THE IMPORTANCE OF BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Access to computers and the Internet and the ability to effectively use this technology are becoming increasingly important for full participation in America’s economic, political and social life. People are using the Internet to find lower prices for goods and services, work from home or start their own business, acquire new skills using distance learning, and make better informed decisions about their healthcare needs. The ability to use technology is becoming increasingly important in the workplace, and jobs in the rapidly growing information technology sector pay almost 80 percent more than the average private sector wage. Technology, used creatively, can also make a big difference in the way teachers teach and students learn. In some classrooms, teachers are using the Internet to keep up with the latest developments in their field, exchange lesson plans with their colleagues, and communicate more frequently with parents. Students are able to log on to the Library of Congress to download primary documents for a history paper, explore the universe with an Internet-connected telescope used by professional astronomers, and engage in more active "learning by doing." Students are also creating powerful Internet-based learning resources that can be used by other students -- such as award-winning Web sites on endangered species, the biology of sleep, human perception of sound, and an exploration of the American judicial system. Access to computers and the Internet has exploded during the Clinton-Gore Administration. Unfortunately, there is strong evidence of a "digital divide" -- a gap between those individuals and communities that have access to these Information Age tools and those who don’t. In some instances, this divide is actually widening. A July 1999 report from the Department of Commerce, based on December 1998 Census Department data, revealed that: Better educated Americans more likely to be connected. Between 1997 and 1998, the technology divide between those at the highest and lowest education levels increased 25%. In 1998, those with a college degree are more than eight times likely to have a computer at home and nearly sixteen times as likely to have home Internet access as those with an elementary school education. The gap between high- and low-income Americans is increasing. In the last year, the divide between those at the highest and lowest income levels grew 29%. Households with incomes of $75,000 or higher are more than twenty times more likely to have access to the Internet than those at the lowest income levels, and more than nine times as likely to have a computer at home. Whites more likely to be connected than African-Americans or Hispanics. The digital divide is also persistent and growing along racial and ethnic lines. Whites are more likely to have access to the Internet from home than African-Americans or Hispanics have from any location. African-American and Hispanic households are roughly two-fifths as likely to have home Internet access as white households. The gaps between white and Hispanic households, and between white and African-American households, are now more than six percentage points larger than they were in 1994. However, for incomes of $75,000 and higher, the divide between whites and African-Americans has narrowed considerably in the last year. Rural areas less likely to be connected than urban users. Regardless of income level, those living in rural areas are lagging behind in computer ownership and Internet access. At some income levels, those in urban areas are 50% more likely to have Internet access than those earning the same income in rural areas. Low income households in rural areas are the least connected, with connectivity rates in the singles digits for both computers and Internet access. In addition, data from the National Center for Education Statistics reveals a “digital divide” in our nation’s schools. As of the fall of 1998, 39 percent of classrooms of poor schools were connected to the Internet, as compared to 62 percent for wealthier schools.

Using Early Childhood Education to Bridge the Digital Divide

Technology literacy plays an important role in a child's ability to succeed in school and later life. Yet, despite rapid growth in society's use of digital technology, many children in low-income families in the United States are not able to access and use technology in the same ways as their more-advantaged peers. This means they have fewer opportunities to learn, explore, and communicate digitally, and fewer chances to develop the workforce skills they will need to succeed in later life. Early childhood education can play a valuable role in ensuring that low-income children can access technology and learn how to use it. However, there are a number of important issues that need to be addressed. This Perspective frames a discussion on these subjects by exploring the role of early childhood education in bridging the digital divide. We highlight five key questions that need to be considered in the discussion of integrating technology into early childhood education.

Key Findings

Early Childhood Education Prepares Children for School and Provides an Opportunity to Address Disparities

Children who participate in early childhood education achieve better education and life outcomes, with the strongest impacts for children from low-income families.

Early childhood is an important time to build foundational skills in traditional academic areas, and may play a similar role for technology literacy.

Technology Literacy Opens the Door to Many of Life's Opportunities

Those who use technology in the workplace earn 14–27 percent more than those who do not, and projections indicate that much of the country's future job growth will be concentrated in areas that require use of information and communications technology on the job.

Technology Can Also Open the Door to New Learning Opportunities for Young Children

Studies have shown that ICT can build motor skills, socio-emotional skills, and cognitive skills, helping to reduce skill gaps in important foundational areas for disadvantaged young children.

However, there is debate over the impact of technology on young children, and many continue to feel that the role of technology should remain limited.

Supports Are Needed to Realize the Benefits of Technology in ECE

High-quality Internet connectivity, developmentally appropriate software, and smart and portable devices are helpful in supporting educational technology efforts, as well as family support.

Even if the most up-to-date software-device-connection combination is present, it may not be usable if there is no one to guide the child. The real value is derived from the presence of a high-quality knowledge facilitator.

