First Big Idea

First, the background.

The question can be posed simply enough. With so much inequity in the world, as a person of privilege, what can you do to help those with less? Charity comes to mind. Food aid, medical services, money for schools, these are all worthy causes we can donate money to but it often comes with an uneasiness of how the money is being spent. We can only hope that the majority of it gets to the people it is intended for and is not skimmed by some local dictator warlord wanabe hip hop star for his own private Escalade. Whats more, we should also be weary of the dependency factor. Any real long term solution should probably come from within the society seeking it. Gifts of aid may alleviate short term suffering but at the same time teach those who receive it to look for handouts rather than work for what they need and lead to a greater need for subsidies in the future.

What I think we should ultimately do, and I dont take credit for this idea, is to empower people to better their own lives. If giving aid is the opposite of empowering then perhaps we can share our expertise. An example might be to hold a workshop on developing a business plan or teaching local children to build better stoves for cooking so they can share the knowledge with their community (thats what i did). Often, however, the shared expertise is not internalized and crumbles when the expert leaves as I have observed with many of the stoves built with the help of ambitious German experts before I came to Uganda. There must be a motivational trigger that leads to the ownership of the shared expertise so that it will be valued and carried on into the future as a tool for improving ones life. Ownership I believe is the key. For someone to take care of something, an idea even, they should be personally invested in it. Finally, for an idea to really spread it should make everyone money, including you.

So here is my idea - third world anarchist computer labs/internet cafes. As a person with privilege one could front the capital to buy a set of decent computers and a nice facility. Quality but not too fancy. Hold low cost, very affordable but not free, tutorials or classes ranging from how to turn the computer on to calculating dividends in Excel and organizing political revolutions through Facebook. The tutorials are not your money maker but they will create a market for your computer lab. Once you have infused the local population with computer skills the more industrious ones will be able to use the worlds resources to improve their lives and that of their community all by themselves all the while spending their change for the use of your capitol.

What excites me about the potential of computer/internet skills is the social aspect. People previously controlled by ignorance would now be able to inform and organize themselves perhaps even better than their oppressors. With one clean stroke of the wireless internet antenna, under privileged people the world over will be given the tools to access unlimited resources. It is a dramatic leveling of the playing field with minimal investment.

Third world internet cafes are happening already thank to the recent explosion of cell phone coverage. I believe some day internet literacy will be the norm for all but the most remote outposts but it would be nice to speed it along, to make it happen faster and better. So, if you are looking to make a difference, have a leaning towards populous or decentralized power, and need a job, apply for a grant to open up a third world anarchist computer lab/internet cafe and make it happen. You could even do it in West Fresno if you don't want to move to Uganda.