That is your vision of contemporary Venezuelan history from the streets of
the "Empire", however from my point pof view, and from the venezuelan
streets I can easily afirm that you do not have idea of what is happening in
Venezuela. Your have the right to think whatever you like, I know lots of
foreigners engaged in ideological propaganda clients of petro-money, most of
them receive it oils pays stipends from Venezuelan government, they are
supposed to claim that this Venezuela revolution has as well as many others
in the past its international solidarity, but in this case paid with
Venezuelan people money coming from oil revenues controlled by the communist
nomenclature in power. Do not worry, you continue to propagate Chavez's
socialism XXI century

AG 

-----Original Message-----
From: Science for the People Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil Gasper
Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 7:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Science Hits Venezuelan Streets

Sounds like a critique from a reactionary 
standpoint to me. I'm all in favor of 
"revers[ing] the incentive structure" (although 
I'm not sure what "rent seeking behaviours" are). 
Of course the oil money will eventually run out, 
but not today or tomorrow, and the whole question 
is whether it can be used in the meantime to 
restructure society in a more socially just and 
sustainable way. This kind of general critique 
doesn't tell us anything specific about Mission 
Science. --PG

>Very simple, a huge amount of petro-money has been useful to recreate a
>large red of political clientship and to reverse the incentive structure to
>foment rent seeking beahviours. Once the oil money is run out, and we do
not
>have to wait for long, the dog will eat the hand that it gives his food....
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Maurice Bazin [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 4:27 PM
>To: Alexander Guerrero
>Cc: Science for the People Discussion List
>Subject: Re: Science Hits Venezuelan Streets
>
>Estimado amigo,
>Tell us more about it all.
>what is there to it?
>
>Thanks,
>Maurice
>
>Usually in Brasil, today in Paris for a year.
>Maurice Bazin
>14 Rue Angélique Vérien
>92200 Neuilly sur Seine
>France
>Téléphone:   33 1 4722 9368
>Skype name:  mauricebbrasil
>
>
>On Oct 4, 2006, at 11:23 AM, Alexander Guerrero wrote:
>
>You better come down, lots of propaganda lies behind "missions' 
>success".
>AG
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Science for the People Discussion List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charlie Welch
>Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 4:10 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Science Hits Venezuelan Streets
>
>http://www.mci.gob.ve/noticiaingles.asp?num=746
>
>Mission Science participants and 3,000 people from all around the
>country met in order to announce their achievements. So far, there are
>456 Productive Innovation Networks (RIP, Spanish acronym). Higher levels
>of technological independence aim at endogenous development.
>
>If we look up general definitions of knowledge, we can find that it is a
>set of facts, truths, or information acquired through experience or
>learning (a posteriori), or through study (a priori). Knowledge is
>considered an item that can be passed on among people and systems,
>unlike intelligence, which is an inherent property. Likewise, it can be
>defined as information about the world, allowing us to make decisions.
>
>Notwithstanding, after theorizing on knowledge, we can infer that if it
>is not within everybody’s reach, it is useless. Every day, we are
>exposed to all kind of advancements; knowledge is not within everybody’s
>reach, though. However, many nations make efforts in order to rectify
>this situation; in our country, for instance, Mission Science develops
>in order to achieve higher levels of technological independence, thus
>aiming at endogenous development as a cultural change.
>
>In Venezuela, a more human development model is underway in order to
>give everybody the same opportunities to move forward. This is why a
>national meeting on knowledge is held - featuring a convoy transporting
>nearly 3,000 people - in order to achieve endogenous development.
>
>These 3,000 people - Mission Science participants - met in a camp in
>order to announce the achievements of this social program carried out by
>the Bolivarian Government through the Ministry of Science and Technology
>(MCT, Spanish acronym).
>
>The convoy, comprised by people from different Venezuelan states,
>arrived at the National Institute of Agricultural Research (Inia,
>Spanish acronym), located in Monagas state, in order held the meeting of
>knowledge.
>
>In three days, this convoy and this meeting promoted and spread the
>achievements of the Productive Innovation Networks as a new model of
>social organization that makes and intensive use of knowledge. The RIPs
>are part of “applied knowledge,” first element of Mission Science. Also,
>the participants held a meeting with the Venezuelan President, Hugo
>Chávez, where they shared their experiences and achievements in the last
>7 months of Mission Science.
>
>459 Productive Innovation Networks Work all Around the Country
>
>These networks are production units of goods and services that get
>organized, based on democratic participation and relations of reciprocal
>support. In order to develop and take advantage of communities’
>capabilities and resources, these networks are built up through
>generating, spreading, transferring and socially owning knowledge thanks
>to linking popular knowledge to science, technology and innovation. This
>favors human development, productivity, and inclusion according to
>sustainable development.
>
>This event included a visit by the Ministry of Science and Technology,
>Marlene Yadira Córdova, to stands promoting the RIP’s products. She
>expressed that it was a dream few months ago because she thought it was
>difficult to gather over 3,000 people from different Venezuelan states.
>She is convinced that this is the first time in the world that such
>mobilization, driven by science and technology, takes place since
>researches and academicians are the ones who have always managed
>knowledge. In this regard, the Venezuelan people are becoming aware of
>the importance embodied by knowledge in order to improve the standard of
>living.
>
>She pointed out that there are currently 45,000 producers in the RIP;
>they have proven it is important to work together by following a model
>of solidarity and sharing resources and technology.
>
>“It is about starting to change the model that has ruled production.
>They have learnt to make a participative diagnosis, to identify and give
>priority to problems. They are also devising a project of technological
>change regarding the improvements they need. Their awareness and
>knowledge is developing and this eventually leads to a cultural
>transformation. So far, there are 459 Productive Innovation Networks.
>Mission Science created 349 RIPs.”
>
>Sharing Knowledge and Aiming at Endogenous Development
>
>The National Secretary of Mission Science, Grisel Romero, affirms that
>all the work carried out in order to make knowledge more available has
>made science hit the streets. These activities seek to show Mission
>Science’s first component: “Applied Knowledge.” She explains that
>understanding results from research, but it also results from a
>non-academic, ancient knowledge, which is applied and articulated with
>science and technology in order to improve the production capacity,
>which is organized in “Productive Innovation Networks.”
>
>The second component is expansion, which relies on the mission’s
>promoters, who permanently accompany producers. The third component is
>training talents, where undergraduate and graduate scholarships are
>granted, and technological literacy programs take place. Finally,
>support is provided to small and mid-size companies.
>
>All this aims at achieving higher levels of technological independence
>and sovereignty. As Venezuelans take possession of technology, they will
>produce their own technology, thus creating a country project aiming at
>endogenous development implying a cultural change. These networks are a
>collective work. It is about a strategy of solidarity since Venezuela is
>promoting a socialist production model in order to achieve benefits for
>everybody.
>
>In this meeting, the main participants were producers comprising RIPs.
>They were accompanied by mission science’s coordinators from different
>Venezuelan states, promoters, students and representatives of
>organizations accredited to the MCT.
>
>In its 7 months, mission Science has achieved 60% of its goals. That is
>the reason why it was necessary to show it to all Venezuelans. In
>Venezuela’s East, participants got together to share, think, evaluate
>and make proposals regarding this mission’s advancements.
>
>
>
>María Mercedes Cobo / Photo: Leila Saab