Report (Part 1): Third World Summit on the Internet and Multimedia

Bridging the Divide: Where do we start?

Time: 8 October 2002, 14:45-17:30 Location: A 400 Chair: Nasser Boumenna (Director of Fédération Internationale des Associations de Multmédia, FIAM) Presenters/ Participants: Sam Pitroda (CEO Worldtel India)
Prof. Mohamed Ben Ahmed (Chairman, Riadi Research Laboratory, University of La Manouba, Tunisia)
Didier Philippe (Director, Strategy and Corporate Development EMEA, Switzerland) Reporter: Danielle Dalsoren, Janet Hill (ICVolunteers) Languages: English/French  Key words: Digital divide, access to Internet Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Hewlett Packard (HP)

Enough discussion and debate have ensued-now is the time for taking real action to bridge the digital divide. This action must occur in developing countries at a grassroots level by empowering those who are familiar with local needs and resources. ICT must work to preserve cultural diversity rather than homogenizing it. Developing countries need help from developed countries, but the best way to achieve rapid, self-sustaining growth is through positive partnerships between the two sides.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Where Do We Start?

Mr. Sam Pitroda, CEO of Worldtel India, described the state of IT in both the developed and developing world. In the developed world, he said, innovation occurs very rapidly thanks to widely accessible high bandwidth connections, software, personal computers and mobile phones. In developing countries, however, telephones are often not available, leadership is not in tune with ICT and there are no local champions to push development. Mr. Pitroda has been addressing the issue of the digital divide for the last 25 years, and is frustrated that there is still a great deal of discussion, but little action. He feels that steps must be taken immediately to bring IT to the developing world. He presented five "building blocks" for bridging the digital divide:

1. A backbone infrastructure with high-bandwidth connections;
2. Affordable access to Internet Technology (IT) for a large number of people;
3. Content that is relevant in a local context and in the local language;
4. Locally appropriate applications of the technology;
5. Facilitation of private partnerships in order to promote Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

Furthermore, he detailed specific starting points for bridging the divide:

1. Communicate the need for IT to developing countries;
2. Obtain a real commitment from high-level leadership of developing countries;
3. Structure viable projects to attract outside investors;
4. Foster local champions of IT: those who are familiar with local needs and resources, rather than an outsider.

Bridging the Digital Divide Through Self-Emancipation
Prof. Mohamed Ben Ahmed, Chairman of RIADI Research Laboratory, University of La Manouba, Tunisia, pointed out that the digital divide not only divides the "haves" from the "have-nots," but also included horizontal and vertical divides. Vertical divides, he explained, are those between generations: newer generations have a fundamentally different view of the future than previous generations. Horizontal divides, on the other hand, are those between societies, gender and skilled vs. unskilled individuals. In attempting to bridge the digital divide, he warned that we should not consider ICT as a panacea for all development problems. Rather, it should be used as a tool to stimulate community spirit and solidarity among people, in order to assure long-term stability of civilization through self-emancipation. This, in turn, offers everyone greater opportunity by promoting latent intellectual talents and strengthening cultural diversity, biodiversity and infodiversity, thus reversing current homogenizing influences.

The E-inclusion Foundation HP: What Does This Model Teach Us?

Mr. Didier Philippe, Director, Strategy and Corporate Development EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa), Switzerland, discussed Hewlett Packard's (HP) philanthropic efforts to help bridge the digital divide. HP's eInclusion program is divided into two phases: first, the establishment of "digital villages", and second, iCommunities.

HP has created several digital villages worldwide, including those in Ghana, South Africa and Ireland. Their strategy is to collaborate with local institutions to create core and satellite computing centers. HP donates hundreds of PC's, as well as printers, cables and backbone infrastructure to these projects, thereby providing locals with affordable Internet access. These digital villages have proved quite successful, and have helped communities feel included in the global society, said Mr. Philippe.

HP now hopes to move into the second phase of the program, that is, the creation of iCommunities. The hope is that iCommunities will become self-sustaining through public and private partnerships, infrastructure development, capacity-building within the community, new job and income opportunities and access to new markets. Mr. Philippe summarized the main lessons that HP has learned through the project:

1. The importance of leveraging momentum
2. Creating a sense of shared ownership and accountability
3. Implementation of an operating model
4. The value of making results visible
5. Educate and evangelize

Surprising issues

• Mr. Pitroda warned that the digital divide is an issue of global security, as it increases tension between the "haves" and the "have-nots".
• Prof. Mohamed Ben Ahmed urged for ICT to reinforce diversity, rather than continuing current homogenizing influences.

Conclusions

Three FIAM members from India, Switzerland and Tunisia provided their visions on how they define the digital divide and what do they want to see done to address it. Infrastructure, partnerships, self-empowerment and iCommunities were mentioned as such solutions.

Mr. Herve Fischer of the Federation Internationale des Associations de Multimedia (FIAM), also presented welcoming comments. He mentioned that 23 organizations from different countries were represented at the event. He stated that the future of the multimedia industry allows us to dream of globalization. FIAM was founded in 1997 and provides a platform for information exchange and networking. He noted that despite the modern surroundings enjoyed by the participants, it is important to remember that only six to seven percent of the world's population have access to an Internet connection. He spoke of the need to consolidate and restructure the digital world for the benefit of all. He expressed his hope that awareness of the inequality between Northern and Southern countries would stimulate the development of more partnerships with larger organizations, such as UNESCO, in order to reduce the divide between countries. Mr. Fischer further announced that each Summit participant would receive a password to access the new online forum, which was being launched during this Summit.

