I should add that the $100 computer (available in ten payments of $10 each) already exists here in Rwanda, and by this I don’t mean some bare-bones machine conceived by western wonks or geeks, but rather P4 desktops with hard drives, Win XP, and MS Office. (I’ll refrain from offering my personal opinion of the appropriateness of MS products; by and large, this is what the market wants here, and I bring them up merely to point out that this software is included in the $100 price–with the full knowledge and support of that “Evil Giant.”)

As far as connecting Ethiopia is concerned, the company I work for recently passed on the opportunity to bid on a connectivity project there at my urging, for precisely the reasons cited in this thread: opportunity cost, and the lack of political and economic freedom for individuals there. As Ethan pointed out, the Ethiopian government holds a monopoly on telecoms; VoIP and VSATs are illegal in the private sector.

No amount of “appropriate technology,” Geekcorps-created or not, (I am also a former Geekcorps-Mali volunteer) will overcome corruption, lack of transparency, political disenfranchisement, and inadequate or non-existent property rights.

You’re as much a technologist as a social researcher, there are 119 hospitals and 412 health centres in Ethiopia, and surely they each have at least 1 telephone line. How much would it cost to put 2 PCs in each centre, hire 5 sysadmin/programmers (or geekcorps!) to localize OpenEMR or Care2x or OpenVista on Linux into the local languages, train the locals, and fidonet connect the PCs? Is the problem technology here? Or the challenge too great?

Wouldn’t local NGOs and even the gov. step up to help, at least in facilitating access and coordinating with local officials?

I’m just baffled at how the organizers and those listed as sponsors for the prize can even suggest this is impossible. If Negroponte can pull off a 100$ laptop, don’t tell me Coca Cola, GE, HP and Sun can’t network 119 hospitals.

Needless to say, I can’t wait for Chris’ response.

I went through the TED website and here is what I gathered. The conference seems to be a psycho therapy for the white, the rich and the nerd, a guilt trip that they are so wealthy while the third world rotting in hell.

No one was present from the poorest countries of the world to speak about their pain and suffering other than rich TEDsters who were lamenting on their behalf. Oh! There was probably a dance show by the “Children of Uganda” for amusement.

Here is my suggestion for future TED conferences. Ethan and TEDsters have the heart and the money. Africans have thousands of experts who understand Africa’s problems intimately and who can find appropriate solutions (So you know, there are educated Africans doctors, scientists, bloggers, lawyers and yes telecom experts too…)

With TEDsters money and African human resources something good may be done. Otherwise, I have a bad wish for TED. I wish TEDGlobal does not happen in Tanzania next year, for the sheer interest of exotic trips to Africa for the rich and the obnoxious. Let them lament about Africa in their own Monterey California eating caviar and drinking champagne.

I did not participate in the visit to Ethiopia. I ended up providing some advice to the team on telecoms regulation and structure, a subject that I’ve done some work on in Africa in the past. (Yes, as I’m sure you’ve concluded, I used to be one of those damnable “white NGO experts”.) I ended up suggesting that Ethiopia’s telecom regulations and history made it one of the least likely countries on the continent to have a project like the TED wish succeed. I also suggested that there was a degree of political risk associated with increasing tensions in the country. I agree with you – my advice on the wish and my writing about the Zenawi government are very unlikely to have any effect with ending his rule. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth talking, writing and discussing these topics.

Indeed, as you mentioned, I was told that the wish may not been granted due to infrastructure issues, which is true for most African countries. But I think it was possible to wire even 10 schools (colleges) and 10 clinics (hospitals) in various regional urban areas, and we would all have called Bono’s wish a partial success.

I am not sure your politics and your dislike to Zenawi has anything to do with the failure of the wish. But I am sure Zenawi will not be removed even an inch away from his palace because of a failed wish or your politics.

If western democracy was the yardstick for thousands of NGO projects through out Africa (almost all are ruled by dictators), there would be thousands of white NGO experts unemployed.

I bet you westerners need poor Africans and their wretched existence to give meaning and fake redemption to your alienated lives (even from your parents and kids), your failed marriages and your overindulgence.

It is a pity that we Africans are at the whim and wish of obscenely rich westerners on one hand and our own ruthless leaders on the other.

Ethiopia is a place where even computer science students often do not have computers. There is not a large computer culture. People do not own wifi routers. There little infrastructure even for telephones. People believe in ‘IT’ but I’m not sure anyone knows what it will do. (Including me.)

Its a truism that in the ‘developed world’ we take for granted the availability and the utility of computing technology. Since I am not Ethiopian, I wonder whether having internet is really a priority for Ethiopians when there is little in the way of decent roads, hospitals and other things we have had in the ‘west’ for decades. On the other hand there are some ingenious entrepreneurs who are builiding the technology in places like Ethiopia, and development in all areas – construction of new roads and fibre lines – seems to be pretty fast.

Experts discussing heathcare & IT issues in Africa — http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act35.html

Your heart is in the right place, but I wonder if you or anyone involved consulted with Ethiopian Telecom officials on the infrastructure challenges before rescinding on Bono’s request (wish?).

Could you not have advised them to at least start with 2 or 3 or 4 hospitals… Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime? Or even look for indigenous efforts that would welcome technical or financial help?

Apologies for the rhetorical questions, but I am curious to know why this “wish” was deemed un-grantable. Shouldn’t TED be held accountable for putting up a big show, give awards and claim it’s able to grant wishes, only to turn around and try to slip this fiasco under the rug.