United by digital divide

Features of the week:

Indications are rift that African initiative, the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) is increasingly gaining global attention, moreso, uniting the Least Developing Countries (LDCs), reports Remmy Nweke.

On March 14, 2005, when the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) was formally launched by the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his capacity as the chairman of the African Union (AU), many were assertions in support and against the initiative.

With successful end of the second phase of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS-2005) in Tunisia, weekend, indications showed its attracting more support, especially from developing countries of the world.

What this single step of the launch signified was that more political interest have been clamouring for support of this African initiative, which was proclaimed by the Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade at the first phase of WSIS.

The desire to see a new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) order within the New Partnership for Development in Africa (NEPAD) was the obvious spirit behind the proclamation.

Partnership that works

At the end of the first phase of WSIS held in Geneva between December 10 and 12, 2003 the initiative committee was formed and made up of the President of Senegal himself, the Mayor of Geneva, Mr. Christian Ferrazino, the Mayor of Lyon, Mr. Gerard Collomb, and the president of the Province of Torino, and member of European Parliament, Ms Mercedes Bresso.

Borne out of the aspiration to advance this emerging technologies beyond developed countries and to ensure that truly new society based on Information Society (IS) takes root in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like in Africa by transforming the public and private sectors while creating a new social, political, economic and cultural opportunities worldwide.

Projections are that this digital revolution if not well checked, will leave out millions of men and women, otherwise described as the ‘info poor’ behind, thus excluding great majority of those residing in developing countries as well as in rural areas.

All inclusive society

According to the DSF secretariat, economic sociological studies have shown that in many countries, the digital divide represents a factor of exclusion from global exchange processes, in essence restricting the development of intellectual capital and slowing down economic growth.

It also described digital divide as dangerously increasing the lack of understanding between cultures and civilizations. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports on the failings of technological changes to empower the developing world, warned against ever-growing disparities between affluent nations and those lacking basic skills, resources, and infrastructure.

Most of the world’s population lacks basic access to a telephone line, let alone to a computer, while entire societies are marginalised at the periphery of communication networks.

And in the bid to abridge the growth of digital disparities between
and within countries, the declarations of intent obviously made at the first phase was reportedly not enough, hence the endorsement of Plan of Action.

Therefore urgent action, is needed to respond to the shortage of basic equipment; investment in computer literacy and extending the reach of information flows represented in immense undertaking as well as core collaboration among stakeholders through a solidarity effort between cities, regions, states, civil society and the private sector.

However, as a move to complement existing national international financial resources, the creation of a world Digital Solidarity Fund based on voluntary contributions and operating in prompt and transparent manner becomes an appropriate response to the uneven distribution and use of ICTs.

The mission of the fund according to DSF secretariat would be to promote and finance development projects that will enable ‘excluded’ people and countries to return to the center stage of information society.

Support

In recent past, supports have come from some 20 members including government, regional organisations, cities and localities as well as international agencies through the African Union (AU) at the summit of African Heads of States held at Addis Ababa, July 2004 among others.

Currently, the foundation board comprises about 33 members with 15 to 20 others co-opted for a period of three years term. They come in equal numbers from three colleges in a tripartite representation.

Benefit

In order to benefit from DSF, candidates basically by countries would be selected on criterion set aside by the DSF secretariat, which consist of 60 per cent of its resources to be channeled on populations of least developed countries.

Also, 30 per cent of the total resources would be targeted at populations of developing countries and 10 per cent serving the nations in transition.

On the other hand, projects eligible to benefit particularly from DSF must be aimed at developing the good use of ICTs within communities ‘excluded’ from the development of ICT networks; while priority must be on women’s associations, youth or groups with specific needs such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, among others.

Gaining status

By the time WSIS ended Friday, November 18 in Tunis, DSF has gained more status of support with prominent among them being Nigeria’s redemption of its pledge of 500,000 Euros (about N76,380,882.16), to the initiative, and promised to provide office spaces for its African regional headquarters to be sited in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

President of Global DSF, Mr. Guy-Olivier Segond, was full of praises for supporting countries like Nigeria, Senegal, Cities of Lyon and Geneva as well as Dominican Republic, who was represented by the first lady of the country, Mrs. Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez.

Most interesting at the DSF function during WSIS-05, was the
electronically wrapping of Senegal’s official data in a 2.0 Universal Serial Bus (USB) with her national colours deep green-yellow-red.

Definitely the African initiative is not only gaining global attention but is gradually rejuvenating the way development responses should be made to the developing countries, especially using ICTs.