Bridging Digital Divide Between Industrialized and Developing Countries: Stressed in Committee on Information Debate

STRESSED IN COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION DEBATE

Bridging the digital divide between the industrialized and developing countries was the key point underscored by many speakers, as the Committee on Information continued its general debate this morning.

Nigeria’s representative said that while information technology had contributed to the economy of a few countries in the South, the reality was that many countries had not benefited and that the gap between developed and developing was widening.  There was an urgent need to integrate developing nations into the new information and communication order.  He therefore called on developed countries to increase assistance for communications infrastructure in developing countries, as well as for the support infrastructure.

Lending support to Nigeria’s call, Algeria’s representative stated that reversing the continuing gap between the two hemispheres would also require large-scale international cooperation.

Cuba’s representative said there was a lack of political will in industrialized countries to reverse negative trends.  Instead, a frenzied race had been unleashed to patent not only technologies, but also the ideas that supported the new economies, creating further barriers to third world countries that needed those technologies.  Intellectual property rights excluded developing countries from knowledge.  In addition, private research was focused on the whims of rich consumers and not on the needs of the large groups of dispossessed.

Mongolia’s representative strongly advocated a new and more just information and communication order that was based on a free and balanced flow of information to the world’s people.  The United Nations system should play a proactive role in that regard by creating an indispensable environment for universal access to information and communication technologies for all nations.

The representative of the Netherlands (on behalf of the Western European and Other States Group) said that in a changing environment of new technologies and opportunities, the United Nations would have to try and bring its message to as many people as it possibly could.  That was a daunting task and underscored the need for further and continued reform and improvement in the way in the Organization disseminated information.

Reform was more than simply reducing costs and improving efficiency, he went on to say.  The overall objective should be to enhance the effectiveness of UnitedNations information activities.  It was also necessary to move further away from the approach of trying to do it all and to develop new strategies and approaches.

The observer for Palestine, speaking on behalf of the Arab League, stressed that all the official United Nations languages must be used and used effectively.  Moreover, he underscored that Arabic must have parity with the other languages.  He called for increased television and radio broadcasting in Arabic and for the library to make more Arabic material available.

Also this morning, Milos Alcalay (Venezuela), Chairman of the Committee, informed members that Antigua and Barbuda would participate in the session as an observer.  The delegation of the observer for Palestine would also participate in the session as an observer and address the Committee in its capacity as Chairman of the Arab group.

The representatives of Syria, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Egypt, and Yemen also made statements in this morning’s general debate.

The representatives of the United States and Cuba also spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

The Committee on Information met this morning to continue its general debate. (For background information on the twenty-third session of the Committee, which began yesterday, see Press Release PI/1336 dated 27 April.)

Statements

MILOS ALCALAY (Venezuela), Chairman of the Committee, proposed that the Committee hold its general debate during meetings today and tomorrow.  On Thursday morning, the Secretary-General was expected to address the Committee in honour of World Press Freedom Day, and that afternoon the Committee would hear a statement by the Interim Head of the Department of Public Information (DPI).  He hoped that the open-ended working group could start its work on Friday.  In that regard, he asked for texts before the weekend, if possible, allowing time for translation.

MOHAMED BELAOURA (Algeria) said the Department of the Public Information occupied a central place in organizing and disseminating the messages of the United Nations.  That role was all the more essential since mobilization of public opinion was one of the priorities of the Department.  He called upon it to redouble its efforts to ensure the widest possible dissemination about United Nations actions in the field of decolonization in order to help people in the Non-Self-Governing Territories to exercise their right to self-determination.

He welcomed the fact that the United Nations Web site had been developed so much and was now well known.  Progress by the news centre on the Web site provided much satisfaction and hope. He also hoped that the six official languages of the Organization would receive equal treatment and development on the Web site.  In addition, he called for the Arabic service in the library to be strengthened so that that the many users of that language could have access to pertinent information.

He said the United Nations could and must play a primary role in the pursuit of freedom, development cooperation and bringing communication in the South up to the levels of the North.  Many countries in the developing world, particularly in Africa, were decades behind in the new information order.  The continuing gap between the two hemispheres must be redressed.  Only large-scale international cooperation could reverse that trend, he added.

CHARLES ONONYE (Nigeria) said that the establishment of a new and effective world information and communication order was important to his country.  That was why Nigeria had joined with other nations during the Millennium Summit to underscore the importance of an effective information and communication order as a vital tool in the process of globalization and liberalization of the world economy.  In Africa, access to information could stimulate change and create improved environments that would respond to the specific needs of the people.  Teachers used information and computer technology to obtain material to convey up-to-date information to their students.  For a continent seriously affected by poverty, the acquisition of appropriate information and communications technology could play a decisive role in developing the capacity for food security.  Unfortunately, the absence of relevant infrastructure was a major hindrance to harnessing the benefits of modern information technology in Africa.

