Our Role in ICT- Get Involved!

Although ICT is a means by which to assist in the global effort to eradicate poverty, there are many things that as an individual I can do. As a citizen with limited resources and reach, I can utilize the resources that are available to me. For instance, I can volunteer my time at organizations that do have the ability to impact change globally. There are many secondary education schools that offer the chance for students to take a part in the effort. Ways to reach out and help have been outlined on the UN website. Below I have shared the list as comprised on the UNwebsite. The links are active so the programs content can be viewed in further detail.

Millennium Campaign

Join the growing global movement of people who are demanding that their government honor their commitments to achieve the MDGs by 2015. Rich or poor, young or old, man or woman, your voice counts.

Stand Up Against Poverty

Join millions worldwide as they Stand Up and Take Action against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. Last year, over 43 million people stood up to demand that world leaders keep their promises to end poverty and inequality . This year, help us break that record and send an even louder message to our governments.

UN Works

Are you or your community helping change the world for the better? Are you trying to do something about poverty, climate change, child labour or other issues? Have you benefited from the UN's work? Inspire others and share your experience. E-mail your story in 500 words or less and it may be featured on the UN Works site -- an innovative multimedia platform that puts a human face on the work of the UN by exploring global issues through the personal stories of people and their communities.

Global Call for Action against Poverty

The Global Call for Action against Poverty is a growing alliance of community groups, women’s and youth organizations, faith groups, trade unions, NGOs and other campaigners working together across more than 100 national platforms, calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality.

Civil Society Action

Since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration, civil society organizations have strived to contribute and influence the discourse relating to the Millennium Development Goals. Whether critical or optimistic, it is evident that the engagement of civil society organizations has served to enrich the dialogue and debates surrounding the Millennium Development Goals.

Millennium Promise

There are a number of ways you can get involved with Millennium Promise, from educational outreach to donating to the You+Village campaign. You can also see what others are doing for more ideas.

Role of ICT in Building Sustainable Development

The role of ICT in building sustainable development is one that is needed and paramount in order to reach the goals of the Millennium Development Group. ICT is necessary to bring technology to places where it does not exist and once implemented, it can be utilized to teach and educate. The definition of sustainable development is "The reduction of hunger and poverty in environmentally sound ways. It includes the meeting of basic needs, expanding economic opportunities, protecting and improving the environment and promoting pluralism and democratic participation". With the resources and the pivotal role that ICT will play, people can be taught how to manage the resources around them. They can learn how to reduce poverty by efficient manufacturing of food products. This will have a two-fold effect; creating jobs and reducing hunger.

ICT will also play a role in providing the technology that is detrimental to healthcare. The result of ICT in this role will be seen in improved and efficient quality care in medicine within developing countries. It will help to provide access to information for those in the healthcare industry who in turn will be able to assist in caring for the general public. Methods for using ICT that will result in improved care are record-keeping and dissemination of crucial information. The main idea is to be able to share knowledge in treatment and preventive practice. When these principles are applied consistently, there will be a noticeable increase in the overall population life span.

Importance of e-Government & Governance

To begin with, let’s look specifically at what e-government and goverence is about. "E-government is a general term describing the use of technologies to facilitate the operation of government and the disbursement of government information and services."[1] Governance relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists either of a separate process or of a specific part of management or leadership processes. Sometimes people set up a government to administer these processes and systems. [2]

The basic purpose of e-government is for the government to effectively utilize technology (i.e. the internet) to offer information and services to all citizens. There are many pro's to taking this approach. It can prove to be very cost effective and will also be convenient. Convenience is paramount and essential to ensure that all people are able to access resources that are needed. There are many benefits to e-government; these include reduced cost, increased revenue, enhanced speed & efficiency, and accountability. Currently, e-government is viewed as a secondary communication tool that can be utilized since there are other options available (such as calling or visiting the appropriate department). In order to gauge how effective e-government would be, there should be incentives for the public to use this method. The way things are nowadays, almost everyone is connected to the internet or some other means of e-communication. To keep up with the advances in technology and communication, the government needs to keep in step and in tune with how society communicates.

