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 Arviat's George Lessard will be contributing to a United Nations book on community multimedia centres. - photo courtesy of George Lessard |
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is producing a handbook and CD-Rom as a reference and guide for those already operating a community radio station, providers of information-communication services or those considering starting a community communication centre.
CMCs combine community radio with telecentre facilities such as computers with Internet access, e-mail, phone, fax and photocopying services.
Arviat's George Lessard was asked to take part in the endeavour by the consulting editor of the project, Sucharita Eashwar of Bangalore, India.
Lessard's volunteer work on the Internet led to his involvement with the project.
The communications specialist has lived in both China and India, and runs several e-mail lists used primarily by journalists.
"One concentrates mainly on helping journalists in Africa learn how to deal with, and teach about, human rights," says Lessard.
"Another is called the Creative Radio List and deals with health in developing countries and the use of radio for development in these countries."
Lessard will contribute his knowledge on information-communication technologies to the handbook.
In Canada, that's considered to be the Internet and e-mail.
But, in developing countries, it includes much more.
Lessard says the roadside booth is a phenomena that's been going on for years in India, China and Africa.
The structures are about five times the size of an average telephone booth and house a fax machine, computer terminal connected to the Internet, photocopier and telephone.
The devices are scare in developing countries, and people will pay a small stipend to access them.
"It's like a sidewalk business there, and one example of the type of subject the book will be about."
"The booths actually originate from the scribes on the side of the road who used to write letters for people who couldn't read or write.
"My contribution to the UNESCO handbook will be a kind of case study approach to the types of projects I've heard about in developing countries via the Internet and e-mail."
