Thank you all!

[Shankar Pokharel]

It's been a great experience working all-time with OLPC Nepal for about 2 years. We got the Government put OLPC in their yearly plans, raise much awareness about giving children opportunities for a quality learning experience with a free and open platform etc. We would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to work with you to do all what we have done, for every support and encouragements.

With recent developments in OLPC including change in leadership and organizational structure , which we do not subscribe to, we have decided to take break from OLPC.

Our goal remains to create an environment to use free and open platform and the technology for learning. We hope to continue working with the great team for this goal.

Shankar and Ankur (ShAnkur)

[Bryan Berry]

Shankar and Ankur,

It has been quite an experience working w/ you over the last two years.
Sometimes we have had a rocky relationship but it has been great getting
to know you guys. Good luck to you in your future endeavors. I was one
of the original founders of OLPC Nepal. I helped guide it from a group
of friends to a registered NGO and then national force. While I left
OLPC Nepal back in July of 2007 under unhappy circumstances, I am still
proud of what we accomplished together.

OLE Nepal is still very much committed to the goals of OLPC. We see OLPC
as not as a single organization headquartered in Cambridge but an
international movement. Should OLPC incorporated choose a non-open
source path, we will continue working towards the ideals of OLPC.

Anyone interested in working together with us is more than welcome. We
have been unable to host community meetings over the last 2 months
because we have been simply too busy working on the Bashuki and
Bishwamitra pilots. We intend to have community meetings in the coming
weeks at our office near Sanepa Chowk.

If anyone wants to drop by our office and check out our work in content
development, teacher training, networking, etc. pls give me a call at
98511-04733 . I will be very busy over the next several weeks supporting
the pilots but will try to make time.

Good luck in your future endeavors,

Bryan Berry
OLE Nepal
http://www.olenepal.org

> _______________________________________________
> Nepal mailing list
> Ne...@lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/nepal

[Bibek Paudel]

Sorry for some strange lines that you may read below but because of
different reasons, I am not updated with the latest happenings in OLPC
or anything else for that matter.

What has been going on? What changes in the leadership and
organization or principle have been taking place?

I would be glad if someone gave me a pointer to some information.

While I believe that empowering children and education with modern
technology is the best way to go, I personally choose to disagree with
what Bryan wrote, "Should OLPC incorporated choose a non-open source
path, we will continue working towards the ideals of OLPC." He is
entitled to his opinions, but the sole driving force of the OLPC
project has been the fact that it is a free and open platform, using
free/libre/open softwares and standards.

Cheers !
Bibek

--
Bibek Paudel.
http://blog.bibekpaudel.com.np/
==============================

[Bryan Berry]

Let me clarify,

Should OLPC, Cambridge choose a non-open source path, we (OLE Nepal)
will continue working towards the ideals of OLPC, which means OpenSource
+ Constructionism + Laptops*

I believe that open-source is an essential aspect of the OLPC movement.
If OLPC the organization adopts closed-source software - i.e. Windows
XP, we (OLE Nepal) will continue to work w/ Linux+Sugar

* Durable, inexpensive, kid-friendly laptops. Currently only the XO
satisfies all 3 of these requirements.

Regarding OLPC, OLPC's head of Software and Content, Walter Bender, quit
a couple days ago for undefined reasons. I think one of the primary
reasons is that he is totally burnt out after 3 years of work w/ out a
vacation. He practically lived in the Cambridge office for 3 years.

Nicholas Negroponte wants to expand Sugar to work on other linux distros
and as a GUI on top of XP. I think that porting sugar to other linux
distros is a very important step, however porting Sugar to Windows would
be a waste of resources. I would never load Windows on our XO's because
it is crap.

Here is Negroponte's explanation of OLPC's change in strategy
http://www.olpcnews.com/people/negroponte/nicholas_negroponte_sugar_olpc.html

The sky is not falling. I expect linux+Sugar to continue to develop and
Windows+Sugar will be an annoying distraction that won't go anywhere.