Information and communications technology provided an essential tool for building durable democratic institutions, particularly in new and emerging democracies, he said.  That position was based on the assumption that all of the population had access to information technology.  It had been argued that information technology would promote economic development in developing countries.  While it had contributed to the economy of a few countries in the South, the reality was that many countries had not benefited.  The gap in information technology between developed and developing countries continued to widen.  There was urgent need to focus on how to integrate the developing nations into the new information and communication order.  Nigeria called on the developed countries to increase their assistance for the development of the communications infrastructure in developing countries, as well as the support infrastructures.

Nigeria applauded DPI for continuing to provide high quality service that all could be proud of, he continued.  The performance of the Department during the Millennium Summit was exemplary.  The Web site –- equipped with live and multimedia access –- provided an invaluable asset to all delegations and to the media around the world.  Nigeria attached great importance to the accessibility of the Web site to users, especially in developing countries and welcomed measures to ensure broad-based global support for the Organization through the activities of DPI.

While Nigeria supported the United Nations efforts in facilitating the availability and utilization of information technology in developing countries, it urged the Department to continue to re-evaluate its activities, prioritizing its goals in a manner that was consistent with the Millennium Declaration, he said.  Greater emphasis should be given to areas such as economic and social development, poverty eradication, debt relief, elimination of illiteracy, eradication of drug trafficking, women’s rights and children in armed conflict.  He welcomed the Department’s involvement in the implementation plan for the Brahimi Panel Report on United Nations Peace Operations.  Provision of an adequate information infrastructure in any peace operation was crucial to the success of the mission and the safety of peacekeepers and other international personnel involved.

As the cheapest and most accessible communications technology, radio remained critical to developed countries as the traditional means of dissemination of information, he added.  Nigeria supported the efforts of the Secretariat to promote global outreach through broadcasting arrangements with partner radio stations in most regions of the world, making it possible to disseminate information in an impartial manner all over the world in the United Nations official languages and others.  Nigeria welcomed remarks made yesterday about the radio pilot project.  Subject to availability of funds, Nigeria suggested that radio listening posts be established in educational institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria welcomed the proposals contained in the report on the integration of United Nations information centres with field offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said.  The integration should focus on the development of human and technical resources, which was vital for the improvement of information and communications systems in developing countries.  He also supported the training programmes for journalists and broadcasters from developing countries, especially in Africa.  Nigeria supported the proposals made by the Committee to strengthen DPI to enable it to meet its increased responsibilities and, hopefully, create conditions to facilitate the integration of developing countries into the global information and communication technology revolution.

JARGALSAIKHANY ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia) said he wished to underline the urgent need to bridge the existing gap between the developed and developing countries in the field of public information and communication.  His delegation therefore strongly advocated a new and more just order that was based on a free and balanced flow of information to the world’s people.  The United Nations system should play a proactive role in that regard by creating an indispensable environment for universal access to information and communication technologies for all nations.

He stressed the importance of objective information in the regions fraught with tension where the Organization’s peacekeeping missions operated.  The raising of public awareness about such missions was crucial for the successful fulfilment of mandates.  His delegation also believed that the United Nations information system could play an important role in the field of sustainable development by focusing on crucial socio-economic and environmental issues.

He said that to further enhance the plans designed by the Secretary-General, the Organization, and especially the communication capacity of the Department of Public Information, had to be strengthened by introducing state-of-the-art technology and allocating necessary resources in line with existing needs.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that today, more than ever before, scientific and technological developments, particularly in the area of information and communications, influenced all spheres of human life.  Nevertheless, at the beginning of the new millennium, the gap between rich and poor nations continued to grow.  While humanity had more and better instruments to combat poverty, poverty was growing around the world. 

The process of globalization was greatly based on technological and scientific developments in the area of information and communications, he said.  The development of information and communications came with a bitter contradiction.  The more progress was made, the broader the technological gap between developed and developing countries.  While some countries talked about accelerating the development of the Internet and the most sophisticated means of communications, others faced very high levels of illiteracy and poverty.  Some 97 per cent of Internet servers were located in developed countries.

In a globalized world, the technological gap between the North and the South became wider under conditions of growing privatization of scientific research, he said.  The new world economy based on knowledge was turning information into a good, which was as valuable or even more valuable than traditional goods.  In the developed countries, a frenzied race had been unleashed to patent not only technologies, but also the ideas that supported the new economies, creating further barriers to third world countries that needed those technologies.  Intellectual property rights excluded developing countries from knowledge.  Private research was focused on the whims of rich consumers and not on the needs of the large groups of dispossessed.  The lack of political will of industrialized countries to reverse negative trends caused him to reiterate the conviction that a new international information and communication order was needed today more than ever before.

Cuba believed that aspects contained in draft resolution A, which were traditionally approved by the Committee, were today more important than ever and could not be replaced with a discussion on the digital divide, which Cuba would not oppose since it was a major topic.  He said the international community must make great effort if it wanted to move from word to action and action, allowing developing countries to become active counterparts in the development of resources. 

