“The global information society should be an information world where the information and communication technologies are a part of everyday lives- but this should not be for the happy few, but for all.� – Leonid Reiman, Minister for Communications and Information of the Russian Federation (as cited in M2 Presswire, 2003, p1).
Unquestionably, the internet has the potential to provide each individual with equal opportunities to gain knowledge. Nevertheless, for the internet to be used to its full democratic potential, the gap between the “haves� and the “have nots�, in terms of internet access, needs to be shortened. Whilst it easy to be swept up in all the commotion and excitement of the endless potential of the global information society, it is important to recognize that most people on earth do not have the ability to be connected. As Rifkin states “the reality is that 65% of the human population has never made a single telephone call and 40% have no access to electricity� (2000, p229). He also states that “in 1998, the highly industrial nations accounted for more than 88 percent of the internet users, even though they make up less than 15 percent of the human population on earth� (2000, p230).
Although all the euphoria surrounding the new information technology revolution may sound pointless to many of disadvantaged people of the world it is imperative to recognize that in the future, much of human life, discourse and interaction will take place in cyberspace. Thus, the consideration of bridging the digital divide between the ‘information rich’ and the ‘information poor’ becomes much, much more significant.
Existing efforts to the improve internet access can largely attributed to government initiatives in the relation to bringing down the costs of computers and other internet accessing devices, funding programs to connect and educate children and the general public through schools and libraries. Stepping in to confront the worldwide problem was the United Nations, who promised to support government efforts to bridge the digital divide. The United Nations has developed a Declarations of Principles and a Plan of Action, which demonstrates a commitment to finding a solution to the situation and also improving the situation in less developed countries.
The United Nations has decided to focus on less developed countries in an attempt to restore the severe imbalance. At a United Nations meeting discussing the digital divide, Mr Moody Awori, Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs of Kenya, said that Information and Communication technologies should be used to eliminate issues such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease (as cited in M2 Presswire, 2003, p3.) To do this however, the constraints and challenges thwarting the development of access needs to be addressed in a coordinated effort.
Optimistically, there is much hope that the information and access gap between developed and developing countries will be shortened with the help of a combined effort and a commitment to achieving the goal transforming the digital divide into digital opportunities.
Links to Wiki Sites
Digital Divide - Third World Countries
Links to other online sites
The Digital Dividend Organisation
M2 Presswire (2003) UN: WSIS opening meeting discussed how digital divide is preventing equal sharing of opportunities concerning ICTs; Speakers call on need to promote international cooperation to reduce digital and other divides, Coventry, M2 Communications, Dec 12, p1-9
Rifkin, Jeremy (2000) The Age of Access: How the shift from ownership to access is transforming modern life, Penguin Group, London
Brooke Power 22:07, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
