Dancing for computers
Julie McLaughlin · QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) · 2019
Manus Island viewers are warned that this story contains images of deceased persons. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) drastically shifted the nature of work in all professions across the globe over the last 40 years. Yet, disparity exists between the global north and communities in the global south, as regards differences of access and resources to support the use of ICTs in many rural and remote communities. Dancing for Computers tells the story of community celebration by Ponam Islanders, in Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, on receipt of a couple of donated re-conditioned computers from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. One aspect of the story is that of the generosity of university staff as they donate to the Learning Potential Fund to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The other aspect of the story is that of grateful recipients from a community that lacks electricity or running water, yet understands the possibilities of learning through computers and the broader application of this learning in improving various aspects of life. In memory of Damien Pahapat, Kaiyeh Chief, Broadcaster and Public Servant