The United Nations information centres must play an important role, particularly in developing countries, as key elements for disseminating information on the Organization, he added.  Cuba reiterated its concern for difficulties in the integration process of the information centres with UNDP field offices.  Special attention must be paid to the achievement of proper financing for the different information centres, in particular those based on developing countries.  Cuba commended the efforts made by the United Nations and DPI, specifically in developing the United Nations Web site and the efforts to take the Internet to all developing countries.  Nevertheless, that must be done without affecting the capacity and scope of the United Nations radio and television programmes, which were pivotal for developing countries.

The need to work to develop and improve the Web site in all United Nations official languages must not be overlooked, he said.  He joined with Spanish-speaking counties to give Spanish the treatment it deserved as an official United Nations language, both on the Web site and in the rest of the Department’s work.  Cuba was not satisfied with the attempt to continue reducing the already decreased structures of DPI, based on recommendations made in the Brahimi report, which had not taken into account all realities.

He said that over 1,600 hours per week of radio and television programmes were broadcast to Cuba from the United States on over 26 frequencies.  Those radio and television transmissions were flagrant violations of international law and regulations provided by the International Frequency Registration Board of the International Telecommunications Union.  Despite the fact that the United Nations had adopted different resolutions to prevent misuse or exploitation of information resources for criminal or terrorist purposes, the United States continued to run, finance and facilitate illegal transmissions against Cuba, some of which were terrorist and distortive of the existing reality in his country.  The United States had done everything in its electronic war against Cuba, including improving power, antennas and changing VHF transmission to UHF.  Cuba reiterated its condemnation against that aggression and rejected attempts of the United States to keep illegal radio and television transmissions against Cuba and to decide on the kind of information Cubans must receive. 

PETER MOLLEMA (Netherlands) spoke on behalf of the Western European and Other States Group.  He said that while the technological changes that were reshaping the way information was distributed had to be taken into consideration, the traditional tasks of the Department of Public Information –- media such as radio, which reached millions of the world’s listeners -- must not be forgotten.

“We have to determine what we think are the core activities of the Department of Public Information”, he said.  “We need to formulate policies to strengthen the Department’s effectiveness and efficiency in order for it to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.”  Such policies must also ensure that the Organization reached out to disseminators of information, especially the media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), utilizing the latest technologies.  “We need a Department of Public Information that realizes the slogan: Global Vision, Local Voice”, he said.

He said that in a changing environment of new technologies and opportunities, the United Nations would have to try and bring its important message to as many people as it possibly could.  That was a daunting task and underscored the need for further and continued reform and improvement in the way the Organization disseminated information.  Reform was more than simply reducing costs and improving efficiency.  The overall objective should be to enhance the effectiveness of United Nations information activities.  It was also necessary to move further away from the approach of trying to do it all and to develop new strategies and approaches.

LOUAY FALLOUH (Syria) said he attached great importance to setting up a new information order, which was more just and reflective of United Nations principles, international law and the wishes of all people.  All wanted a world of mutual respect.  There was a need to bridge the digital divide between the developing and developed countries, to bring forth the voice of the United Nations and to reflect the real situation of developing countries without presenting a distorted view of their aspirations. 

Syria had made great progress in the area of audio-visual information and in its written press, he said.  Information and development went hand in hand.  Syria’s media contributed to informing public opinion regarding events of a regional or international order, stressing matters of interest to developing countries.  The transmission of information had seen great progress through the use of the Internet.  Syria also disseminated information via satellite to inform the rest of the world about challenges facing the Arab world in an objective and sincere manner.

The United Nations and its Member States were responsible for disseminating the voice of the Organization and making its aims and activities known in both developed and developing worlds, he said.  Syria expected the Organization to provide coverage of the positions of the majority of its members.  It was essential to cover resistance to foreign occupation, thereby ensuring the mobilization of the international community to fight foreign occupation.  It was also essential to strengthen efforts to bring about global peace, in particular in the Middle East, and to promote various forms of development -- cultural and social.  DPI must enrich the work of the United Nations in the area of information and must work with greater force.

It was important to use the six official languages of the United Nations and to place them on an equal footing, he said.  He agreed with the Secretary-General on the importance of equality in the languages of the United Nations and also on the point that its resources not be wasted.  Regarding the development of the United Nations Web site, Syria felt that all financial resources must be applied to ensure full equality between the six languages on the Web site.  Necessary resources must be allocated to do that, and he hoped that when the Secretary-General presented his initial proposal for the 2002-2003 programme budget, that it would contain all necessary appropriations to ensure complete parity among all language sites and not widen the gap caused by the digital divide. 

He said there was still a great divide in the way in which written documents appeared.  He stressed the importance of all documents being issued in all the official languages of the Organization.  It was also important to continue training courses given to developing countries to improve their Internet skills.  The Secretariat had not adopted specific measures to ensure that press releases were printed in the six official languages.  Syria expressed its wish to work together to step up the work being done and to improve the information situation in the United Nations.

