Report (Part 1): International Symposium on Volunteering and Development of Capacity in the Information Society (ISV 2003)

Opening Ceremony

Date: 23 October 2003
Président: S.E. M. Mamadou Diop Decroix, Ministre de l'Information et de la Coopération Panafricaine dans les TIC, République du Sénégal
Rapporteur: Alain Just Coly, Le Soleil, 24 octobre 2003
Speakers:

• Mr. Theo Van Loon, Project Director, International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), Pays-Bas
• Ms. Renata Bloem, President of the Conference of NGO in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO)
• H.E. Mr. Livio Hürzeler, Swiss Ambassador to Senegal
• Video, H.E. Mr. Guy-Olivier Segond, Special Ambassador for the WSIS
• Video, H.E. Mr. Adama Samassékou, President of the WSIS PrepComs
• H.E. Ms. Mame Fatim Gueye, Ambassador and Secretary General, Commission Nationale pour la Francophonie

Mamadou Diop Decroix pointed out that “Information and Communication Technologies are threatening to marginalize those who have not taken their importance seriously.” For Mr. Diop, the convergence between telephone, radio, TV and computer “can let us foresee structural changes the consequences of which for the evolution of societies are hard to predict.”

He went on to recall that the “complex problems” with which the decision makers and citizens are confronted with when using ICTs “sometimes result in rejection or suspicion which highlights the lack of preparation of our societies - in the North as well as in the South - to ensure the change from the industrial age to the informational age.”

The Minister then questioned, “which is the place of the individual in this new, not yet well defined space”? According to him, Africa has missed the industrial revolution due to slavery and colonialism. Against its own will, it found itself “marginalized”, a situation that continued after the independence with the exclusion from large international solidarity programs. Since then, Africa has lived several decades of structural adjustments and has suffered under the deregulation of its telecommunication systems.

According to Mr. Diop, “this movement of exclusion should be transformed into inclusion”, as “Africa will be further marginalized if it does not actively take part in the information society.” In this sense, the Minister stressed that the Symposium should “consider very carefully the proposal made by President Abdoulaye Wade for the creation of a digital solidarity fund, jointly administered by civil society, the private sector and governments.” Mr. Diop expressed his conviction that the real issue is contents: databases, electronic commerce, digitalization of the cultural heritage, use for good governance…” He recalled that we should not forget that “we are after all talking about communication between human beings. Machines and technology should have the sole objective to facilitate this communication.”

Different speakers further developed the Minster’s point. Theo Van Loon, of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) insisted on the importance of volunteering in this moment of profound change of society. He underlined that volunteers were the intermediaries in this change. He also mentioned electronic volunteering, which “allows volunteers to share their competences through new technologies.”

Renata Bloem (President of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations - CONGO) stressed the importance of civil society in the WSIS process, as well as about the role of her organization, founded in 1948: it is through the fieldwork of volunteers and civil society that we can help reduce the digital divide.

The Swiss Ambassador to Senegal, Livio Hürzeler, underscored the commitment of Switzerland to support the WSIS and related initiatives, also underlining that President Abdoulaye Wade was “one of the first leaders to understand the issues linked to the new technologies” and that the concept of a digital solidarity fund had been extensively discussed during the preparatory meetings of WSIS.

Mame Fatim Guèye, Ambassador and Secretary General of the Commission nationale pour la Francophonie pointed out that, for her, the objective of the Symposium was to “find the means to render the density of the web more effective” in a process “which is of concern to us well beyond the World Summit on the Information Society.” Recalling the role of volunteers, she underlined that “they were the ones who put the knowledge into application.”

Two video messages were shown during the opening ceremony: the first from Guy-Olivier Segond, Special Ambassador of the WSIS; the second from Adama Samassékou, President of the WSIS PrepComs. H.E. Mr. Segond’s message recalled that 91% of all ICT users are located where only 19% of the world population lives. In his message, he went on to mention that the digital divide “is of concern to us all”. It does not only separate North and South, but also cities and rural areas, youth and the elderly. To reduce it, it is necessary to add South-South cooperation to North-South cooperation, which is often better “adapted to needs.” For Segond, “it is necessary to mobilize the large Volunteer Family, the voice of which needs to be heard.”

Adama Samassékou thanked President Wade for “his efforts in making the advent of the information society a reality” and for his concept of digital solidarity, which, according to H.E. Mr. Samassékou had “evolved well”. He further stressed that it is key to “transform the digital divide into digital perspective,” and that everyone can participate in such a venture, with cultural and linguistic diversity, wealth of peoples. He also underlined that there was a great need for (social) solidarity. “Nothing sustainable will happen if we do not change our habits," he stressed. "Just like human rights advocates, volunteers, who are actors of proximity, are the pioneers of the future.”