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A Mexican Journalist Endorses TeleRead and a Mexican Electronic Peace Corps--and Tells How to Pay for Them

By Raymundo Pedraza

A Mexican TeleRead and a Mexican Electronic Peace Corps--proposed by David Rothman at the ITESM in Monterrey--could be supported by large media companies, computer firms, and other corporations.

When I was working at the Mexican news agency NOTIMEX, reporting news from Monterrey, some private high school were introducing computer in their classrooms. Then, some years later, the Mexican Education Ministry gave autonomy to each State of the country to manage and control some parts of their school curricula. Certain States began computer programs; but financial problems forced some of the programs to shut down.

So how to finance the TeleRead and Peace Corps projects?

Well, as Mr. Rothman said, these could be joint ventures between the Mexican government and big companies--and I believe that the media could participate. A Mexican law says the electronic mass media can pay a 12.5-percent tax on revenue by giving "time on the air" to government agencies. This tax agreement, signed October 31, 1968, and published on June 27, 1969, in the Federation Official Bulletin, says the government also can be paid in cash if a radio or TV broadcast company wants to do it that way.

And if media companies or other corporations wanted to help Mexican education, they might make a formal application to the government for cash to be used for the projects Mr. Rothman has proposed. Or, last but not least, they could send their judicial representatives to the Mexican Congress to ask for this.

Or international institutions like the World Bank could support the TeleRead and Electronic Peace Corps projects with a brokerage between the private and public institutions.

Then, the money would be available.

In addition, companies of all kinds could donate computers that were not up to date enough for corporate needs.

Thanks, Mr. Rothman And give my thanks to your audience at the World Bank.

Raymundo Pedraza, April 21, 1998

Señor Pedraza can be reached at raymonic@nl1.telmex.net.mx and can make available a Spanish copy of the law referenced above.