Digital Dreams : Manifesto for Barcamp Cameroon 2009

Below is the manifesto for the theme “Digital Dreams” proposed for Barcamp Cameroon in 2009.

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We’ve got lots of talent in this country. However, most of us are not willing to devote our talent into ICT projects, either commercial or charitable. Most of us prefer securing a stable job, and pray someone else innovates in our place. The same applies to the majority of our companies here. Though they may see the relevance of developing a certain form of technology, they won’t because of various limitations which they could easily overcome. We are experiencing all of these for a single reason. We’ve all stopped dreaming.

We no more dream of innovating, because we believe innovation does not pay in this country. It might, in certain extreme cases, lead one to jail. We don’t even dream of playing catch-up with existing technology though proven benefits have been derived in other parts of the world. We’ve stopped dreaming in the proliferation of Internet connectivity and believe efforts produced by our ISPs and other volunteers are just a waste of time. We’ve stopped dreaming of getting the most out of our mobile phones, because we think there is a very high barrier to entry in the market. We’ve stopped dreaming of integrating ICT into our everyday lives, because we feel we don’t have the technology and infrastructure to handle that. Some of us have not even started dreaming yet, because we are ignorant of what ICT can do.
I am hoping one of the principal outcomes of this barcamp cameroon will be to give us reasons to dream again. To help us know that there are ‘heroes’ working on their dreams and are being successful at it. To help us know that we too, can be pacesetters. To help us know that we have, or will soon have, adequate infrastructure, technology prowess, and financial assistance from government, VCs, and other relevant institutions. To help us know that we’ve got some talent.
No. That we already know. We don’t just want to make use of it. I am hoping this barcamp will help us know that the whole ecosystem is already set; and that the only thing lacking is … us.

We’ve got lots of talent in this country. We just need reasons to believe in our digital dreams.

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Fritz Ekwoge Ekwoge aka Fee.