addition, ICVolunteers promotes volunteerism and its recognition, by enhancing civic commitment and involvement, and by providing leadership and links between organizations, individuals and communities. With its headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland), ICVolunteers has offices and permanent representation in a number of other countries, including France, South Africa, Mali, Spain, Brazil and Canada. Work of ICVolunteers began in 1997.

Open Learning Exchange Nepal is a social benefit organization working to increase access to education through the integration of technology. Founded in 2007, the organization aims to increase the quality of education through the creation of open-source digital learning activities combined with teacher training.

Inveneo

Inveneo is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in San Francisco with focus on Information and Communication Technologies for organizations supporting underserved communities in the developing world, mostly in Africa. The organization has developed an ultra low-powered computer, called the Inveneo Computing Station, as well as a VoIP-enabled unit called the Inveneo Communication Station, and a hub server, all of which are designed to run on a 12-volt power supply. The Inveneo Computing and Communication Stations were originally based on a reference design ION A603 mini PC by First International Computer and run AMD Geode CPU.

NetCorps was a volunteer-organizing coalition consisting of nine Canadian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and managed by the NetCorps coordination unit. Through the program, the organizations created international information and communication technologies (ICT) internships in developing countries around the world. Interns typically participated in six-month programs, leaving between August and November for host organizations in the placement countries. Positions were limited to 19–30-year-old Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who had "appropriate information and communication technologies skills". Typical duties included creating webpages, developing databases, computer networking, setting up hardware, preparing manuals and other documentation, and general-to-advanced computer instruction.

Energy For Opportunity

Energy For Opportunity (EFO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of solar energy across the West African Region. They provide solar energy to off-grid families, schools, organizations, and communities in Sierra Leone, Benin, and Mali.

Computer technology for developing areas is often through the donation of technology to developing areas. Many institutions, government, charitable, and for-profit organizations require technology development often involving hardware or software design, and the coordination of donors, distributors, and deployers. Technical development overlaps with the fields of technical training, maintenance and support.

Geeks Without Bounds is a humanitarian organization of technologists, first responders, policymakers, and volunteers that work towards improving access to communication and technology. With a focus on working with communities that have limited infrastructure due to violence, negligence, or catastrophe, they organize hackathons for humanitarian technology, and help prototype projects intended to turn into long-term initiatives through their Accelerator for Humanitarian Projects.

World Computer Exchange (WCE) is a United States and Canada based charity organization whose mission is "to reduce the digital divide for youth in developing countries, to use our global network of partnerships to enhance communities in these countries, and to promote the reuse of electronic equipment and its ultimate disposal in an environmentally responsible manner." According to UNESCO, it is North America's largest non-profit supplier of tested used computers to schools and community organizations in developing countries.

New media in Ghana Communications topics of Ghana

The use of new media in Ghana like elsewhere is growing. The Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector, which is based on a free market approach, has promoted new media use. Most popular aspects of new media to Ghanaians is the Internet, and its associated mobile and desktop applications for education, health, politics, business, publishing, governance and so on. Also popular is the use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets and computers.

Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration Public university school in Greenhill, Accra, Ghana

The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) is a public co-educational university spread over four campuses and made up of six schools, ten research centers located at Greenhill in Accra, Ghana. The location of GIMPA, Greenhill, was named by Nicholas T. Clerk who served as the Rector of the Institute from 1977 to 1982. The name, "Greenhill", is a reference to the lush greenery and hilly topography of the main campus, as well as its location in Legon which was historically on the periphery of the Ghanaian capital, Accra. Together with 200 state institutions, GIMPA successfully participated in a Public Sector Reform Programme under the auspices of the World Bank and became a self-financing institution as part of the National Institutional Reform Programme in 2001. It was established as a public university by an Act of Parliament in 2004. The institute was established in 1961 by the Government of Ghana with assistance from the United Nations Special Fund Project and was initially called the Institute of Public Administration, intended as a specialist training graduate school for civil servants in Ghana. Today, GIMPA offers bachelor's, master's and executive master's degree programmes in business administration, entrepreneurship, law, public administration, development management, governance, leadership and technology.

Educational technology in sub-Saharan Africa refers to the promotion, development and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), m-learning, media, and other technological tools to improve aspects of education in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1960s, various information and communication technologies have aroused strong interest in sub-Saharan Africa as a way of increasing access to education, and enhancing its quality and fairness.

Accra Technical Training Center (ATTC) is a technical/vocational institution in Accra, Ghana.

References

  1. ↑ Yaukey, John (March 26, 2002). "Geekcorps spread computer skills worldwide". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  2. ↑ "Non-Profit Sends Tech Skills to Africa". ABC News. January 7, 2006. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  3. 1 2 "A Techie Volunteer Corps". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  4. 1 2 Haqqani, Abdul Basit (2005). The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Global Development: Analyses and Policy Recommendations. United Nations Publications. ISBN   9789211045321.
  5. 1 2 Inc, InfoWorld Media Group (2001-07-23). InfoWorld. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.
  6. ↑ "Geekcorps: A Peace Corps for techies". CNET. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  7. ↑ "ICT & Applied Technologies". IESC. Archived from the original on 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  8. ↑ Nightingale, Katherine. "Rural Internet Goes by Road". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  9. ↑ Blizzard, Christopher. "conspiracy theories about olpcnews?". Invisible Sandwich. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2018-09-28.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.