tech and economic development

OLPC

An issue that will always be important to me because I experienced it firsthand, and because it has the potential to create a new form of apartheid (if it hasn't already) is the digital divide. As developed societies become increasingly more technologically based, even for the most basic of tasks, those in the developing world run the risk of being even more left behind. While simple technology and simple materials can go a long way for now, there will come a time when greater sophistication will be essential.

Which is why I love the one laptop per child initiative. It is a masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned. Granted, it's $150 instead of the initially projected $100 price tag, which is likely insurmountable for many poor households. However, it is created from simpler parts than its first-world counterparts. It can be recharged with manual power (e.g. foot pedal, crank, etc.), so issues of electricity access are minimized. It comes with wi-fi capability, which is seen as a way for developing countries to bypass the need to lay cable for traditional telecommunications systems and to include rural areas in the process. It's designed in such a way that it could be produced in-country, thus creating economies of scale for local entities, instead of it being delivered via air drop and doing nothing to simultaneously improve current and future prospects for individuals. At the moment, it's being funded through world banking agencies and built in Taiwan, but that may change. Even if local organizations don't produce the laptops, the educational benefits of creating access to the world for these kids will be transformative.