Governance is equally, if not more significant that e-government. When people speak about goverence, it is important to discern between governance and good goverence. We know and understand what goverence is but what is good goverence? The role of goverence is to promote policy making. Additionally, good governance has 8 major characteristics. They are participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and following the rules of the law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society."[3] Here is a summary of those eight characteristics:

• Participation: It is important that men and woman both participate and this is a key cornerstone of good goverence. This participation can be in the form of direct or indirect representation.
• Rule of law: The enforcement of fair legal framework; full protection of human rights (especially of minorities).
• Transparency: This requires that enforcement of all rules and regulations are conducted in a manner that is impartial. The information surrounding these rules and regulations must be freely available in a comprehensible format.
• Responsiveness: Institutions & processes attempt to serve all interested parties within a reasonable timeframe.
• Consensus oriented: Ensuring that the majority interest of the community are taken into consideration and a plan is drafted that will outline how those interest will be met.
• Equity & inclusiveness: Ensuring that all members of society feel that their opinion matters and that they have the power to enact change (sound familiar?)
• Effectiveness & efficiency: Ensuring the best use of available resources to obtain the desired results.
• Accountability: Ensuring that “an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law.”

References:

1. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-e-government.htm

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governance

3. http://www.unescap.org/pdd/prs/ProjectActivities/Ongoing/gg/governance.asp

Globalization & Collaboration

Don Tapscott, author of Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, states that the new art and science of wikinomics is based on four powerful new ideas: openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally. This section of my blog explores that theory and why.

Openness: A specific example here is when Microsoft and Cisco decided to work together in certain markets. Traditionally, these two companies were competitors but decided that it would be beneficial to their respective customers if they were to instead work together. Even thought they dominated in different markets, as they began to expand, they found that they were stepping on each others toes. These markets included security, mobile computing, information technology architecture and unified communications.[1,2]
This is a good idea because the union of these two companies will allow for products that are interoperable thus decreasing customer confusion as to which products will best enhance their current product base.

Peering: This is where a multitude of people come together to collaborate on a certain project and work to enhance it. This is particularly true with open source technology. As an example, we can look at a file format called open Document. It "is a file format for electronic office documents such as spreadsheets, charts, presentations and word processing documents." "Organizations and individuals that store their data in an open format such as OpenDocument avoid being locked in to a single software vendor, leaving them free to switch software if their current vendor goes out of business, raises their prices, changes their software, or changes their licensing terms to something less favorable."
This is a good idea because it gives people choices of what type of software they are using as well as the flexibility to change. They are not locked into one vendor thus being or becoming a victim to high licensing fees or incompatibility with new software.[3,4]

Sharing: When we think of sharing, I believe peer to peer sharing comes to mind. This gained popularity with peer to peer sharing applications such as Filezilla, and eDonkey (primarily music sharing apps). When sites such as Kazaa and LimeWire were targeted because of illegal file sharing, users sought to get around the legality by sharing with one another (which is borderline permissible). There are other peer to peer entities that operate from the same ideals. For example, there is peer to peer lending sites. These sites allow for borrowers and lenders to come together is a way that is beneficial to them both. It is beneficial for borrowers in that they usually receive a lower interest rate and beneficial for the lenders in that they will usually receive a better return on their investment (loan to the borrower).[5]

Acting Globally: What this idea is all about is companies being able to "know the world, its markets, technologies, people" and culture. AN example of a company that does this well is IBM. IBM understands what it takes to have a global presence and cater to those in these individual markets. There are different demands in the market which is highly dependent on location. IBM understands these challenges and is a true global company. "As the largest provider of IT services in the world, IBM manages thousands of client and partner relationships in some 170 countries." [6]


These collaborative technologies do address the global issues that we have looked at so far. Within the goals set by the MDG, it is understood that the world's most robust countries and corporations must unify to eradicate poverty and increase education. By employing the idea set forth in this reading, there is no doubt that eventually, the goals will be reached.


References:

1. http://news.cnet.com/Cisco,-Microsoft-Cozy-competitors/2100-1014_3-6203541.html

2. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/MSFTCisco/default.mspx

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument

5. http://www.peer-lend.com/

6. http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/25498.wss

Sustainable Development

There is no point in taking on an initiative if there is comprehension of data. It is therefore paramount to interpret the data accurately in order to be able to utilize it in a manner that is to the benefit of those most affected. Hans Rosling mentioned and pointed out many trends in developed as well as undeveloped countries. He showed in a clear, and sometimes humorous way, trends in these countries and how within these trends, countries that were viewed to be industrial and civilized by today’s standards (such as the US) were the focal point and baseline by which other countries were compared against. As an example, during a point in the video, Hans compared and contrasted the US and Philippians in relation to health and economic growth. The Philippians in 2007 have almost the same economy as the US during the 1st world war. But the US health in 1957 was the same as the Philippines was in 2007. The Philippians were healthier than the US but the US dominated economy-wise.
After watching this very enlightening video by Hans Rosling, to me sustainable development means to reduce hunger and poverty in impoverished countries without endangering the environment, but instead building it. Throughout the presentation by Hans, he showed how this was possible. This can be achieved by educating the population, providing them with the means and know-how to survive and grow. Hans also pointed out several factors that are important for development. He listed human rights, environment, governance, economic growth, education, health and culture. From this list, he stated that economic growth was the most important "mean" while culture was most the most important “goal”. Measurement of sustainable development is difficult to gauge but is possible. As Hans stated, it is a gradual progression and one that can be determined, but only over a prolonged period of time. To measure sustainable development, you look at the dimensions of development which are: human rights, environment, governance, economic growth, education, health and culture (as also mentioned previously in this writing and in the video). The UK government, for its country, uses certain indicators that point to certain trends. Some of these trends that show sustainable development were:

