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[edit] ODiV Telecenter Websites
Please see also ODiV Telecenter Websites
[edit] Intro
Open Digital Villages (ODiVs) operate as hubs hosting the like-minded actions to engage the grassroots in the communities where they are located. The current development of the Winneba Open Digital Village in Ghana acts as the prototype and flagship of this movement. With the direction of Open Source Software, Open Hardware and appropriate ICT devices researches and adoption rapidly emerging, we are positioning ourselves to integrate these ICT services to enable rapid growth in the communities that embrace this approach.
We have found a clear and focused way to implement our vision through this effort and the method being embraced by Africa Continent supported by orgs like IDRC (Canadian national development agency, Meraka Institute and also the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD).
The basic idea that is the foundation for OVF is that whole system thinking and engaging people with hands-on experiences in each field would help us develop innovative and meaningful services delivered through ODiVs with a human capacity building process.
Open Digital Villages ODiVs are envisioned as the first stage in the Multipurpose Community & Unity Center (UC) model.
[edit] What do ODiVs do?
An Open Digital Village (ODiV) is a telecenter that promotes local community oriented wireless networks, open source and open content technologies and approaches. The vision of the ODiV is to bring the key components together to rapidly bridge the digital divide in underserved communities. This Open Digital Village Knowledge Base (ODiV-KB), seeks promote a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to learning, living and constructing sustainable human habitats.
- A Open Digital Village could be seen as a social enterprise dedicated to the furtherance of open source and open collaboration values. Similar to FLOSS ventures like OpenMoko it seeks to integrate Open Source values into a sustainable business model.
- Duplicate that approach to communities like Winneba (and even smaller and more rural communities in Ghana, Africa and around the world).
This is space to develop the components of ODiV in a way consistent with the Open Learning and Development practices of Wikimedia and WikiEducator (OERs). This site is the center for the development of the content, process and infrastructure for the development and replication of ODiVs.
- Software system designed to present free and open content dedicated to promoting the holistic ICT approach as being practiced in the ODiV development;
- Human network and field agent development guide for the ODiVs;
- Wireless network development information used in ODiV;
- Suitable open source solutions for the ODiV development;
- Key problem areas that are common to the developing countries and possible solutions.
[edit] Contribute:
Share with us your good ideas and suggestions:
- Share and discuss them in the 1Village discussion group;
- Post and tell stories about them in ODiV and Holistic ICT blogs.
- Add to the lessons learned at the ODiV wiki (ODiV knowledgebase).
- Add your bio to the Wiki Users list.
The idea people often say in Silicon Valley is to: "eat your own dogfood..." Well basically this means to be truly successful one needs to find solutions that we ourselves can master and work together to train others to learn how to do.
Lets test them out and see what we can come up with to make this vision and concept real.
[edit] Vision/Theme:
Building on the momentum of similar and previous efforts we believe the key to addressing the African conundrum is through community scale development strategies. Through the creation of a Open Digital Village ODiV, we want to create better ways of living and give the underprivileged the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.
[edit] Concept:
oneVillage Foundation has invested its resources in the formation of networks in Africa with the goal of creating centers to facilitate effective ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) augmented sustainable development programs. The ODiV will when fully developed refine techniques and processes for effective deployment of the technologies. This includes a complementary process that also evaluates the technologies themselves for their usability, applicability and performance in relation to each [region of intervention] as consistent with OVF vision and mission. Such a process will maximize the potential of technology for local use. These processes will be guided by the oneVillage Foundation Initiative (OVI).
The [[ODiV-KB portal] aims to encourage the convergence of resources relating to the practical application of sustainable technologies in emerging markets that includes the development of training and research centers. Through this process we will encourage the importance of setting effective IT strategies to gather, process and organize information relevant to designing sustainable human habitats as well as to properly manage ICT resources to minimize ewaste and energy consumption through the use of sustainable strategies that include energy conservation measures as well as renewable energy such as wind, biogas and solar.
ODiVs will incubate social enterprise ventures, evolving the successful practices that led to the growth in the influence of the Open Source movement in the software community.
Local Field Agents will assist in the development of an ODiV-KB that aspires to provide well researched and compelling best practices in the sustainable development field. The effectiveness of the Internet will be maximized by ensuring a clear planning and evaluation process for doing research and using resources (both human and physical resources) wisely.
[edit] Key Components of ODiV Concept:
- Radio - Often neglected as an ICT radio can provide the dissemination of knowledge at very low cost to the Last Mile. Sidarec's Ghetto Radio project in Kenya being led by George Onyango offers a model approach that can bring important services to urban slums.
- Wireless Networks
- Open Source/FLOSS - See also Field Agent Toolsets
- Open Educational Resources (for open and distance learning)
- Affordable Computing
[edit] Rationale
The need for comprehensive development strategies is increasingly evident in our initial region of focus, Africa, as well as worldwide. A key problem is the lack of locally appropriate and relevant knowledgebases to provide awareness of potential practical and low cost steps to solve these problems and to do so in an integrated way that brings the various development sectors together to foster cooperation, while reducing competition and the redundancy of services.
