ICT

1

• ICT
• AND THE NETWORKED ECONOMY
• TRAINING FOR THE NEW ECONOMY
• Convened by
• the Centre for International Services,
• U.W.I., Cave Hill Campus
• and the Commonwealth Secretariat
• March 6-17, 2006
• Antigua

2

• SOCIAL EFFECTS OF ICT NETWORKS ON TRADE
• Daniel Pimienta
• pimienta_at_funredes.org
• Networks Development Foundation
• http//funredes.org

3

• NETWORKS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
• FUNDACIÓN REDES Y DESARROLLO
• http//funredes.org
• contact_at_funredes.org

4
Few words on FUNREDES

• FUNREDES-SHORT.ppt

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Few words on
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http//funredes.org/pimienta

• Born in Morroco, French
• Caribbean since 1988
• Citizen of the world (but close to the sun and
  the ocean ? )
• Mathematician and Computist
• PhD Univ. of Nice France
• Telecom. System Arquitect Planner in IBM France
  for 12 years
• International Consultant in ICT4D, for 18 years
• Civil Society global voice in Information Society
  matters
• International Writer Conferencist on ICT4D/IS
  themes

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I just want to ask you 3 basic questions ?
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1- Why social factors/impact must be considered
when focusing/trade/business (in the
Caribbean)?
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2- What are the social factors related to ICT
which represents the main blocking factors?
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3- How can policies address efficiently those
blocking factors?
POLICIES
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1- Why social factors/impact must be considered
when focusing trade/business?

• Economic and social cannot be disaggregated

• New economy stands on knowledge which in turn is
  dependant of social fabric.

• Product/services demand stands above social
  demand

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2- What are the social factors related to ICT
which act are main blocking factors?

• Digital Inclusion ? Working Internet with
  Social Vistion.ppt

• Digital litteracy ? ST KITTS.ppt

• Cultural Diversity

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Cultura/linguistic Diversity
The question of languages in the Caribbean
should not be underestimated
70 of the countries of the Caribbean have
English as the main language, 30 have Spanish,
French or Deutsch

• However, only 25 of the total population of the
  Caribbean is English speaking, 75 of the persons
  speaks Spanish or French.

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Cultura/linguistic Diversity

• In this context, Creole is a language of
  intercomprehension for an important part of the
  population
• And multilinguism is strategic for Caribbean
  Information Society
• (see in further reading David Graddols
  report)

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3- How can policies address efficiently those
blocking factors?

• From Digital Divide to Digital Dividend

• Capacity Building

• New Paradigm Approach ? e.gov_Barbados.pwp

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CONCLUSION - What are the key strategical
factors?

• Capacity building

• Multistakeholder participation/involvment

• Glocal vision

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FURTHER READINGS

• At the Boundaries of Ethics and Cultures Virtual
  Communities as an Open Ended Process Carrying the
  Will for Social Change (the "MISTICA"
  experience), D. Pimienta, 2005
• http//funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibrary/
  vthematic/icie/
• The Digital Divide  the same division of
  resources?, D. Pimienta, 2002
• http//www.funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibr
  ary/thematic/eng_doc_wsis1.html 
• Working the Internet with a social vision, CV
  MISTICA, 2002
• http//funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibrary/
  thematic/eng_doc_olist2.html
• The other side of the divide, collective document
  coordinated by REDISTIC/FUNREDES, 2003
• http//redistic.org/index.htm?bodyproyectosje
  n
• Measuring Linguistic Diversity on the Internet,
  D. Pimienta, UNESCO
• http//portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID2080
  4URL_DODO_TOPICURL_SECTION201.html
• The History of Networks in the Caribbean
  souvenirs et vision partielles por parte de un
  actor de terreno, D. Pimienta
• http//cardicis.org/docs/networkscaribbean_Pimien
  ta.rtf

