Workers and Markets

This manifesto, from 1999, provides an interesting step into exploring the free market and copyright issues. Titled cluetrain manifesto, it is referred to by Mary Hess in a wonderful address she made to the Association of Theological Librarians.
There is a market all over Latin America for religious resources. The team of Roberto Viola, Eloisa Chouy and five other creative catechists in Montevideo, Uruguay have long been saying, “Our videos are all over Latin America. We get e-mails from people saying that they saw our videos even in Cuba.” Eloisa and team have not seen a penny because the copies are all pirated. Noone in latin America has yet figured out a way to distribute religious resources, yet people who need them have from time to time found a way to get them. The Uruguayan team think piracy has been great because their work is being done.
Now on their website they’ve made their resources also available. Even their on-line course on Christology is free — but requires a commitment. They work day jobs and do this in the evenings and on weekends and have been doing so for years. Refreshing.
Now let’s give some more thought to making these materials more accessible to schools, community groups and churches.

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