Mr. Hubert Dietrichs, Vice-President of the Commune of Montreux, welcomed the Summit participants in the name of the local authorities and also expressed his hope that this Summit would change the divide in the world by bringing technological revolution to all countries, including the developing world. Further, he spoke of the progress in telecommunications, from the first images of landing on the moon to the most recent events of modern life.

Mrs. Jacqueline Maurer-Mayor, Head of the Economy Department of Canton de Vaud, welcomed everyone and compared Switzerland to the "global village". She declared that the Internet cannot solve all the world's problems, but it can provide access to knowledge for everyone.

Mr. Marc Furrer, Director of BAKOM (Federal Office for Communication) and Official representative for the Swiss Confederation, spoke of the Digital Divide and the need to stimulate contacts and share experiences in order to improve future processes. He stated two interesting facts:

• There are more telephone numbers in the city of New York alone than on the entire African continent.
• One third of the world population has never made a telephone call.

He further stressed that it is important to help developing countries find ways of avoiding the mistakes previously made by industrialized countries during the technology revolution. Mr. Furrer advocated public and private sector involvement for the benefit of all, and called for development of a concrete plan of action to bridge the digital divide.

His Excellency, Ambassador Walter Fust, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, noted that not only have telecommunications changed the face of the world, but Information Technology has transformed the very way in which we deal with knowledge. This change is impacting the private sector, governments and economies. He spoke of the emergence of a Knowledge Economy (K-Economy) and its impact on the way States and other stakeholders interact.

Ambassador Fust quoted a gentleman from Burkina Faso who said, "We have learned to live with poverty but are not willing to do the same with the fact that access to Internet and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is reserved for the rich." Fust presented a world map illustrating the geography of sustainability and illuminating the huge disparities between countries that possess telephones and computers and those that do not. According to statistics of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the distribution of computers in the world in 2001 was as follows:

• North America 40,72 % (178,000,000)
• Latin America 6.42 %
• Europe 21.04 %
• Africa 1.69 %
• Asia 26.95 %
• Australia 3.16%

H.E. Fust expressed concern regarding the multiple divides created by a fast evolution of technologies to which not all have access. He spoke of the multiple digital divides, including North vs. South, gender, age, private vs. public sector, etc. Ambassador Fust stated that the consequences of these divides are fundamental, and laid down a challenge to transform the divides into dividends for sustainable development. He stated that connectivity alone is not enough, and that there must also be capacity building and inclusion of the marginalized. Further, he emphasized that this was necessary within a local context. If not, in his opinion, the Internet is at risk of making developing regions even more dependant on industrialized nations. Therefore, said H.E. Fust, voices of developing countries need to be strengthened.

H.E. Fust stated that a wide range of sectors must be involved in ICT development, including civil society, private and governmental sectors, as well as grassroots institutions, and that it must be equitable. For further information, he referred to www.globalknowledge.org <http://www.globalknowledge.org>. He mentioned that there are currently more than 25 ICT initiatives, which promote development work. H.E. Fust said, "We must all work to fully use ICT. We must fight theoretical pessimism with practical optimism and only results count." Finally, he stressed that the time for action is now, and that, "those who wait for perfect conditions will never see results." He referred interested parties to the following web site for further information: www.globalknowledge.org <http://www.globalknowledge.org>.

Mr. Arnold Schneider, President of the Foundation Access for All, presented a different aspect of the digital divide. He spoke of the need to consider those who are unable to gain access to information due to deficiencies in physical or mental aptitudes, as well as those lacking literacy. He advocated barrier-free web pages, and pointed out that the existing standard is modeled on highly performing individuals and does not take into account those with challenges. A US-based Internet Consortium W3 (international) has developed a web accessibility program.

Mr. Schneider highlighted several solutions that would provide better access for physically or mentally disabled individuals. Mr. Schneider demonstrated how a standard notebook with a special Braille keyboard can translate pictures into speech. He recommended adding combinations of speech and text or signing on the same screen, thus enabling those with visual or auditory difficulties to access information. He promoted translator programs, which allow text and graphics to be understood through synthetic voice technology or Braille display. He emphasized the need for redundancy to communicate information for those with limited ability to see (including color blindness) or hear. Mr. Schneider demonstrated a walk-through file program that allows one to browse links, and demonstrated that graphics without supporting text description prevent access to those with limited visual ability. He pointed out that the technology exists, but that people are unaware of the problem, and advocated barrier-free web pages for universal access.

Mr. Nasser Boumenna, Director of FIAM, went through the agenda timing and changes right after the musical intermezzo.

Interesting Fact

• Only 6% of the world population has Internet access.
• Only 1/3 of the world population has ever made a telephone call.
• There are more telephone numbers in New York City alone than on the whole continent of Africa.

Conclusions

Solutions must be found to bridge the various digital divides that exist today. The most apparent divide is the one that separates countries with Internet access from those without.. Other divides include the ones between generations, social groups, etc. Technology should be a tool that ensures that all people of the world have access to knowledge.