Information Science as a tool for socio-economic development: Libraries taking the lead in transforming society in Zimbabwe

By: Collence.T.Chisita

Abstract

THE FUTURE OF HUMAN, NATURE and KNOWLEDGE
by : Md Santo – MobeeKnowledge Services - http://mobeeknowledge.ning.com

“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.” - Stephen Covey
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
....“I think the next century will be the century of Complexity.” - Stephen Hawking
..... Dear Hawking, it seems the next century will be the century of Knowledge.” - Md Santo

PROLOG
Considering, Human Knowledge evolved and generated from Human Knowing Tools (HKT) and most likely that “WE ARE KM-REGULATED BY NATURE vice-versa BY NATURE WE ARE KM MODEL” ( KM = Knowledge Management ) - http://mobeeknowledge.ning.com/forum/topics/we-are-kmregulated-by-nature

? Therefore, on redefining Knowledge :

Ten Landmarks Toward Next Generation Knowledge Management
Published: Feb 26, 2010 by Md Santo - http://bit.ly/fNCO9e
Category: How-To Guides/Manuals
Description : Discover the signs towards next generation Knowledge Management

KNOWLEDGE 'R' US (not KNOWLEDGE 'R' OURS)
Published: April 1, 2010 by Md Santo - http://bit.ly/eRWQD7
Category: Research > Science
Description : We are as Human Being in fact is the Knowledge itself because the Knowledge essentially behaving as Human Consciousness since beginning of our life functioning to lead us in our journey through the path of Physical Realities – Data – Information – Knowledge (narrow meaning) – Wisdom and above. So Knowledge should be treated as something which has broad meaning to our understanding. This paradigm surely will give significant impact on how we look at next gen KM as well as to the influence of how Science and Technology should developed

Please visit our blog and let us know what you think of this contribution - hoping we can help stimulate conversation on KM practice in Africa.

http://theknowledgecore.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/dont-start-a-km-project...

Hope to connect with people in this forum, please feel free to get in touch: David@theknowledgecore.com

Africa is perhaps the most culturally imaginative and creative region in the world. It is extremely diversified, rich in talents and ingenuity with unlimited resources and potential. It has colonized the planet and it enriches humanity through inimitable arts. Yet, one African out of two lives in dismal human conditions. And despite spectacular progress here and there, it also remains profoundly socially and culturally conditioned, corrupted, domesticated and debased by two self-inflicted intellectual and ritual servitudes – koranic and evangelical - and overwhelmingly regimented, disciplined and deceived by a host of indigenous erroneous beliefs, faulty dogmas, half-truths, intoxicating mythologies, life-denying superstitions, theological entrappings, mystifying fictions, unknown foundational assumptions, pipe-dreams, fantasies, charlatanisms, junk science and a flood of nonsense.

Transparency International, self-described as “the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption,” has released its 2010 league table of corrupt countries. Guess what: about 3/4 of the world’s nations are corrupt!

With governments committing huge sums to tackle the world’s most pressing problems, from the instability of financial markets to climate change and poverty, corruption remains an obstacle to achieving much needed progress. The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index score below five, on a scale from 10 (highly clean) to 0 (highly corrupt).

The world today is faced with several challenges like the economic recession, climatic change, disease outbreaks, increased organized crime, information explosion, and uncontrolled migration. Like any other calamity, the harsh effects are mostly felt by the vulnerable third world states. Zimbabwe, coming out of an economic crisis characterized by record inflation, high unemployment, heavy brain drain and a large reduction in the Gross Domestic Product, has plenty to do with regards to enhancing the recovery path and rejuvenating the economy. With the Unity government having managed to tame the legendary inflation and the economy expected to grow, focus is now on which sectors of development should be prioritized over others given a background of an economy thriving on limited resources.

Africa is perhaps the most culturally imaginative and creative region in the world. It is extremely diversified, rich in talents and ingenuity with unlimited resources and potential. It has colonized the planet and it enriches humanity through inimitable arts. Yet, one African out of two lives in dismal human conditions. And despite spectacular progress here and there, it also remains profoundly socially and culturally conditioned, corrupted, domesticated and debased by two self-inflicted intellectual and ritual servitudes – koranic and evangelical - and overwhelmingly regimented, disciplined and deceived by a host of indigenous erroneous beliefs, faulty dogmas, half-truths, intoxicating mythologies, life-denying superstitions, theological entrappings, mystifying fictions, unknown foundational assumptions, pipe-dreams, fantasies, charlatanisms, junk science and a flood of nonsense.

Will Knowledge ‘R’ us (not “Knowlege 'R' ours”) shape the future of knowledge and KM?

By : Dr Md Santo – http://mobeeknowledge.ning.com

This is a free reflection on the power of modern science, technology, innovation and knowledge systems (STI) for revealing some distinctive style of modernity in Africa.

