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From: debray@sbcs.UUCP (Saumya Debray)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.misc
Subject: Re: RFC: Software as Foreign Aid ?
Message-ID: <395@sbcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Jun-83 18:53:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: sbcs.395
Posted: Mon Jun 20 18:53:21 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jun-83 02:22:58 EDT
References: ut-ngp.353
Lines: 26


An interesting idea. The question that has to be answered is, how relevant
will this aid be?

Software is useful in information-intensive situations. Most countries that
really *rely* on foreign aid are a long way from this. Their needs are,
essentially, aids to ease the transition from predominantly agrarian/nomadic
lifestyles to more balanced ones with a strong industrial base. One
important factor in this transition is education, and I think CAI could be
useful here; this type of software might be good foreign aid; I'm doubtful
whether other types of software would be very useful.

Another point to be remembered is that in technologically underdeveloped
societies beginning to develop industrially, unemployment is generally
high (as machines begin to take over tasks that used to require a lot of
manpower), and under such conditions computers and automation are regarded
with hostility by the general populace (because one computer can replace
whole offices full of people). In order for aid to be useful, it has to be
popularly accepted.

On the plus side, software, unlike other forms of aid, probably cannot be
easily diverted for the profit of corrupt officials.


Saumya Debray
...philabs!sbcs!debray