KIM YOUNG-MOK (Republic of Korea) said that since the primary mission of the Department of Public Information was to provide reliable and accessible information about the United Nations, it was necessary to develop an overall communication strategy to analyse demand features of worldwide target audiences and to tailor the Department’s efforts to meet the demand.  As part of that communication strategy, the Department should further develop the United Nations Web site and upgrade the library system in order to improve efficiency and eliminate overlapping activities.  That process should include the establishment of one central Internet portal and one central system-wide online catalogue to facilitate the retrieval of United Nations materials.

His delegation supported the Department’s efforts to increase both public awareness and support for United Nations activities.  Since intensive and comprehensive work on improving the Organization’s peacekeeping had been under way in both the Security Council and the Secretariat, he stressed the importance of involving the Department from the planning stage of a peacekeeping operation through interdepartmental consultations and coordination with other substantive departments of the Secretariat.  He also called on the Department to assist in the implementation of recommendations contained in the Brahimi report.

BORIS MALAKHOV (Russian Federation) said that while the rapid introduction of modern information technology in all fields of life opened up opportunities for economic growth, its negative consequences must also be kept in mind.  The adoption of General Assembly resolutions on information security was an important step in the information field.  An independent press, television and radio broadcasting played an important role in a democratic society.  The media must become an instrument that contributed to the prevention of crises.  The free media must play a most important role in the eradication of racism.  He proposed the inclusion in part B of the General Assembly resolution of a paragraph that called upon States, the media and non-governmental organization to prevent use of the media and new information technologies which would undermine democracy, fan ethnic strife and contribute to any manifestations of extremism.

Information was an important means for molding public opinion, he said.  He noted the concrete steps taken by DPI to reorient its activities in the information field.  The United Nations rightly attached importance to the development of new information technology.  At same time, he was not convinced that it was wise to stress the creation within the United Nations system of a fully fledged news agency which would work on the same principle as world information services.  For DPI to compete would be difficult and complex. 

It was, however, sensible to focus on the preparation of materials to enhance the interest of media in United Nations activities and to provide professional comments to media.  The United Nations could and must be a source of the most up-to-date information for the media, in cases where the United Nations was involved in a crisis area or had infrastructures that journalists might lack.

The launching of an updated central United Nations Web site in line with equality of all languages improved communication about United Nations activities, he said.  However, the principle of parity in all languages, supported overwhelming by the majority of Member States -- was taking shape far too slowly.  While the main page was visually identical, a gap still existed and continued to grow in the volume of information, mainly because of limited resources.  He supported carrying out a technical and economic survey to determine the requirements in staffing, technologies and material content to obtain parity in six languages.  Strengthening the technical basis of Web sites was necessary, as was the need to equip them with modern search systems in all official languages. 

Russia stressed the significance of daily 15-minute radio broadcasts for vast Russian audiences, he added.  For further success, the proportionate number of staff and technical provisions in all six language sections in the radio service was necessary.  That could be done in an inexpensive way, namely through the fair reallocation of existing resources.  Russia supported the need for a balanced approach to providing resources to information centres.  Where necessary, a programme to merge information centres with UNDP must be carried out, taking into account the views of host countries.  However, the analysis by DPI of seven out of 14 questionnaires did not provide a full assessment of the situation.  Russia noted the active participation of DPI in promoting the fifteenth anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.  It was also grateful for measures to promote dialogue among civilizations.  DPI’s work in that area would help achieve the objective of peaceful coexistence.  DPI faced complex tasks.  Russia was ready to cooperate in the attainment of acceptable solutions.

HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) said his delegation had studied the Secretary-General’s report on the equal distribution of resources for United Nations information centres. He hoped those centres would continue their important role and keep pace with political, social, economic and environmental developments in the Organization.  He also hoped the Department of Public Information would continue to review the level of resources devoted to those centres to reach the optimum levels needed for them to function efficiently.  In addition, the Department should bear in mind the special needs of the African continent -- especially in light of the Millennium Declaration.

He said his delegation was looking forward to the Secretariat submitting realistic proposals on achieving linguistic parity on the United Nations Web site.  He hoped that it would double its efforts to prepare and submit such proposals, since time wasting would only lead to further increasing the gap between what was available on the Web site in English and what was available in other languages, namely Arabic.  His delegation had always made a point of drawing attention to the activities of the Department in relation to the question of Palestine.  He also expressed appreciation to the Department for organizing the annual training programme for Palestinian journalists.

ALI AHMED MOHAMED AL-DAILMI (Yemen) said that Yemen had chosen the path of democratic expression and was convinced of the importance of communication.  There were great disparities between developed and developing States regarding information technology.  The international community must help developing countries acquire the technology to bridge the digital divide.  Information had become a way to realize political freedoms.  Better information technology would enable better coverage of events. 

