[governance] ITU Broadband Commission

[michael gurstein]

Hi Roland,

I don't think the issue is that doing something is better than doing nothing
but rather about doing the the right thing (or the better thing) from the
beginning and not having to undo or correct mistakes down the road. 

In the development sphere pretty anyone who has any experience on the ground
will tell you more or less the same thing--unless you engage/enable the
folks at the grassroots not a whole lot of "development" (for them) will
occur.

M

-----Original Message-----
From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org
[mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Roland Perry
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 8:32 AM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
Subject: Re: [governance] ITU Broadband Commission


In message <33BAC3EB6BA04617ABA4FC2899427A93 at UserVAIO>, at 06:58:46 on 
Mon, 9 Apr 2012, michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> writes
>FWIW, Lee I should point out that I'm quite critical of the
>conventional ICT4D approach(es) for precisely the same reasons as I'm 
>critical of the BBC... while perhaps having an effect in realizing some 
>degree of "development" overall they do little if anything to actually 
>achieve a greater degree of social and economic equality within a 
>society and in many if not most instances actually have the effect of 
>increasing inequalities in developing countries i.e. accelerating the 
>advantages of those who already possess certain social and economic 
>advantages while having some sort of "a raise all the boats" effect on the
rest

It's a fact of life that many organisations spend a lot of their effort 
in situations best described as: "Something must be done - this is 
something - we must do it".

Conversely, it can be hard to justify sitting around doing nothing, just 
because the perfect plan has yet to emerge.

Indeed, students are taught that one of the reasons the USA prospers at 
the expense of Europe is because they are more willing to "have a go" 
and produce an inevitably flawed v1 product, ahead of a slightly better 
v2 and a vaguely acceptable v3 (which is the first one any sensible 
person buys). Compared to the Europeans who by that stage are still 
trying to perfect the v1, and are running out of money because they 
haven't sold a single one.
-- 
Roland Perry



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