From anilg@iimahd.ernet.in Thu Oct 15 12:51:08 1998 Received: from mxu2.u.washington.edu (mxu2.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.9]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with ESMTP id MAA28308 for ; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 12:51:07 -0700 Received: from stdwww.iimahd.ernet.in (stdwww.iimahd.ernet.in [202.41.76.247]) by mxu2.u.washington.edu (8.9.1+UW98.09/8.9.1+UW98.09) with ESMTP id MAA15624 for ; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 12:50:39 -0700 Received: from iimahd.iimahd (iimahd [202.41.76.254]) by stdwww.iimahd.ernet.in (8.8.7/8.8.7) with SMTP id BAA11085; Fri, 16 Oct 1998 01:16:16 +0530 Received: from anilg.iimahd.ernet.in by iimahd.iimahd (4.1/SMI-4.0) id AA09363; Fri, 16 Oct 98 01:12:15+050 Message-Id: <36270142.6D38@iimahd.ernet.in> Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 01:18:10 -0700 From: "Prof. Anil Gupta" Reply-To: anilg@iimahd.ernet.in X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01Gold (Win16; I) Mime-Version: 1.0 To: public-admin-and-management@mailbase.ac.uk Cc: indknow@u.washington.edu Subject: first submission Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The following is the editorial of current issue of Honey Bee newsletter 9(3)1998 june -sep which may be of interest to this list also Will appreciate any comments, suggestions and criticism--anil Knowledge Network among grassroots innovators: emerging applications of Information Technology One reason why many grassroots innovations can not be scaled up is the lack of appreciative peer group which can critique these innovations, suggest improvements and spur these innovators to try out new designs. Conventionally, informal gatherings of farmers particularly those who had experimented with new ideas helped in providing such peer groups. But the frequency of such meetings was not very high. In many places such meetings seldom took place. The isolation of innovators from one another continues in large parts of the world. Those who can read , can access new innovations through local language newsletters triggered by Honey Bee. But the combined circulation of all these newsletters in six languages may not be more than ten thousand. Assuming that each issue of the newsletter is read by 5 or 6 people, the readership of Honey Bee network may be about 50-60,000 only. The asymmetry in access to information among those who have access to modern computer based information networks such as the internet, and those who do not, is extremely high. We have been thinking about this problem for some time. We invite comments from readers on the ideas that we have evolved in the last few years so that our search for solutions gets sharpened. a) Creating internet and intranet kiosks which are accessible to rural people so that they can access information on local innovation or related information on local ecological knowledge, indigenous knowledge, information about local experts, availability of local varieties of crops, trees, fruits and vegetables, recipes of uncultivated crops etc. Solar powered or battery operated systems could democratise the access to these knowledge bases. Local language interfaces for email has already been developed by CDAC. One could also have either touch screen or speech recognition softwares embedded in these kiosks so that farmers could construct messages using pre-coded buttons about crops, pests, or diseases, problems or solutions. Idea is that not knowing reading and writing should not pose any difficulty in communicating through such innovations kiosks or Shodh kendras. Or farmers could also talk into the recording system of the kisok so that receiver in the same language can listen to the observation of the sender innovator. For farmers in other places with different language, these files are translated through mediating node and then sent onwards. Important issue is to see whether textual, oral or picture messages can be transmitted easily so that mutual learning among innovators and others can take place. b) creating multi-media data bases so that barriers of language, literacy, and localism can be overcome. Farmers do not have to learn only from local people, nor do they have to learn in textual form and from those who speak their language. Multimedia technology can help people get closer to reality . Farmers’ response to Honey Bee Multi Media Data Base (HB MMDB) of innovations shown among about 40 villages through which we walked during Shodh Yatra and later at Honey Bee network meeting in Madurai, has been spectacular. It seems to enhance their pride in their own knowledge when they see pictures of other innovators, hear their sound, and see their innovations in action through video clips. Mobile exhibitions of MMDBs is one way to overcome spatial constraints in connecting innovators with each other. c) the farmers who want to explore non chemical alternatives for agriculture in any part of the world cannot often rely on the existing private or public sector information dissemination systems which are biased in favour of high chemical intensive technologies. Access to such information in real time is even more difficult. Information Kiosks may provide such a possibility through village based nodes. When there is a real crisis in agriculture, and if only alternative available at short notice is a chemical one, then that is what will be tried by most people, even if they realised the possible environmental externalities. The point is that there should be normal notice boards on innovations in different areas frequented by women as well as men separately if that be necessary. This will ensure that those who have not overcome the fear of computers will at least read the paper notices and get bugged by the innovative spirit. d) data bases of innovations with the name and addresses of the innovators and communicators can be kept at different nodes of Knowledge Network so that local farmers, artisans and other women and men can get inspired by the creativity of others and also get challenged to try their own experiments. e) Growers of organic grain, oil and fruit and vegetable crops may not be able to afford advertising on popular media but they can certainly broadcast their product range on electronic discussion groups in various languages. Similarly, the farmers who conserve local biodiversity in agricultural field as well as in wild may like to have seed exchange programme managed by themselves and the electronic exchange boards may help. f) an electronic auction market of innovations may be set up so that those willing to license the right to manufacture or scale up any innovation given on the bulletin boards may bid and the innovators may decide with in specified period whether they want to license their innovation to the highest bidder or not. The linkage between innovations, investor and entrepreneur may be forged. g) closed membership discussion group may be set up in local language so that specific innovations may be taken up for collective improvement in design and scope given the willingness of innovators as well a s his/her peers to engage in such collaborative learning exercises. h) A system like INSTAR for quick registration and grant of innovation patents ( similar to utility patents with lower inventive threshold), shorter in duration ( say about 8-10 years) and lesser number of claims ( say only 5-7) may be established electronically. Any body can file claims as well as opposition on electronic boards through appropriate local bodies. One can also explore collective management of industrial property in individual names through networks like honey Bee and SRISTI. Some of these ideas and HB MMDB were presented to the Prime Minister’s Task Force on IT and the response was very encouraging. Several colleagues felt that there was no reason why thousands of innovations available in Honey Bee data base should not have generated thousand of enterprises or new products. But that may happen in not too distant a future if a national empowered coporation like GIAN (Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network) comes up. I) The patent offices will also be obliged to refer to the local knowledge data bases so that no patents are issued on disclosed traditional as well as contemporary community or individual innovations, knowledge and practices. There may be many other ways in which Information Technology can be used to connect innovators with potential investors, volunteer scientists desirous of working with creative farmers, and entrepreneurs. Similarly, patent data bases can be searched by farmers to know the state of art in any field so that farmers’ innovations go beyond what is already known. We look forward to hear from you so that IT revolution reduces the distance between haves and have nots and does not increase it Creating a Knowledge Network for sustainable technologies and institutions is a realistic possibility. The equestion is, will you like to be a part of such a network? ------ -- Prof Anil K Gupta Professor, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad 380015, India and Coordinator SRISTI and Editor, Honey Bee anilg@iimahd.ernet.in http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/~anilg/ http://csf.colorado.edu/sristi/ fax 91 79 6427896 phone (o) 91 79 6407241 -- .