The Department had played an important role in peace and security, economic and social development and in the promotion of human rights, he said.  The Internet was a driving force in that action.  He congratulated DPI for the broad dissemination of information and expressed support for the United Nations information centres.  He subscribed to the Committee’s strategy to bring about a fair distribution of information, covering all countries of the world.  Yemen was concerned at the weak status of the Arabic language, despite the consistent appeals of the Assembly.  The use of the Arabic language should be promoted, particularly regarding interpretation and translation at United Nations conferences, and in publications and television broadcasts.

MARWAN JILANI, observer for Palestine, speaking on behalf of the Arab League, said he wished to reaffirm the importance of information and the actions of the Department of Public Information in making the principles of the United Nations Charter known.  Among those principles were the maintenance of peace, the struggle against poverty and violence, denouncing oppression and assisting people in the fight for self-determination.  For such efforts to be successful, the United Nations must be strengthened, particularly in the way it provided information.  In that respect, the Organization’s information centres must have all the possible means available to them.

He said that Arabic must have parity with the other languages and called for increased television and radio broadcasting in Arabic and for the library to make more Arabic material available.  It was also highly important to strengthen the information coverage on the question of Palestine and the suffering of the Palestinian people.  He believed that the Department of Public Information must reflect the cultural diversity of countries –- a diversity which would increase the heritage of peace and understanding.

Right of Reply

DAVID A. TRAYSTMAN (United States), speaking in right of reply, said that the Cuban delegation should work in a more constructive manner.  Time could be better spent by discussing the enhancement of the Department’s role.  Energy should be focused, for example, on strengthening the information capacity of peacekeeping operations and enhancing the safety and security of staff.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that his statement had referred to those subjects.  His delegation had always been prepared to discuss the problems of DPI.  Unfortunately, Cuba had no other alternative but to deal with the United States media aggression in part of its statement.  While it might be better to devote time to other matters, it would also be better if the $22 million that the United States spent on that media aggression be used for United Nations projects.  It was throwing that money out the window because Cuba’s technicians had been blocking the illegal transmissions for years.  The United States had no right to decide on the information that Cubans received.  Cuba would continue to work constructively, but insisted on right to denounce that kind of activity.

http://www.un.org/press/en/2001/pi1339.doc.htm

Actions That We Need to take in Bridging Digital Divide!

Every day we wake up in the morning and take a glance at our smartphone devices to monitor social feeds and happenings around the globe. Throughout the day we will interact with connected devices such as computers, tablets, and wearable technologies that will ultimately make us more knowledgeable than the day before. Essentially, access to these technologies is invaluable as it makes us open-minded, more social and a more knowledgeable individual to the world we live in. With that said, we have transitioned into a digital society that takes connected devices for granted and we have become oblivious to those who do not have access to this kind of tech.

Although we are living in a more connected world, the digital divide is a disturbing trend that is shaping our generation today. The term refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don’t. Granted, the world is seeing a rapid diffusion of connectivity around the world, but one must acknowledge the spread is unequal at best. Economic development, technological advancement and even social progress are dependent on digitization. Therefore access to ICT has become a necessity and it is imperative that all are granted such access.

Inequalities within ICT are often referred to the “information underclass”. With that said, there are numerous variables acting as a catalyst for the digital divide. The lack of income generation remains a primary reason as basic ICT access requires an investment of US$10 a month for a family household. This means being a “connected” individual is impossible for nearly 40% of the global population as they earn less than US$2 a day.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), variables such as household size , age, gender, racial, ethnic backgrounds and geographical location also contribute to the digital divide. Additionally, a lower level of education directly correlates with the lack of access to modern ICT and in part, a lower chance of success. The technological growth of first world countries is further widening the divide as third world countries are falling behind in the technological spectrum.

Even Bill Clinton publicly condemned the digital divide as far back in 1998 at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

Clinton said:

“We know from hard experience that unequal education hardens into unequal prospects. We know the Information Age will accelerate this trend. The three fastest growing careers in America are all in computer related fields, offering far more than average pay. Happily, the digital divide has begun to narrow, but it will not disappear of its own accord. History teaches us that even as new technologies create growth and new opportunity, they can heighten economic inequalities and sharpen social divisions. That is, after all, exactly what happened with the mechanization of agriculture and in the Industrial Revolution.

As we move into the Information Age we have it within our power to avoid these developments. We can reap the growth that comes from revolutionary technologies and use them to eliminate, not to widen, the disparities that exist. But until every child has a computer in the classroom and a teacher well-trained to help, until every student has the skills to tap the enormous resources of the Internet, until every high-tech company can find skilled workers to fill its high-wage jobs, America will miss the full promise of the Information Age.”

So the question is, how does society overcome the digital divide? The way forward starts with policy reform where governments recognize the social and economic benefits of the diffusion of ICTs. We need to see a more “connected” individual, through low cost technologies and increased investment in telecommunication markets all over the world. There needs to be a renewed focus on telecom infrastructure enhancements in rural, low-income and underprivileged areas. With that said, residential areas are enjoying the spoils of affordable fixed line services whereas the poor access the internet using mobile devices where internet costs the most.