• Woodland bird populations in the North West increased by more than in any other region from 1994 to 2003
• The region has seen the largest decrease in the number of homeless households since 1998 and the largest decrease in the proportion of young adults not in employment, education or training since 1997
• The North West has the highest level of household waste produced per person and the highest rate of cigarette smoking in the country, with 30 per cent of people in the region considered to be smokers
• The region has seen the largest decrease in pupils walking or cycling to school since 1992-4. The North West had the smallest regional decrease in people killed or seriously injured in road accidents, and has the highest road accident casualty rate of the regions

The goals of the MDG are directly related to sustainable development and as such are paramount to the success thereof. Reaching each goal is a milestone to with efforts to reduce poverty, disease and environmental factors. As a refresher, the eight goals of the MDG are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger - increase in food prices, low wages and insecure jobs are the main reasons for poverty and hunger in under developed countries.
2. Achieve universal primary education – low enrollment in schools and the inability to have programs that target poor communities has resulted in low percentage of children completing their education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women – continue to open doors for young girls in education and the work force.
4. Reduce Child Mortality - diseases and lack of vaccinations for children are lowering their life expectancy rates, raising awareness and vaccinating these children will increase their mortality rates.
5. Improve maternal health – conditions for women who are pregnant are affecting their chances of survival in terms of carrying the baby to term or surviving after child birth.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases – although the HIV/AIDS epidemic is on a decline it still affects millions of people today. Sexual education and disease awareness in under developed countries is a way of helping to increase the decline.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability – researching and targeting the affects of gases in the air that are affecting Global Warming
8. Develop a global partnership for development – targeting aid relief for under developed countries.

References:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty.html

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6598

http://edc.uoregon.edu/

MDG & Global Issues

The UN Millennium Development Goals and Global Issues is a joint effort to reduce extreme poverty throughout the world's most impoverished countries. There are eight development goals that the international community has deemed should be completed by 2015. When this declaration was adopted in the year 2000, it was perceived that in order to successfully accomplish these goals, it would require unprecedented support and approximately 15 years to do so. In the time that has elapsed since then, there has been major progress, however, due to unforeseen factors, there is the possibility that some of the goals will not be reached. There have been downward changes to the environment (global warming), an economic slowdown, and an increase in the cost of food (food crisis). These are major factors and as such have the potential to halt the momentum.

The above mentioned factors as well as others undoubtedly have a far reaching impact on the success of the MDG's. It is paramount to "get back on track" and strive to eradicate the impoverished conditions that have taken hold in many countries. The question is how to do this. How can Information & Communication Technology help in this struggle? I remember an adage that states: "People will do better if they know better". This is where ICT can start - with education. For those that are impoverished, trying to better their lifestyle and pull themselves up by their bootstraps WITHOUT having the knowledge or desired skill-set, would be like trying to swim in the ocean with 20lb weights on your back! There have been so many significant steps made with technology that can be used to teach people the basics and then build from that. In corporate America - we have and use video conferencing on a daily basis. If there are no teachers in these countries, or a shortage thereof, then let’s stick some video conferencing equipment in the classrooms. Granted, the personal physical contact isn't there, however, the ability and means to provide a basic education is. Unlocking knowledge and creativity can potentially lead to a better lifestyle and the ability to obtain a better standard of living. Education is the perfect place to start for ICT. As there is a gap in gender parity, it is important that the education is made available (and stressed) to females as well as males. Still, there are other ways ICT can help reach many of the other predefined goals. For instance, many children, under the age of 5, are dying and it seems to be that the majority are for children "from rural and poor families and whose mothers lack basic education". This could be due to lack of basic parenting skills and nutrition. Again, ICT can play a huge role here.

I noticed that the reading stated there were over 60 million new mobile telephone subscribers in Africa in 2006. That is great! We take for granted the ability to pick up a phone and call someone. This is helpful to raise morale, calm anxieties, call for help or just to maintain contact with a friend or family member. ICT should continue this effort to provide mobile phones to those in need.

It has been proven that the injection of ICT into countries that suffer from extreme poverty and technological deficiencies will only benefit. It is up to the international community to make it happen.