OK, I’ve given a close read to the Capetown Open Education Declaration. (If, like me, you’ve put off doing so because of time constraints, take 5 minutes and look it over. It is neither long nor complex.)
For all the apparent controversy surrounding this document, I really can’t imagine why folks are fussing about it. It is a simple and straightforward document that outlines the basic principles of the OER movement and the potential it offers.
As for the criticisms, yes, I agree that the drafting process could have been more”open” (though many people like me, a “nobody” in this field, were given opportunities to offer comment), but perhaps the writers have learned from the experience. And regardless of the process, the results are laudable. Signing the declaration is an endorsement of the general idea of OER, nothing more. (Once I worked for an organization that involved a group that had a great deal of discord. It was once said that if there was a proposal to give everyone $100, an agreement couldn’t be reached. Sometime the OER community reminds me of that.)
And as for the backlash from what David Wiley calls the “Libre License League,” their militant and non-inclusive approach threatens to relegate the OER movement to a fringe effort. I think it’s wonderful that some materials are completely free, but why insist that everything meet these criteria? Why castigate those who opt for licenses that while not completely free still offer materials to millions of learners worldwide at no charge? (And as for commercial publishers, even they understand that OER is emerging as a challenge to them. They are not salivating at reading this declaration as some suggest.)
It’s very odd to me that people involved in open endeavours would have such an elitist orientation. What happened to live and let live? Everyone has to make their own choices.
At any rate, I’ve digressed. If you haven’t, read the declaration. Spread the word. Keep doing good work. And share nicely.