MEDIA: What the Information Society Should Know

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

ROME, May 23 2003 (IPS) - The Global Knowledge Partnership will be a key participant at the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva this December.

Walter Fust, director-general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and chairman of the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) for promotion of information and communication technology for development, talks to IPS on what the GKP can do, and what it would like the WSIS to achieve.

Q: The GKP website describes the WSIS as “high-level discussions on the challenges and impact of the Information Age.” So many capitals and acronyms, don’t you feel the discussions could become so “high level” that they lose contact with reality, with the challenges of the real world, and with the needs of the people? How would these meetings make a difference?

A: GKP will make a difference, and do its utmost to give people a voice, and present its concerns. Besides the political summit, other major events around the WSIS will be organised, such as the multi-stakeholder platform on ICT (information and communications technology) for Development. That will include exhibitions, workshops, debates etc. The GKP will be able to make a great impact because the members of GKP come from all levels: from policy makers to grassroots practitioners, and from government, private and civil society.

Q: The GKP says it will work to increase access to knowledge and information, strengthen the voice of the disadvantaged, and encourage networking and information exchange. How will these aims be achieved in practical terms?

A: We shall contribute to content development in the preparatory process by organising an e-consultation platform for GKP members. We intend to network with other partners, and GKP will organise the ICT4D platform (www.ict-4d.org) along with the Swiss government.

Q: The GKP has announced it will share its experience of best practices and lessons learnt. Could you mention some examples of good practice?

A: GKP will share its members’ knowledge and experience in organising connectivity, capacity building for mobilising, and validating indigenous knowledge and local content. The GKP website (www.globalknowledge.org) showcases many projects.

Q: What do you do with a government that denies people access to information?

A: Rules and governance for use of ICT are on the WSIS agenda and will be addressed. Governments that do not give people access to information will be encouraged to change their attitude. A dialogue with them will be very important in order to convince them.

Q: Access to information is considered vital for development, but recent events are switching attention to other issues such as security. The Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno said once: “The truth before peace.” Do you agree?

A: Peace is a precondition for security. Security is a precondition for development and a prosperous life. Truth is truth in all situations of a life cycle for individuals and decent educated human beings.

Q: Do you feel the war in Iraq and subsequent terrorist attacks are drawing attention away from challenges such as this?

A: Spectacular events, unfortunately, especially negative ones always divert public attention. The future of the information society is a highly societal and political issue, likely to affect us all. The whole of our society has to address this issue in a global and local context, taking the cultural environment into consideration. (END/IPS/EU/WD/IV/MG/SS/03)