To address the lack of coordination of groups and integration of technologies, the ODIV KB is designed to map out solutions that address core problem areas common in developing countries, It will do this by augmenting local resources to ensure locally appropriate programs that can effectively address local needs.
The core problem areas common to all developing countries include the:
- Lack of adequate infrastructure often affects the flow of reliable information and services that are vital to the effectiveness of development strategies;
- Lack of a clear and comprehensive development plan which hinders the effectiveness of grants and investments as well limits their long term impact;
- Lack of communication services to enable clear communications both to access information about best practices from the Internet as well as to coordinate strategies and share information between local and regional institutions.
- Lack of healthy drinking water and sanitary sewers reduces GDP/productivity and life expectancy while increasing health care costs;
- Lack of development strategies that can address urgent needs without destroying and further degrading the environment;
Within the UN MDGs program, it is noted that one of the core problems of existing development strategies relates to uncoordinated, disparate and often competing development frameworks and programs. We believe ODiV-KB is a compelling alternative approach to provide knowledge, to make informed development decisions as relevant to the ODiV areas of focus.
[edit] Methodology:
Project will operate along the lines of a Assets Based approach identifying needs and designs systems that address those needs in a highly integrated, encouraging local self-reliance and cultivating this through a process of bootstrapping and self-empowerment.
oneVillage Initiative is the Assets Based Community Development process by which we sequence development to address community needs.
This complete ecosystem approach and feedback loop ensures accountability to stakeholders in the process, while considering local needs in the creation of any content.
Holistic ICT is the component of OVI that promotes an expanded understanding ICT4D considering the integration of ICT as an enabler of the key components of a community oriented sustainable development approach (Holistic for EcoLiving).
Once the project reaches a critical mass at the local level, it can then be scaled at a regional level. Specifically this includes use ICT to promote sustainability with this regional network (EcoLiving Zone).
[edit] Goals:
- Disseminate compelling technologies to improve the pace and sustainability of development;
- Inspire people to act in ways that benefit the collective interest of their communities, regions and humanity;
- Integrate global best practices into ODiV-KB that highlights a comprehensive approach to sustainable development;
- Develop program so local input is considered in the development of the ODiV-KB;
- Foster online communications between communities and organizations interested in using and developing the ODiV-KB to gain knowledge, share experiences, identify common patterns and add relevant information to refine the best practices featured;
- Educate ODiV-KB users about the need to promote sustainable development;
- Use ODiV-KB to lay the foundation for more extensive field deployments that include the deployment of the technologies featured in the ODiV-KB.
- Serve as a center for youth to learn basic technology skills, software applications and share best practices.
- Demonstrate ODiVs as hubs that expedites the process of replicating sustainable human habitats and production systems to other parts of the world: Information and Communications
- Compliment and support the national human capacity development efforts by building a platform to absorb and develop individual talents and contributions using ICT, for the realization of Ghana's vision.
- Operate as model for rapidly replicating booming multimedia ICT training facility/social enterprises.
- Promote access and develop confidence in Open Source Software applications.
[edit] Target Groups:
This project is to be multi-stakeholder partnership involving college and k-12 students, NGOs and the private sector as well as local and national government officials.
[edit] Evaluation
The assessment and evaluation process of the ODiV-KB will include community stakeholders who will be invited into the process through a series of meetings conducted at local community centers. The assessment will be used to help determine how the ODiV-KB should be development and will also evaluate the practical usefulness of the tool at the end of the implementation process. Periodic assessments of the program will be conducted through the selection of a review team composed of local community leaders and global sustainability experts to provide recommendations for the further development of this project.
[edit] Geographical Strategy
The current region of intervention is focused on Ghana. We plan to set up a Open Digital Village in Winneba Ghana. Winneba Ghana is a university town with a population of 55,000 and a total metropolitan population of 88,000-150,000 people (depending on the area included).
Over the next several years we hope to expand its presence to other regions:
[edit] Sustainability
ODIV's will move towards financial self-sustainability by building its research programs around the formation of commercially successful businesses such as for example a cybercafe/printshop. This initial core business model may be expanded into various ICT related technical service sectors.
Additional financing may be used to develop a Micro Finance Program that will not only offer loans to small businesses committed in the Winneba but also offer a incubation center that will provide services for small business incubation in the region.
Possible ventures:
[edit] Related Projects & Research
- Open Pattern Project - A Comprehensive Modular Routing Platform - The idea is to design open source modular platforms for various hardware configs including routers. Mailing-lists and code repository are kept open to encourage people to contribute to develop the project.
- OpenMoko - Similar to Open Pattern Project mentioned above - develop an “open cell phone” with several radio interfaces (GSM, Wi-Fi…) allowing the end-users to develop
their own applications on top of the hardware.
- Netequity - A social enterprise focused on bottom-up internet connectivity services. Business model still in development, pilots developed in Portland and built around the Meraki Mini Router.
- DigitalWorld - Forum on Accessible and Inclusive ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is a FP7 European project focuses on the use of ICT to leverage economic development in Africa and Latin America.
