Charlie, Indeed, the $100 Laptop initiative targets some of the poorest countries in the world and indeed there are human rights, social problems, and health crises that need as much or more attention...but let's be careful of 'throwing the baby out with the bath water', in essence saying that a continent is somehow unworthy of joining the technologically enabled world due to current problems, racial demographics, or geography. ----- Original Message ----- From: Charlie Breindahl <charlie.breindahl@gmail.com> Date: Monday, October 3, 2005 6:35 am Subject: Re: RE: [Air-l] Fwd: [school-discuss] $100.00 laptop

I agree. Still, the stereotype might apply to a large proportion of Africancountries and even the rest of the world's poorest countries. Poor as in "selling your child into slavery so that the child can at least survive"poor. Under such circumstances, I just don't see the kid proudly toting a brand-new laptop strolling down the street to school. Denise has a goodpoint (and so has Radhika). It is very, very unlikely that those laptops are going to do much good for the kids they were intended for.

Best, Charlie

On 10/3/05, Paul Chenoweth <chenowethp@mail.belmont.edu> wrote:

...

Denise, Ouch! I do not doubt your experience in Africa, however, your

comment> sounds like a terribly generalised condemnation of an entire continent.

...

Paul

--

Charlie Breindahl External Lecturer University of Copenhagen + IT University of Copenhagen

Web: http://staff.hum.ku.dk/hitch/ Phone: +45 35 32 81 14 Mobile: +45 51 92 15 98 E-mail: hitch@hum.ku.dk

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