Subject: The Ghana Computer Literacy and Distance Education Conference
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Funding for African content on the internet; funding for the recognition
of african expertise. 

1. The Ghaclad conference was indeed a big success on many fronts.

2.  The balance of papers do not provide adequate African female
representation. 

3.  This is no fault of the conference organisers - they did their bit by
placing the organisation of the event on the internet. 

4. Not to have a major 'distance education in Africa' player there is a
problem - and the African virtual university is a major player. 

5. Not to have appropriate levels of funding for the incorporation of
African expertise at an event held in Africa is a problem - and it is
unambiguously a donors' problem. 

6. Unless an african content for the internet and for education on the
internet is developed, Africa will be faced once again with paradigms
developed outside of its boundaries which inadequately chart its
specificities and which are difficult to challenge. 

7. The danger of external experts framing African reality without genuine
African input into the internet are large.  South Africa and its prodder
network does an excellent job - but similar facilities need to be
developed for other african venues, locations and communities. 

8.  Post Beijing donors should be sensitive to the need to ensure African
women are appropriately represented and funded for technical meetings.  In
all honesty, it is difficult to see precisely what the logistic hold up
is. Stating the obvious really should not be so controversial. 

9.  In response to the posting on Ghaclad, I've received mail which states
that there is a need to stroke the donors in order to obtain funding and
not to castigate them.  Unless the donors are at an event, they can not
see for themselves.  My objective is to provide honest feed back - neither
stroking or castigation are on the agenda.  Progress must be. 

Margaret Grieco
Professor of Organisation and Development Management,
The Business School,
University of North London