Sunday, October 15, 2006

Computers for Libyan Children

Source: Libyan pupils 'to have laptops' - BBC News

The Libyan government has consented to providing its 1.2 million school children with laptop computers. It hopes to accomplish this by June of 2008. The laptops are cheap and durable (as they are rubber coated) and will provide internet access. They are powered by a wind up crank and cost about $100 a piece. These laptops made their first appearance at the World Summit on the Information Society.

The project is meant to reflect Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's desire to generate a more open Libya. There is also talk of the laptops being purchased for other, poorer countries as One Laptop Per Child (the group selling the laptops) was set up for the purpose of selling the portable computers to developing nation governments.

Questions:

1. How will providing laptop computers to the children of Libya make it a more open country?
2. What else can Libya do to help make the country more open?

No comments: