Bridging the Digital Divide
October 2000
Banner photo: ©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO
Bridging the Digital Divide
The "Digital Divide" has hit the headlines this year, and has been the subject of debates at the United Nations and the G-8 Summit, which issued the Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society. While the vast gaps separating rich and poor, developed and developing nations, are not new, the realization that recent leaps in information technology are likely to dramatically accentuate the advantage held by the "haves" has led to several new initiatives aimed at bridging the divide.
The UN secretary-general has announced the formation of a new volunteer corps, the United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS), to train groups in developing countries in the uses and opportunities of the Internet and information technology.
Yet in July 2000 he also asked, "Let us be realistic: what is the value of Internet connection to those who cannot read or write? The first step towards technological literacy is basic education. Today, 80 percent of the material available on the web is in English, most of it aimed primarily at well-heeled and well-educated people. Naturally, it reflects their interests. Information technology can give many poor countries the chance to leapfrog some long and painful stages in the development process. But today, only five percent of the world's population is connected, and half does not even have access to a telephone."
In this feature, the SGI Quarterly presents an overview of the issue and highlights some initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide.