Hope this clarifies some things.

When are you coming back to Kathmandu? Let's meet up when you do. Give
me a call at 98511-04733.

Bryan
OLE Nepal

[tikajit]

Dear Shankar and Ankur,

 

It is good to know that the Govt. has put in OLPC in the yearly plans. Without you guys’ effort, it would not happen and even if it would, think it would have come much much later. Great work.

 

In the mean time I hope what you have started would grow in to much bigger undertaking so that kids in Nepal will have better opportunities to learn and get educated with as good an environment as rests of the fortunate kids. Synergy, then, as we all know, is crucial:  thus, I hope all other players in this sector will join force to take it further.

 

All the best guys.

 

Tika.

---

[Jwalanta Shrestha]

hi all,

with all the developments in both olpc international and nepal, i see no point sticking myself to olpc-nepal as an organization as well. i really had a great time working with olpcnepal for last 2 years and i think it's my time to move on..

i still hold my beliefs towards foss and quality education to children and will still be working towards them by other means.

regards,
jwalanta shrestha.

[Hempal Shrestha]

Dear Shankur, Jwalanta and all,

I do cherish the efforts that you guys have been making for education project that I know named as OLPC. I can fell the gust of change in the International scenario. Even though I look forward for more constructivism and actions In coming days.

My best wishes for new energy and doubled commitment.

Best Regards,

Hempal Shrestha

[Fol]

Dear Shankurs,

 

I came back to see this note of surprise from my usual Mugu trip after getting stranded for about a week in my three week trip there.

 

I completely do not understand all this - you two leaving OLPC!  It is a second blow for people like me after the split of OLE. (At least, you two are still appear together). I am also very disappointed of Negroponte leaving OLPC and XO machines using Microsoft.

 

I hope that things will go to the intended direction. I have to console that after all, individuals are not indispensable!

 

Wishing all the best to you two and the OLPC movement.

 

Teeka

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Shankar Pokharel

To: olpc...@googlegroups.com ; ne...@lists.laptop.org ; dev-ol...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:03 PM

---

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.13/1378 - Release Date: 4/15/2008 9:12 AM

[met...@gmail.com]

Bryan Berry wrote recently:
< I don't know the status of the pilot launched by OLPC Nepal at Jana
< Jyoti school, which was launched on March 27th.
< http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Janajyoti_School
< I hope to visit the school soon and check it out for myself.

Shankar, Ankur, Jwalanta, and all -- what is the latest news from the
Sunrise pilot?
Are you still providing them with technical and community contacts? I
am not sure how your
taking a break from OLPC will affect your existing work on the great
projects you have helped
to set in motion. You may wish to update the OLPC wiki with
information :
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Sunrise

Also, is your taking a break reflective of the rest of the OLPC Nepal
team? It is hard to tell
from your blog and wiki. Those who have followed or benefited from
your efforts will likely be
looking for information on where things stand now. Bryan believes
from this thread that OLPC
Nepal has disbanded and is no longer working on the Sunrise pilot,
which seems unlikely to
me ... in which case someone should correct this misinformation before
it spreads. If this is
true, then I hope the original team can find people who can continue
to support the school in the
months to come.

| With recent developments in OLPC including change in leadership and
| organizational structure , which we do not subscribe to, we have
decided to
| take break from OLPC.
|
| Our goal remains to create an environment to use free and open
platform and
| the technology for learning. We hope to continue working with the
great team
| for this goal.

regards,
sj klein

On Apr 24, 1:18 am, "Jwalanta Shrestha" <jwala...@gmail.com> wrote:
> hi all,
>
> with all the developments in both olpc international and nepal, i see no
> point sticking myself to olpc-nepal as an organization as well. i really had
> a great time working with olpcnepal for last 2 years and i think it's my
> time to move on..
>
> i still hold my beliefs towards foss and quality education to children and
> will still be working towards them by other means.
>
> regards,
> jwalanta shrestha.
>