Creative Globalization

Blogposts with links on interesting projects, and Heather's own writings, relating to Creative Globalization:

• Widget generation for searching Canadian aid data (the DFATD development data widget generator). Developed at the Citizen Attache aid data hackathon, Ottawa, August 24-25, 2013.

• Who Knows Where the Next Great Idea will come from? Why open access to the world's knowledge is a great boon in tough times. A modicum of curiosity and free access to the world's knowledge provide the means for anyone to learn to their heart's content; out of such learning will come some of the great ideas that are needed to kickstart new businesses for a new, green, knowledge-based economy.
  
• An Open Net Means Open Opportunity. Access to the internet plus net neutrality means that anyone has the means to set up a business with a potential global reach.
  
• WIPO Launches New Agenda on IP and Development
  At the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), developing nations have taken the lead on restoring balance in intellectual property law, including a draft Access to Knowledge (A2K) treaty that includes open access provisions. Library associations, including the International Federation of Library Associations and the Association of Research Libraries, among others, have supported the development agenda.
  
• People's Open Access Education Initiative. Links to an initiative developed by and for people in developing countries, to overcome barriers to education using open source and open access philosophies and resources. It is hoped that this will be a first step towards a People's Open Access University.
  
• E-LIS: the Open Archive for Library and Information Science. E-LIS is not only the world's largest archive for library and information science: it is also a global collaboration of volunteers from over 40 countries. Searching E-LIS first is highly recommended, not only for high quality of searching and results, but because an E-LIS search yields a result with a far greater breadth of perspective than our traditional search resources.
  
• Canada: let's focus on sharing. In our trade relationships with others, let's think about more than our own economic interests. When it comes to intellectual property, let's encourage the same balance of rights between users and creators we want in our own intellectual property, and let us also think about traditional knowledge rights, too. When working with developing countries, let us consider not only what is in our own economic interests, but what is best for them, too. Why talk only about free trade, and not fair trade too?
  
• Chemists Without Borders Open Chemistry Position Statement.
  The Chemists Without Borders statement illustrates why open access and open source science should be priority for every "without borders" group. In the short term, let us help the developing world; in the long term, let us make sure everyone has access to all of the world's knowledge. Who knows, perhaps someday those are poor now, will be in a position to help us.
  
  
• Necessity is the mother of invention: open access, the developing world, and the cost-efficient solution.
  Yet another reason for wealthy (and poor) countries alike to be sure to read the works of those in the developing world: those without means have more incentive to find cost-efficient solutions, than those with means.
  
• A non-US non-UK Perspective on OA (Open Access). Presentation. Open Access is a global phenomenon. If anything, the barriers are highest in the US and the UK. Without a profitable scholarly publishing industry, there is nothing to lose - and everything to gain - from open access.
  
  
• U. of Guyana Library Flood Relief / Open Access Analysis
  Want to share books and journals with colleagues affected by floods and other disasters? Self-archive! As soon as computer and internet access are back, your work will be available.
  
  
• An open access model with potential to faciliate global economic stability and equity.
  An open access model focusing on local (or highly distributed) publishing could be an effective means to facilitate global economic stability and equity. The costs of publication are always borne in one's own currency. The correlation between ability to do research and obligation to pay for publishing is direct and linear. All that is needed is simple policy; the rest takes care of itself. An elegant, poetic model to move us all forward towards equity.
  
  
• The Imaginary Journal of High End Chemistry - see October 2004: 4, and November 2004
• OA & a Global Circle of Scholars
• Open Access, Terrorism, and the Nonviolent Example
• Open Access: for Maximum Value, Share with All

Elsewhere:

OA and Global Science

Access to Knowledge (A2K) / WIPO Development Agenda
Internationally, the most creative globalization initiative I'm aware of is the Access to Knowledge (A2K) Treaty. The goal of A2K is "access to knowledge for all people".

In 2004, Brazil and Argentina led an initiative to move the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the direction of a development agenda. The WIPO development agenda is supported by many countries and organizations. To find out what is going on, and how to support A2K as the world prepares for the fall 2005 WIPO General Assembly, go to the Access to Knowledge web page.

The Association of Research Libraries has posted Library Related Principles for the International Development Agenda of the World Intellectual Property Organization, a statement which has been endorsed by many library associations.

Thanks to Peter Suber's Open Access News for ongoing updates on the WIPO Development Agenda and A2K.

The African Commons Encyclopedia is a wiki-based "living conceptual map of the people, projects and processes that contribute to the development of shared, networked knowledge across the African continent." Thanks to Peter Suber's Open Access News, Sept. 1, 2005.

International cooperation & digital libraries
Sridhar, V., interview with David S. Magier. We need libraries more than ever Frontline, Volume 22 - Issue 17, Aug 13 - 26, 2005.
Excerpt: "The digital medium, particularly the Internet, offers new possibilities for scholars and library professionals. But this hinges crucially on international cooperation in preserving, conserving and organising library collections so that they can be shared by users globally. The Centre for South Asian Libraries (CSAL) is an example of such a collaborative venture. Unlike the colonial model, which resulted in collections being carted away from India, it works on the principle that by using digital technologies, material can be accessed by Western scholars without having to appropriate them physically. Sharing is thus a key word in this model.". Thanks to Peter Suber's Open Access News , Monday, August 15, 2005.

Transforming eScience to Inclusive Science: Open Access is the Key
Keynote by Subbiah Arunachalam, Creating the Information Commons for e-Science: Toward Institutional Policies and Guidelines for Action, Paris, Sept. 2005.

Global Scan on Open (Collaborative) Content Projects
Thanks to Peter Suber's Open Access News, Friday, Sept. 9, 2005.

Last updated October 15, 2006

This post reflects my personal opinion only and does not represent the opinions or policy of the BC Electronic Library Network or the Simon Fraser University Library.