Periodically, I read an online newspaper from Malawi, to get a better sense of the country, and current affairs. It's interesting - a much more editorialized writing style than here in North America - and I also enjoy the intermingling of English and Chichewan in article comments.
Tonight I read an interesting article about the purchase of 193 laptops for the members of the National Assembly. The intention is to reduce the use of paper, to promote cost-savings, to be more effective and to help Malawi enter the "Information Age" (I'm paraphrasing judiciously.)
This is very exciting to me, a sign that their government is supportive of open communication and progress. Is it too much to dream that technology can be a unifying force, that websites like Facebook can spark conversations and lead to relationships which have the power to change the lives of people in far-reaching corners of the earth? That the best aspects of all our cultures can somehow be transferred digitally, through connections that technology makes possible?
As a teacher, this excites me - as a Christian, this makes me wonder. We have created an amazing tool which can unite people, make ideas viral, and cause geographic distance to be almost irrelevant. So where is it taking us, I wonder?
Then I notice that the #1 youtube video, as of November 2010, is Justin Bieber (who dethroned Lady Gaga from top dog spot) - and it's kind of sad, really.
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