23 November 2005
ARTICLE 19 ASSESSES ICT DEVELOPMENT
In the wake of the World Summit on the Information Society, which ended last week in Tunis, there was much talk of "bridging the digital divide" separating rich and poor countries, and funding information and communication technologies (ICTs) projects to foster development, critical information and participation in the South.
If the international community is to have any success in supporting ICT-driven development, however, it must first understand local realities and challenges, a new report by ARTICLE 19 warns.
"Experiencing Technical Difficulties: The Urgent Need to Rewire and Reboot the ICT-Development Machine" examines cases in Armenia and South Africa where relevance and local context were overlooked in a bid to fund ICT projects that were ultimately inappropriate to the communities' needs.
"ICT for development projects should be built around equitable partnerships and information networks that are community-driven, and supported by government assistance and private sector investment," argues ARTICLE 19.
The group recommends several measures for ensuring appropriate ICT-driven development, including prioritising the development of local content and tools with which people can communicate in their mother tongue.
To download the report, visit:
http://www.article19.org/pdfs/publications/wsis-report-on-icts.pdf
For more information, contact: John Barker: johnb@article19.org
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