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FURTHER READINGS

• Word matters Multicultural Perspectives on
  Information Societies,
• http//www.vecam.org/article.php3?id_article698
  nemoedm
• English Next, David Graddol, British Council
• http//www.britishcouncil.de/pdf/english-next-200
  6.pdf
• From the Digital Divide to Digital Opportunities.
  Measuring Infostates for Development, UNESCO
• http//www.orbicom.uqam.ca/projects/ddi2005/ind
  ex_ict_opp.pd
• Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the
  Diversity of Cultural Expressions 
• www.unesco.org/culture/diversite/convention/

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SITES TO VISIT

• Caribbean, Cultural Diversity Information
  Society
• http//cardicis.org
• Methodologies Social Impact of ICT in LAC
• http//funredes.org/mistica
• Observatory of Social Impact of ICT in LAC
• http//funredes.org/olistica

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SITES TO VISIT

• Caribbean ICT stakeholders virtual community
• http//www.dgroups.org/groups/icacaribbean

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GROUP WORK3 groups with the same 3 questionsin
sequence

• 1- Why social factors/impact must be considered
  when focusing/trade/business (in the
  Caribbean)?
• 2- What are the social factors related to ICT
  which act are main blocking factors?
• 3- How can policies address efficiently those
  blocking factors?
• ? Try to find what are the key strategical
  factors from your own perspective/context/history

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GROUP 1

• 1-
• Business ? Culture ? Behaviour/values?
  Consumption/business activity
• ? Participation
• 2
• being valued ? acceptance? participation
• Affordability ? access
• Social Adoption ? ones decision
• Geographical access potential
• 3
• Participatory multistakeholder process
• Education policy ? exposure, HR (sensitize
  train)
• Fiscal policy ? affordibility, access
• Government business policy

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GROUP 2

• 1
• Development not in vacuum
• Right to access/communicate
• 2
• Litteracy (on the increase)
• Culture (technophoby, external influence)
• Policy (lack of political ownership)
• 3
• Multistakeholder participation
• Awareness of Human Development (campaign)
• Comprehensive and structured policies (design,
  evaluation)
• Integration of ICT into education system
• Relevant Local content creation
• ? Caricom (rooted decisions)
• ICT is not PC only!!! (radio and other medias)

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GROUP 3

• 1
• Symbiosis society and business devt ?
  education/culture
• Culture ? habits/perception ? tune education
  process
• 2
• Digital divide (litteracies key)
• Cultural values ? management of change (roles
  definition)
• Adapt to expressed needs
• Poor policy formulation/ priorities
• Resource allocation to needs
• 3
• Political inclusion ? cohesive/creative
  participatory approach (stakeholder analysis,
  consultation)
• Go over analysis/paralysis syndrom
• Resource oriented policies/
• Measurement (constant dialog)
• Regional policy coordination

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GROUPS SYNTHESIS

• Question 1 (why considers social?)
• Business ? Culture ? Behaviour/values?
  Consumption/business activity
• Participation
• Development not in vacuum
• Right to access/communicate

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GROUPS SYNTHESIS

• Question 2 Blocking factors?
• People not being valued ? no acceptance? no
  participation
• No affordability ? no access
• Not ones decision ? No Social adoption
• No geographical access
• Lack of Litteracy (on the increase)
• Culture (technophoby, external influence)
• Policy (lack of political ownership)
• Digital divide (litteracies key)
• Cultural values ? management of change (roles
  definition)
• Low Adaptation to expressed needs
• Poor policy formulation/ priorities
• No resource allocation to needs

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GROUPS SYNTHESIS

• Question 3 What policies?
• Participatory cohesive creative multistakeholder
  process
• Education policy ? exposure, HR (sensitize
  train)
• Fiscal policy ? affordibility, access
• Government business policy
• Awareness of Human Development (campaign)
• Comprehensive and structured policies (design,
  evaluation)
• Integration of ICT into education system
• Relevant Local content creation
• ICT Political inclusion ? stakeholder analysis,
  consultation
• Go over analysis/paralysis syndrom
• Resource oriented policies
• Measurement (constant dialog)
• Regional policy coordination with regionally
  rooted decisions