<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV>Dear Alex,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Am sorry but you have not said anything new, this is not about ICT but just the human nature. In the words of Dr. Ndemo, please can you allow me to differ with you....</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Carlos like any other human whether rich by ICT or Oil or Diamonds etc can either behave well towards society or be evil. Google says "do no evil".</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>George Soros, one of my long standing heroes and mentors of all time, who went up (hedged) against the Queens pound and made a fortune overnight still behaves well towards society. He has being funding and a great thinker of the Open Society concept which seeks to give all humans a say and a part of our societal development - that is distribution of resources and the establishment of a high platform for civil engagement which takes cognisance of the fact that every human being is unique and has a unique contribution to the common good so MUST be given a CHANCE to do so. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>If you check the records carefully, there is no revolution of time that gives even the poor a chance at wealth than the ICT revolution. In the Agricultural age, you needed lots of money to buy land and farm inputs etc to participate in that ages wealth arena. In the industrial revolution, you know what it took but in the ICT age, my good old friend, started the biggest software company in Africa (okay, i also stand to be corrected.....:-) with an old computer that his father had discarded in their storeroom and bootstraped to become a giant. You cant start a farm or industry that way. Well, you also know the famous Bill Gates story. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Alex, i like challenging the status quo and rethinking things and arguments but in the scheme of things those of us who belong to this revolution must settle and shipout this steroe type argument that beats on the gains and opportunities provided by ICTs to the developing world. Bill Gates, made that same argument on CNN some five years ago that Africa needs food, clean water etc and not computers but today he has not only changed his stand but he is busy locking African governments into the Micorsoft platform. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Can you ever imagine that the richest man in the world could come from a developing country if it is not for ICT and how on earth can Africa be leading the entire world on something if it was not for the mobile revolution? To cut a long story short, it is not about ICTs but human nature and thats why i now subscribe to school of thought that we need to go back to the same basics of human discipline, honesty, faithfullness, hardwork, commitment etc</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Eric here</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On 26 Nov 2007, at 15:45, Alex Gakuru wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Taking a bird's view, floating a conspiracy theory,<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>and inviting your</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">comments...</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The Financial Post 9 -15 April 2007 issue, contains an article titled</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">"Billion Dollar Baby" Carlos Slim Helú's fortune is up almost $20</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">billion a year, built amid poverty and resentment in Mexico. Now he is</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">gaining on Warren Buffett. (attached)</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">This is old news now for Carlos is now the world's richest man. Slim</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">has a substantial influence over the telecommunications industry [and</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">media] in Mexico and much of Latin America as well.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Slim_Hel%C3%BA">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Slim_Hel%C3%BA</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">There are/can be two camps here, one paying homage to new richest men</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">in our worlds or those feeling the havoc caused by mobicoms dominance</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">by worsening poverty levels in developing nations. This is why I say,</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">andstand to be corrected, "In the current situation ICTs cause more</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">poverty than prosperity."</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=5810">http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=5810</A>.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">With this wealth and power at their disposal, I fear that it could be</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">just a matter of time before they start deciding on DNs governments. A</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">hypothetical Fabian bored with too much wealth, succeeded at his</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ultimate game to an entire society: -</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">"After a man has far more money than he can possibly spend for</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">pleasure, what is left to excite him? For those with a ruling class</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">mentality, the answer is power - raw power over other human beings.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The idealists were used in the media and in Government, but the real</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">controllers that Fabian sought were those of the ruling class</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">mentality." <A href="http://www.relfe.com/plus_5_.html">http://www.relfe.com/plus_5_.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Another example, I have been following on how spying devices were</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">found inside key components of the Vodafone network in Greece, which</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">was being used to monitor conversations of 103 people, including the</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Greek Prime Minister, Costas Karamanlis and his wife. Today I read</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">this article <A href="http://www.cellular-news.com/story/27648.php">http://www.cellular-news.com/story/27648.php</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">An earlier story "Death muddies Greek spy probe" can be found here</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4838552.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4838552.stm</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">3 cents...</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">[mind mentioning where you got this compilation if you must to use it</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">somewhere else? ("creative commons":) Thanks]<SPAN><DIV><BillionDollarBaby.gif></DIV></SPAN>_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">kictanet mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">This message was sent to: <A href="mailto:eric@afrispa.org">eric@afrispa.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Unsubscribe or change your options at <A href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eric%40afrispa.org">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eric%40afrispa.org</A></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Eric M.K Osiakwan</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Executive Secretary</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">AfrISPA (<A href="http://www.afrispa.org">www.afrispa.org</A>)</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Fax: + 233.21.258811</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Cell: + 233.244.386792</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Handle: eosiakwan</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Blog: <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/">http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 20px; ">Slang: "Tomorrow Now"</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>