The project iSizwe initiative has certainly honed in on this issue and has begun rolling out free wi-fi in public spaces and low income areas. Education remains a long term imperative for the greater spread of ICT access. The benefits of ICT need to be understood by the youth so they can greater leverage a technological skillset later on in life. Such endeavors need to start at a
grassroots level where ICT technologies and access must be rolled out in schools and tertiary institutions that will have a ripple effect in the future.

Low cost smartphones such as the Vodacom Smart Kicka are emerging to bridge the gap between the digital divide.

Truth is, the divide is widening and will continue to do so if remain unchecked. There are initiatives in place to bridge the gap, but in isolation is effectiveness is limited at best.

However, a cumulative effort that is fueled by policy reform can ensure ICT access is affordable and accessible to all. We need to see such initiatives such as Googles Project Loon rolling out on an international level that promises internet access for all, and essentially making the world a more connected place.

http://memeburn.com/2015/10/what-actions-can-we-take-to-bridge-the-digital-divide/

Five Lessons in Bridging the Digital Divide

Three years ago, Knight Foundation set out to find ways to bridge the digital divide in Detroit, a formidable task in a city where less than 40 percent of households have broadband access.

We approached the challenge by focusing on three, high poverty neighborhoods, and set out to fund a broadband network there in addition to digital literacy training.

What we discovered with this project could provide lessons on what works and what doesn’t for communities trying to digitally connect the 100 million Americans without home broadband access.

The insights are part of our new report on digital access in Detroit.  Written by journalist Fara Warner, it details the significant difficulties faced in installing a Wi-Fi network: one company considered building towers for free, but pulled out; another donated several towers but the signal didn’t, in the end, cover the entire area.

 

Nonprofits and civic leaders seeking to close the digital divide in their communities should instead consider these major insights outlined in Warner’s report:

1)   Focus on Digital Literacy: If the report has one big conclusion it’s this: training on how to use the Internet is critical to closing the digital gap. Of the efforts on the ground, the digital literary courses held at local public libraries were the most effective elements in encouraging broadband adoption. In fact, after graduating from the courses, a majority of the participants chose to purchase Internet access immediately on the open market, instead of waiting for the free network. Through the training, many came to realize how integral the Internet had become to everyday tasks like paying bills, applying for jobs, searching for medical information and helping with kids’ homework, Warner writes.

2)   Provide computers: While digital literacy was key, free or low-cost computers removed another significant barrier in Detroit. (We were able to provide 1,700 through a donation from Blue Cross/Blue Shield.) In this case, the computers offered a good incentive for taking a digital literacy course, and maintaining skills. The participants’ children and extended family also benefitted. Participant Stephen Pitts, for example, an art teacher who suffered a head injury in a car accident, used his free laptop to brush up his painting skills through online training videos.

3)   Remove other financial barriers:  As Warner writes, Internet providers often require security deposits and a credit check before handing out equipment like routers and modems – making it harder for low-income Americans get service. Nonprofits should focus on finding a way to pay for those upfront costs.

4)   Low rates are still needed:  The average rate for monthly Internet access in Detroit is $30, still prohibitive for many in the city.

5)   Partner for success: A range of partnerships between local community organizations, private companies, libraries and government were essential to this project’s achievements, and included a federal stimulus grant that brought in additional funding, and the donated, refurbished laptops.

The release is particularly timely as the FCC starts to work out the deployment of the Knight-supported Connect to Compete broadband adoption program in cities across the country. The report shows that Connect to Compete’s work has the potential to bring more Americans online and into the global $8 trillion Web-enabled economy.

We hope other communities – particularly those signing on with the FCC to work on Connect to Compete – will read and learn from Detroit’s story.

Patel is Knight Foundation’s vice president for strategic assessment

Martinez, Knight’s director for IT, leads the foundation’s Universal Access Initiative

Reporter Analysis Series:

Connect Detroit is part of Knight Foundation’s reporter analysis series, where the foundation commissions independent journalists to write occasional articles reviewing its grant making and program strategies. Veteran reporters examine grant documents, conduct interviews and offer their perspective on the lessons learned and impact of Knight-supported projects in stories published online and in print.

Learning to Bridge Digital Divide

Computers alone are not enough to join the e-economy. Digital literacy is essential too. 

It has become increasingly clear over the past two years that offering the whole world a phone and a computer screen will not in itself help bridge the “digital divide” opening up across the world. The technology is practically worthless unless people are equipped with the know-how, and the willingness, to use it. Those who cannot use it confidently, whether whole countries, groups or individuals, will become increasingly marginalised within the modern world.

