Plenary: Thematic Presentations
Date:23 October 2003, afternoon
Moderators: Panel 1: Viola Krebs (Organizing Committee of the Symposium) Panel 2: Malick Ndiaye (Primature, Republic of Senegal)
Reporters: Serigne Abdoul Aziz Ndoye and Jocelyn Pierre (Direction de l’informatique de l’Etat, Présidence, Republic of Senegal)
Speakers:
- Makane Faye, CEA, United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (CEA) “la CEA et le NEPAD dans la société de l’information”
- Tidiane Seck, Directeur général de l’Informatique de l’Etat, Sénégal “Les infrastructures dans la société de l’information”
- Manuel Acevedo, Université libre de Catalogne, Barcelone, Espagne “Le rôle du secteur universitaire dans le renforcement des capacités”
- Diane Trahan, Director of Netcorps Canada “Infrastructure, formation et cadre institutionnel”
- Pierre Carpentier, Afrique Initiatives, France “Développement des contenus: le projet de Saint-Louis”
- Henri Valot and Mahamane Maiga, United Nations Volunteers Mali “Développement de contenus: le rôle des autorités locales”
- Aineruhanga Milton, Programme Coordinator, Women of Uganda Network, Ouganda “Développement des contenus: women of Uganda Network”
- Arman Vermishyan, Président d’ONG, Arménie “Développement de contenus: Burg Youth Environmental Center”
- Marie-Hélène Mottin-Sylla, Enda Tiers monde, Senegal “Réseau Genre et TIC: la place des femmes dans la société de l’information”
- Johan Holmberg, World Computer Exchange, Sweden “Programme World Computer Exchange”
These two sessions focused on examples of volunteer action in the field of ICTs. It was noted that the philosophy of the Internet and the that of volunteers share common dynamics: solidarity, networking, resource sharing and availability. There is a need to concretize this symbiosis.
The strength of volunteering resides in the great number of people mobilized for a project. It appears that its main added value is the duplication of pilot projects or action that needs a broad mobilization. To illustrate this, several applied examples were given by the different speakers.
Rural Development
Nowadays, access to the Internet is a key question, in particular for populations in rural and isolated areas, living in regions with neither telephone nor electricity. Recent technology, available at reasonable cost and simple to install, known under the name of WIFI (wireless fidelity), can today be deployed thanks to large-scale volunteer action (subject to compliance with national regulations).
In the field of infrastructure, the wireless network of Seattle, the “MAN” (Metropolitan Area Networks) could serve as an example in the construction of "RAN" (Free Rural Area Networks). Volunteer action could also enable the use of renewable energy generators (solar, wind-driven generators).
In rural areas, the question of local language diversity is very important and needs to be considered when creating contents aimed at local populations.
In the case of decentralization, the experience made in Mali has shown the local governors themselves can get involved in the creation of contents and the use of ICTs in the management of local government structures (the “mayor-webmaster”).
The contribution of many volunteers has made it possible to reach numerous members of local governments and to respect cultural and linguistic diversity.
Sharing and Cultural Exchange
The notion of values, exchange and knowledge sharing is key when it comes to volunteer action.
The program “Netcorps Canada International” allows pairs of volunteers (one Canadian and one Brazilian for example) to spend twice three months together, in community structures located in the two countries. They participate in the life of the community and can gain experience from each other.
In view of some of the experiences presented, it appears that ICTs play a fundamental role in knowledge sharing and collective work.
The example of the databases created in Uganda by the NGO WOUGNET show how to improve the living conditions of women thanks to ICTs: increased productivity thanks to capacity building, easy access to relevant information and to email, creation of small businesses, etc. This project won an award (fifth place worldwide) in October 2003 at the World Multimedia Awards.
Duplication, Large Number of Volunteers
All this experience requires generalization. Volunteers are the best placed individuals for this application, which implies a strong partnership between the various actors.
Installation and maintenance of equipment on a large scale are major projects, requiring a substantial workforce and skills that are often available in the North and quite easily transferable to volunteers and beneficiaries in the South.
Computers for Schools Kenya has organized a collection of hundreds of computers among Kenyan companies, as well as their reconditioning, distribution to schools and training of beneficiaries. The program of the Swedish NGO World Computer Exchange provided an insight into the specific role volunteers can play in such initiatives.
In the same manner, many efforts of awareness-building and training need to be privileged by volunteer projects reaching large numbers of beneficiaries (via cyber-centres, schools or members of local governments, etc.).
In the framework of the struggle for a better environment, the Armenian NGO Burg Youth Environmental Center has dispatched young volunteers in cyber centres across the country.
Continuation
The lack of follow-up is often the cause for failure of cooperation projects. Volunteers can be very useful in this field. They can help ensure continuity, provided there is a continued flow of volunteers. Already well-trained volunteers can training newcomers and helping them integrate the system before the previous ones leave. In the field of ICTs, certain activities require particular continuity to be successful: maintenance of equipment and networks, updating of web sites and databases, training for trainers and potential new users, training related to new tools, etc.
Communication
Volunteers constitute a large communication network. Through this network, they exchange ideas and enhance awareness raising around questions of knowledge, cultural diversity and more generally the information society at large. These networks can be regional or worldwide.
The network Régentic (Gender and ICTs) established by Enda-Tiers monde, aims to promote women in the field of ICTs, the development and production of useful applications by women themselves.
What Added Value for Volunteers?
Although the definition of “volunteer” was not discussed in this session, the projects mentioned particularly involve younger people (18-30 years old). For them, volunteering is an opportunity to express their solidarity, and, for the volunteers coming from the North, also expand specific technical skills in the field of ICTs.
Types of Action
To summarize, here are some types of action successfully carried out by ICT volunteers:
- Establishment of the “last human kilometer” of connectivity;
- Creation of local ICT content;
- Involvement in the information society of marginalized and unprivileged groups;
- Awareness raising of decision makers regarding the issues at stake for ICT for development;
- Introduction of ICTs in educational and health systems;
- Development of community cyber-centres;
- Establishment of cooperative networks online;
- Peace building in crises and post-war zones and good governance.
Action Principles
The principles below should be given particular attention:
- presented by the private company “Afrique Initatives” and its achievements in Saint-Louis, Senegal;
- Ensure the coordination and follow-up of volunteer projects thanks to the active use of ICT networks (for example NetAid, the online service of UNVolunteers);
- Connect volunteers working in different programs (for example IAVE, NetCorps Canada Coalition) institutionally and individually;
- Favor the use of open source and free software.
Conclusion
In order to implement these actions, participants insisted in setting up an appropriate institutional and financial framework.
The “Initiative Africaine de la Société de l’information” (AISI) states that “the enhancement of human resources requires new skills on the part of leaders and labor, the capacity to adapt, explore and exploit new technologies and to master change. In this respect, for Africa, there is a need to reach out to the Volunteer Family. Volunteers are key actors of tomorrow’s African information society: they realize a range of projects with relatively limited means and thus help implement NEPAD’s plan of action.
