Summary by Assoc Prof Graeme Johanson
Jacques Steyn, Eduardo Villaneuva, Josea Sanchez, Theresa Rivera, Ludmilla
Maguni, Melih Kirlidog.
Chair: Graeme Johanson.
Each participant was asked to identify three major challenges. After discussion the overall finding of the panel was that it is essential to identify core issues of concern in each developing region and internationally, and then to select appropriate information and technologies to assist in their resolution. It was agreed that a reverse approach was guaranteed to lead to badly-constructed and unsustainable outcomes.
The three challenges identified by each participant were as follows:
Energy-efficient tools, and renewable energy are fundamental.
Smart pervasive devices will reduce problems of access caused by distance. The
suitability of all sorts of media tools should be explored.
Improve literacy.
Define minority communities so that they are included in the mainstream, but
not overwhelmed by it.
Maximize the use of the mass media to reach the bulk of the population, without
submerging them in normative homogeneity.
Increase dialogue between developing nations, and adopt technologies which respect
local identity.
Improve access to knowledge and better information flows (e.g., resource good
public libraries).
Advocate more political support for better telecommunications.
Commit to better training for information literacy across the board.
Political upheaval inhibits the implementation of good policy, and global
commercialisation of information and communication technologies actually limits
access to important information.
Development informatics research must be encouraged further, in order to keep
up with rapid changes.
Communities must have the opportunity to create and participate in research
projects, and the results should be widely disseminated among communities.
Health, education and agriculture are greater challenges in Mozambique than
information and communications technologies, and the national government resources
them accordingly.
Government policy for ICTs exists, but it needs better resourcing. It requires
both human and institutional support.
Connectivity is too costly in Mozambique because one telco owns all the infrastructure
without competition.
Growing middle classes in many developing countries are selfishly tying up
wealth and not sharing it with the disadvantaged.
Adoption of Open Source software will empower grass roots movements and social
actions. Bottom-up participation is essential.
There is just a little evidence recently that productivity is increasing as
a result of the spread of ICTs, but there is an urgent need for top-down strategies
to improve the situation in developing areas. More research into benefits is
required. The World Summits on the Information Society, and their aftermath,
are helping.
