Sent from my BlackBerry® -----Original Message----- From: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:09:50 To: Edith Adera<eadera@idrc.or.ke> Reply-To: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Thank you Barry. Indeed Edith you are right.It goes way beyond language...in fact my unscientific research points to even food as a major factor of development. We only point out that language is one of the major if not the Major contributor to locals not comprehending best practices. We talk to them but they don't understand what we are saying;hence we don't communicate. A case in point is the lack of the word 'maintenance'(differentiate from repair) in most of our languages.It means we are socialised to wait for things to get spoiled then either correct the errors or acquire others. Hence when we talk to them on maintenance since it's not in their 'system code' they only think repair. That's my two cents. Cheers Sent from my BlackBerry® -----Original Message----- From: Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.or.ke> Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:58:50 To: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com<mpodhiambo@yahoo.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] Fw: Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Thanks for sharing some of these insights. Bwana Ndemo/Odhiambo, don't you think it goes beyond language? Local business does not necessarily use best practices (which is what Ndemo was trying to communicate) - how do we inculcate these practices in ways that people will understand and make them a natural part of doing business like the Coffee SACCO you spoke about? Edith -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 1:04 PM To: Edith Adera Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] Fw: Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Hi Listers, Forwarded is a thread I wish to share. Some two cents on a tech repository of our languages----- Sent from my BlackBerry(r) -----Original Message----- From: bitange@jambo.co.ke Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:36:48 To: <mpodhiambo@yahoo.com> Reply-To: bitange@jambo.co.ke Subject: Re: [kictanet] Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Odhiambo, Did you not want to share this? It is absurd that we need the language to express ourselves and at the same time have so many educated and unemployed Kenyans. Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry(r) -----Original Message----- From: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:19:41 To: <bitange@jambo.co.ke> Reply-To: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [kictanet] Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Daktari, Though I concur with your thesis...I dare not conceive that considering discarding our languages should even be an option! Science has told us we think in vernacular then translate to other languages. That's a given. I submit that our languages are part of our 'genetic code' through which we view, understand and relate with the rest of the world. Discarding our languages therefore would result in a slavery of sorts since we would need to use 'imported genetic code' to view, understand and relate with not just the world but ,regrettably, with ourselves as well! We would be a 'GMO' so to speak. Indeed the part of the world that is producing technology on a large scale as opposed to us(consumers of technology on a large scale) learn in there 'genetic code' or at least have a repository of it. Resolved:Making our languages more expressive and dynamic is key-I think we could introduce this much needed dynamism as we create a tech-repository of our languages. Indeed we should create institutes of Maasai,Kamba,Taita etc within our Universities-Makerere seems to be ahead in this in the region. I think they introduced diplomas on local indigenous languages(Luo,Luganda,Runyakitara,Kiswahili,Ateso). To have the institutes is one side of the coin, to complement the institutes with tech---so that they serve as the supply end to the tech-repository for our languages is the second side of the coin. The third side of the coin is to engage the universities in research(actual and meaningful). Cheers. Sent from my BlackBerry(r) -----Original Message----- From: bitange@jambo.co.ke Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:24:51 To: <mpodhiambo@yahoo.com> Reply-To: bitange@jambo.co.ke Subject: Re: [kictanet] Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Odhiambo, Most unfortunate, we have no repository for any of our languages. Will it be possible if the tech community created local wikis? Oral cultures do not help in sustaining a language. Since language is a key development component, shouldn't we be creating institutes of Digo, Kikuyu, Dholuo, Bukusu etc in our Universities. We can develop a highly Knowledgeable society within a short period if we address the dynamic nature of language and its repository. My thesis is that our backwardness is as a result of using non expressive non dynamic languages and our continued use of them will undermine our long term economic growth. Should we consider discarding these languages? Recently we debated on the poverty of English language in our journalism. This is because we think in venacular then try to write in English (several studies reveal this). For Africa to change, we must be bold and adopt what will bring us to bar with the rest of the world. Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry(r) -----Original Message----- From: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:49:47 To: <bitange@jambo.co.ke> Reply-To: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [kictanet] Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Daktari, You seem to be pointing out a very pertinent issue in African Languages. It appears we've been socialised without the vocabulary for development. I encountered this when looking for the word 'maintenance' (differentiate with repair) in dholuo. I came to nought. I put it that we've been talking but not communicating! Cheers Sent from my BlackBerry(r) -----Original Message----- From: bitange@jambo.co.ke Sender: kictanet-bounces+mpodhiambo=yahoo.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:19:00 To: mpodhiambo@yahoo.com<mpodhiambo@yahoo.com> Reply-To: bitange@jambo.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? Grace, Approximately 90% of development language centers around those words. Could it be that we have not been talking? Couuld this be the reason why Africa lags behind? Are our leaders communicating? Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry(r) -----Original Message----- From: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga@hotmail.com> Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.keDate: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:21:52 To: <bitange@jambo.co.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: [kictanet] Ndemo's Presidential Debate Final Report? _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mpodhiambo%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eadera%40idrc.or.ke The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.