Copyleft - enclosing the commons LIASA-FAIFE Workshop Bloemfontein 29 September 2009 Eve Gray

LIASA-FAIFE Workshop

Bloemfontein

29 September 2009

Eve Gray

The aim - African knowledge, for Africa, from Africa, widely accessible...

... but this is not the case now...

http://www.worldmapper.org © Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan). http://www.worldmapper.org © Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan). Books published

Unequal global knowledge relations Africa produces around 3% of books published, but consumes around 12%. Africa produced 0.4% of online content in 2002 – if South Africa is excluded, 0.02%. Does this really mean that African research has nothing to say?

Africa produces around 3% of books published, but consumes around 12%.

Africa produced 0.4% of online content in 2002 – if South Africa is excluded, 0.02%.

Does this really mean that African research has nothing to say?

Science Research - articles published http://www.worldmapper.org © Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan).

... What we do have a lot of is poverty

http://www.worldmapper.org © Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan). Human poverty

Why are we not more effective in getting African knowledge to work for our own needs?

The context is a scarcity model...print books...

In the wake of the growth of the knowledge economy, post WWII...

Commercialisation of publishing....

... and massive media consolidation

... leading to profit-seeking companies as big as some countries... The Top 200 corporations' combined sales are bigger than the combined economies of all countries minus the biggest 10. http://www.globalissues.org/article/59/corporate-power-facts-and-stats

...seeking ever-stronger IP to ensure their control over content for maximum profits.. .

Developing countries pushed to the margins...

“ Over the last few decades, some things have not changed. There’s been no significant break in relations of knowledge production between the colonial and post-colonial eras. African universities are essentially consumers of knowledge produced in developed countries.” “ Over the last few decades, some things have not changed. There’s been no significant break in relations of knowledge production between the colonial and post-colonial eras. African universities are essentially consumers of knowledge produced in developed countries.” Blade Nzimande, UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education 2009

Can Creative Commons licences help?

Builds on collaboration and a tradition of collegiality Depends upon sharing rather than proprietorship, access rather than protection Efficiencies and economies of collaborative development Networked rather than hierarchical structures Networked rather than hierarchical structures The ethos of OA

Builds on collaboration and a tradition of collegiality Depends upon sharing rather than proprietorship, access rather than protection Efficiencies and economies of collaborative development Networked rather than hierarchical structures

Networked rather than hierarchical structures

Advantages of Open Access Substantial increase in reach and impact, particularly for developing country publications Openness decreases the risk of duplication, removal of competition makes science less wasteful Science made faster, speeds up the solution of urgent development needs Wider reach of research, better returns for research investment Better monitoring, assessment and management of research

Substantial increase in reach and impact, particularly for developing country publications

Openness decreases the risk of duplication, removal of competition makes science less wasteful

Science made faster, speeds up the solution of urgent development needs

Wider reach of research, better returns for research investment

Better monitoring, assessment and management of research

This approach has proved very effective in profiling HSRC research worldwide

Eve Gray Centre for Educational Technology University of Cape Town http://blogs.uct.ac.za/blog/gray-area Eve Gray Centre for Educational Technology University of Cape Town http://blogs.uct.ac.za/blog/gray-area