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE TOWARDS 2012 or “CONTINUUM OF PHYSICAL REALITY WITH KNOWLEDGE AND BEYOND : GREAT TURNING FROM MIND BRAIN TO CONSCIOUSNESS DNA” (see the Attachment) showing global trends towards 2012 in which the domain of Knowledge evolved in continuum universe as emergent behavior within human body as complex (adpative) system, having consciousness and free will (mind and value) as well as behaving dynamically as subject

A brief description about the sentence ..."After Singularity between Human Mind and Technology reaching its peak (in 2012 ?)"... :

Neocolonialism is a term used by post-colonial critics of developed countries' involvement in the developing world. Writings within the theoretical framework of neocolonialism argue that existing or past international economic arrangements created by former colonial powers were or are used to maintain control of their former colonies and dependencies after the colonial independence movements of the post World War II period. The term neocolonialism can combine a critique of current actual colonialism (where some states continue administrating foreign territories and their populations in violation of United Nations resolutions) and a critique of the involvement of modern capitalist businesses in nations which were former colonies.

Water is vital to life. It is the essential component in all aspects and activities related to our well-being and existence – including food and energy production and manufacturing in general. It’s clear that if our water supply continues to dwindle, and/or, if water became unaffordable, our lives would be detrimentally transformed. Billions of people are already experiencing and suffering from the mismanagement and unequal allocation of water. Between 1.1 and 1.5 billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. 2.2 million people die each year due to low quality drinking water and/or lack of sanitation – that is 42,000 people per week, 90 percent of whom are children (WHO/UNICET:2005). Exclusion to socially necessary goods and services such as fresh water has horrific consequences that are catastrophic, yet entirely preventable.

Libraries are critical institutions whose services permeate each and every aspect of human life. The pervasive natures of libraries make them indispensable tools for socio-economic and spiritual development of human kind. Libraries are the foremost cultural institutions of our times that provide a free space for the pursuit of knowledge. The essence of the library as a place and an institution lies in providing free and equal access to knowledge irrespective of race, caste, sex, or age .Appadorai views libraries as God’s gifts to humankind and this distinguishes libraries from those institutions whose services and products are profit driven.1

By : Josephilda Nhlapo-Hlope , Chief Policy Analyst , Policy Advisory and Coordinating Services Unit, Presidency, South Africa

Introduction and Background

This paper discusses the food price crises of the first/second/third quarter of 2008. It briefly outlines trends and reasons for the rising food prices, the impact and then suggests appropriate practical measures to alleviate the impact on the poor and generally increasing food security at a household and country level.

Main Author : Mwiinga Godfrey with co-authors: Kevin Wall (CSIR) and Mike Marler (DBSA)
Postal address (main Author): PO Box 1234, Halfway House, Midrand 1685, Gauteng, South Africa; e-mail address – godfreym2@dbsa.org

Abstract:

Here is an interesting fact: In America, a billion is a thousand million written thus 1,000,000,000

However, in England, the British define a billion as a million million. That is 1,000,000 times 1,000,000 which would be written thus 1,000,000,000,000

Once you get past eight zeroes, the British names do not match the American names. For example, a number followed by 9 zeroes is in the British "milliards" but the American "trillions". In other words, the British Numbering System is completely different from the American Numbering System after the thousands and millions. Thousand and Million are the same, but then you see Milliard, Billion, Billiard, Trillion, Trilliard, etc.

If you are new to social media and are still exploring the area, here are 4 steps to help you get the best out of it:

• Step 1: Explore - search & browse for content that interests you. Find out where your friends, colleagues and peers spend their time on the web. Particularly look for notable commentators and figures in the area in which you are interested, subscribe to their personal blogs and follow the comments and conversations.

By: Eng. Okumu Ngwalla M.F (Formerly – Process Engineer – South Nyanza Sugar Co. Ltd, Kenya.)

ABSTRACT
The art of producing sugar is a very challenging exercise. This is because it involves extensive use of sophisticated machines/management of human resource and materials into a finished product i.e. sugar.

The raw materials are sugar beet and sugar cane and other corrective materials like lime sulphur and alcohol depending on seeding process.

In Kenya sugar processing involves use of steam power generated from the boilers using bagasse, a by product of sugar cane to drive the mill turbines for crushing cane and turbo alternator to generate electricity used in the factory.
In Kenya two processes are in use to extract juice from sugar cane: diffusion and crushing. Mumias Sugar Company uses diffusion.

Author: Dorothy Wacuka Mbogo - Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
P.O Box 62000-00200 NAIROBI, KENYA
Email:dorothykonji@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 0734857311

Sub-Themes: Knowledge Management and Economic Challenges

Abstract for Knowledge to Reposition Africa in the Global Economy by use of Technology: