Workshop D2: Digital Bandung: New Axes of Info-Capitalism

An open session/discussion about Digital Bandung/New Axes of Info-Capitalism, a topic which has emerged out of the research for the conference, and that the organizers considered interesting to put on the conference agenda to see the level of need for such a conversation and continuation of research.

documented by Andreea


background : reference to the bandung conference of 1955 (First conference, in 1955, of the Afro-Asian nations, proclaiming anticolonialism and neutrality between East and West. It was organized by Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan. started at the height of the cold war)

1 to 2 months ago a bandung+50 1-2 comemoration was held

some pieces have been published recently that pick up the spirit, of the movement; of the collaboration that goes beyond good intentions and political agendas

tough economic agendas that form new economic partnerships (at times quite unequal)

new axes of info-capitalism: it’s no longer about a development agenda, it also happens outside of it

world trade in a new form

examples: bandung+50 simultaneous international summit between latin american countries and middle east (new axes) ; india+china

software/open source agenda
brazilian initiatives to assist african countries in ict4d agendas

should not be focused only on expansionist agendas such as china, but be a bit broader : a multitude of different axes in the world

– interesting to look at this in the new theme of global reallignements; emerging powers; middle powers

rising curves of education : china 400k engineers/year
rising levels of education+ict development/positioning

us market isn’t sustainable

china, east asia, india, brazil : looking for new trade partners; sometimes regional; sometimes unconventional relationships
they are anticipating/repositioning new economic circumstances for when US bubble bursts

focusing on demand for expansion/exporter market
eu & japan market / slow growth

bandung had the rhetoric of politics
repositioning within market economies and socialist/communist market

right now it’s all within the market, the market is a referent in all discourses today

at one level : regional players(not including china) : india (largely export community, vis a vis west), new alliances with asian (china’s india’s biggest trading partner), brazil (under lula taking an aggressive foriegn policy, very dynamic, which military elites couldn’t do previously), south africa
which couldn’t’ve been possible 10/15 years ago

us/europe conflict has clouded discussion of these interesting allignments

in iraq, bidders for telecom contracts are egyptian companies

it complicates neo-colonialism/neo-imperialism theses

rise of china

for the past 800 yeas rise of w. capitalism/modernity has been with a civilizational logic
for the first time in the history of capitalism/modernity in the next 100 years a situation will arise in which structures of production will shift quite radically eastwards; an implication that people are coming ot terms with currently; cultural/social implication demands
it can be seen in the market/business sections of western papers
street comodities in south america

supply routes are changing

indian nationalist companies, ‘buy indian, be indian’

regional interventions are taking place, particularly in electronic space (cheap hardware)

essentially taking place in market, but states are very active players/forces; vis-a-vis energy demands, security, oil

anticipation of takedown of american hegemony

settling certain security issues on different terms

how does russia fit in? economy volatile, depending on oil supply
russia is a keyplayer in an alliance with iran
russia energy axes with japan/china
generally russia energy/security matters pivotal force

steve cisler: israel jordan china usa

agreeing goods import at no tarriff
40k chinese in jordan
chinese donated computers for telecenters in jordan

alexander cultural hotspot project, brazil : network of ngos/city govts working in cultural production
multimedia studios

collaboration with india/china

software development is a big industry in brazil
big foss community

familiar with indian software community

thought about a collaboration
become an influence in software development worldwide

lowcost hardware collab

bank of brazil exchanged its computational section, redirecting

production of cheap hd, brazilian govt has a project “program for cheap computers”
plan is to finance companies through tax reduction (500 euro computer) but the computer parts aren’t made in brazil
for a domestic market

want to

with excess oil money in venezuela, wifi setups in venezuelans cities despite low lap-top ownership rates
sent emisaries to india to hire programmers

a lot of govtal projects to spread hd are failing : reminder of new capitalist rhetoric “let us make money, we will create jobs”

classical : make money for sake of money

what motivates govts/intentions

internationalized discourse

brazil: debate about free software vs microsoft

some people in govt pushing free software as a political

production of culture, in teh shift from us domination, into china and india the usa will maintain as a main exporter of culture
economy of the us relies on export of culture: lifestyle, music, movie.

but probably over-peak, should not be overestimated

vibrant pop culture in east asia

theory of global division of laber

would this model make sense ? for instance will china have to further specialize on production of hd
and will chinese software industry become a global player

india is most likely not likely to develop hd industry
its software production going to be fairly service driven, unlike what is happening in brazil (where there is a service component, but also original software might come into being)
brazilian market might take a lead in original software production

ravi: it’s very diverse
as far as china, china has global confidence
india doesn’t, western focused elite

national specialization discourse by states

indian elites doing this on software

classical recarno principal
as its unit of analysis to state, proliveration of units both larger and smaller than states
1. we have new re – formations
2. new inter-regional allignments/forms of traffic

indian software industry gets money from contracts, not patents/copyrights

…. public discourse about indian call centers has overwhelmed the media

american car makers make their profits on the credit rather than automaking

a series : downsizing, reduction, outsourcing…

middle class fear, challenge to latest american dream

why are villages so rich, service jobs are supporting the economy

ibm service science as a study

transformation ict

it has burst out of the classict ict sector itself

be wary of ict connections (architecture, fashion, textile…)

globalization of work

brazil : big informal market, software programmers work mostly for informal market

dubai, india : friday out in cinema sunday on cable tv
-only 45% of cable market organized
-piracy battle in india, massive : mpaa discourse on the rise (1200 raids)
-a kind of social violence

relationship with migration/diaspora community

documented by Andreea

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