[liberationtech] Fwd: [liberation-techology] Liberation Technology Seminar Series- Feb 10, 2011

Tue Feb 8 20:20:09 PST 2011

Michael sent the following email to the list, which seems to have bounced
for some unexplained reason.  Here it is again.

Best,

YC

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Subject: RE: [liberation-techology] Liberation Technology Seminar Series-
Feb 10,2011
To: ciresearchers at vancouvercommunity.net,
ci-research-sa at vancouvercommunity.net
Cc: Kathleen Barcos <kbarcos at stanford.edu>,
liberation-techology at lists.stanford.edu, CDDRL <
cddrlresearchseminar at lists.stanford.edu>, Yosem Company <
companys at stanford.edu>, Knight's Fellowship Program <degarcia at stanford.edu>,
CSLI <allison at stanford.edu>, Ruth Kricheli <ruthk at stanford.edu>, Kelly Leigh
Rosellen <rosellen at stanford.edu>

 I could be wrong and if so I would be delighted to be corrected but is not
the project described below precisely the problem with a solely mobile phone
approach to ICT for D.

What I understand from the below is that the system described provides a
means for individual cell phone users (those with the financial resources to
own and use a cell phone for this purpose) to acquire information that will
be of value to them as individuals (and their families) i.e. "information
about water availability, price, and quality".

This information will presumably assist the individual system user to
respond effectively to the problem of clean water in Kibera but will do
little if anything (in fact perhaps even undermining) the only means by
which the problem could be resolved for the mass (millions) of those living
in the slum which is a collective and community response to ensure that the
means are put in place for all to have access to clean water; and not simply
those who are privileged whether by locality or by their access to ICTs and
this particular ICT app.

Best,

Mike
http://www.realitysandwich.com/egypt_transform_social_media

Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
Director: Centre for Community Informatics Research, Development and
Training (CCIRDT)
Vancouver, CANADA
http://www.communityinformatics.net

Cape Town, SA (in conjunction with Izandla Zethu SA)
http://www.izandlazethu.co.za/

-----Original Message-----
*From:* liberation-techology-bounces at lists.stanford.edu [mailto:
liberation-techology-bounces at lists.stanford.edu] *On Behalf Of *Kathleen
Barcos
*Sent:* Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:07 PM
*To:* liberation-techology at lists.stanford.edu; CDDRL; Yosem Company;
Knight's Fellowship Program; CSLI; Ruth Kricheli; Kelly Leigh Rosellen
*Subject:* [liberation-techology] Liberation Technology Seminar Series- Feb
10,2011

 [image: Program on Liberation Technology]
 Can ICT Improve Clean Water Delivery Systems in Slums? Lessons from
Kibera
*CDDRL, PGJ, Program on Liberation Technology Seminar Series*

Date and Time
February 10, 2011
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Locatiion
Wallenberg Theater
Bldg 160
Stanford University

 Speakers
*Katherine Hoffman* - International Policy Studies, M.A. Candidate,Global
Health concentration at Stanford University
*Sunny Jeon* - Ph.D. Candidate,Political Science at Stanford University

*Abstract
*Water is scarce, costly, and contaminated in Kibera, Nairobi -- one of
Africa's largest urban slums. On good days, the women and children spend
just under an hour finding clean water in their community. On bad days, the
price of water increases tenfold and the search takes all day. Often, people
ask jokingly whether it is water or cholera they are buying.

Many slums like Kibera lack access to clean drinking water, but they don't
lack access to mobile phones. This is the insight behind M-Maji, a start-up
non-profit project that uses mobile phones to empower communities with
better information about water availability, price, and quality. This
seminar will introduce the M-Maji system, and describe some of the
challenges to designing for such a complex social environment.Background:
M-Maji emerged from the Designing Liberation Technologies course in the
Stanford d.school, which focused on using mobile phone technology for health
improvement in Kibera. M-Maji has since received funding to run a pilot from
the Program on Liberation Technologies and the Center on Philanthropy and
Civil Society at Stanford

*Sunny Jeon* is the principal investigator to M-Maji research, and is
currently making frequent trips to Kenya to prepare for a randomized impact
evaluation of their water program. He is also a Ph.D. Candidate in the
Stanford Department of Political Science, where he is working on a
dissertation project that studies the economic and political returns to
ethnic diversity.

*Katherine Hoffman* is a co-terminal student completing a B.A. in
International Relations and Economics and an M.A. in International Policy
Studies with a focus on Global Health. She has been involved with M-Maji
since it began in Spring quarter, and has just returned from a trip to Kenya
in December to begin laying the groundwork for the project implementation.
Her primary interests include economic development and health improvement in
low-resource settings. Past experience includes internships at the Bonn
International Center for Conversion in Bonn, Germany and at the Institute
for Financial Management in Chennai, India; she has also volunteered at the
Center for the Working Girl in Quito, Ecuador and studied abroad for a
quarter in Moscow.
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