The case of Mexico’s Telesecundaria programme, which has been adopted by several South American countries, shows how solutions depend as much on human expertise as on state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to Telesecundaria, computers in the classroom have transformed life for thousands of secondary school students in rural Mexico, bringing a full educational programme into the smallest village via a television screen or webcast. In every case, the Mexico model has worked largely thanks to the combination of well-qualified tutors at the transmitting end of the system, and local “persuaders” in the rural areas to win the students over to this novel educational method.

It remains true that the basic factor which leads to a digital divide is lack of access to computers and Internet. This is most acute in the less developed regions of the world. While technological advances may have enabled some developing countries, notably in Africa, to leapfrog straight from little or no phone service to mobile phones and the Internet, the gap between the industrial and the developing world remains enormous. Almost a third of people in industrial countries had access to a computer in 1998 compared with barely 3% in the developing world, the World Bank found in its World Development Report 2000/2001.

Evidently, many have little or no awareness of information and communication technology (ICT). In 1997, more than 30 African countries had less than one telephone line per 100 people, according to OECD figures. It is not simply that the “haves” are at an advantage, but that the “have-nots” are at increasing risk of social and economic exclusion. Countries which lack a firm ICT infrastructure become marginalised as electronic commerce grows in importance. They are incapable of sharing in the new route to prosperity which e-commerce affords, and remain dependent on the export of basic commodities, for which the world price is often in decline. Africa’s share of world trade has fallen from about 4% in 1980 to less than 2% today, according to IMF figures.

“It is necessary but not sufficient to provide avenues to information and knowledge. What is more important is to empower people with appropriate educational, cognitive and behavioural skills and tools,” says Wadi D. Haddad of the Global Infrastructure Commission, in Learning to Bridge the Digital Divide (see references).

The international community is well aware of the problem for developing countries, but it does not stop there. Industrial countries are also struggling with a widening gap between groups at different educational and income levels, raising fears that entire sectors of society may be excluded because of their inability to use, or afford, ICT.

The problems are illustrated by the ratio of students per computer in upper secondary education in OECD countries. Significant differences are already evident between these industrial countries and they are likely to be maintained. While Portugal, with one computer for 35 students, is improving its student-computer ratio, at the other end of the scale Norway, which already has one computer per five students, may be upgrading the quality of its equipment. And even if schools have the computers, they need fully trained teachers to make use of them. But such training is not keeping pace with demand in the industrial world. The neglect of teacher ICT training, which tends to lag behind physical investment, is a major obstacle. Even in the United States, which has placed a high priority on the use of ICT in education, spending on technology training for teachers increased only slightly, to 5% of the technology budget in 1998-99 from 4% in 1994-95.

Furthermore, the fact that a country has a high level of access to ICT may conceal considerable inequity within the population, adding a new factor, wealth, to the digital divide equation. The recent dramatic increase in Internet access within the UK in a single year highlights the growing disparity between the richest and the poorest sectors of society. Access for the nation’s poorest 10% more than doubled during the year, but was still barely 5%, while at the upper end of the scale access was close to 50%.

Other disadvantaged groups can be identified in advanced countries, such as linguistic and ethnic minorities, those who live in isolated communities and those who are socially excluded, for whatever reason. Women in many societies are much less likely than men to have access to ICT. And there may be inter-generational gaps, such as for men in mid-life whose work skills are no longer in demand, whose modest educational achievements have left them ill-equipped even to want to become computer literate. For some, the workplace stimulates awareness of the potential of ICT and promotes the development of ICT skills. Others, lacking this incentive, are left aside.

Here too, experience is already showing the value of targeted educational effort. Schemes in which well-qualified tutors use ICT for unemployed adult learners in the United States have not only imparted significant ICT skills, but have given a new confidence and self respect to the learners, as they realise that they have mastered what many who are better educated have not yet begun to grasp.

Whether in the workplace or the classroom, the teacher cannot work in isolation. Quality in the learning experience requires an abundant supply of appropriate multimedia learning materials, which entails partnership between the suppliers and the users. Mindful that much learning extends beyond the formal system, effective dialogue is needed among all the parties concerned, extending to employers and the learners themselves, with governments working in partnership with them. It is for governments to “broker” arrangements between educational ICT developers, suppliers and users, both in the public and the private sectors, to promote quality in the use of ICT for learning, and to encourage research.

Digital literacy is worthwhile not only for its own sake; it can contribute handsomely to overcoming severe structural weaknesses within society. The flexibility and versatility of e-learning may transform the situation of adults who had little formal education, or who achieved little educational success in earlier life. Familiarity and competence with ICT may provide an entrée into corporate life for those who were previously excluded. It may draw more of the population into the decision-making of the democratic process, thereby making for a society more at ease with itself. For many, ICT becomes the key to lifelong learning, and once the habits of lifelong learning are widely in place, learning becomes the key to capitalising on the huge potential benefits of ICT.

http://oecdobserver.org/news/archivestory.php/aid/408/Learning_to_bridge_the_digital_divide.html