WORKSHOP
THE INTERNET PHENOMENON: Its Impact Upon Developing Countries
AGENDA FOR ACTION
Proposal presented by the
NETWORKS & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
(Fundaci˘n Redes Y Desarrollo, Funredes)
for consideration by the
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH COUNCIL, IDRC.
Caracas, Venezuela April 1995,
Final Version
Table of Contents
- Introduction 2
- Antecedents 2
- MOTIVATION 3
- GOALS 5
- General 5
- Specifics 5
- ExPECTED RESULTS 6
- Immediate 6
- Short term 6
- Long term 7
- Impact 8
- Budget 8
VII.Schedule 9
- Check Points 9
- First Check Point 9
- Second Check Point 9
- Third (and last) Check Point 10
- Tasks 10
- Gestation and planning of the Workshop 10
- Holding the Workshop 11
- Follow up activities after the workshop 12
- Partners/Counterparts/Consultants 12
- Enclosures 13
ENCLOSURE 1: FUNREDES briefing 14
WORKSHOP
THE INTERNET PHENOMENON: ITS IMPACT UPON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Agenda for Action
- INTRODUCTION
We, at the Networks & Development Foundation,
FUNREDES, plan, for a prominent group of experts coming from
a variety of fields, to meet during 5 days, in order to discuss
about the impact that within the next 2 years will have the
INTERNET Phenomenon upon Developing Countries.
FUNREDES proposes an "expert group" workshop, with
participants from a variety of fields, in order to address the issue
of the impact of the "Internet Phenomenon", i.e., the expansion of
computer networks and the use of information technology
(NETS&IT), on developing countries.
While not minimizing the difficulty of the task, the Workshop
looks beyond a significant expansion of developing country
network nodes and interconnect links in the near future. Its focus
is not on how to achieve that task, but is with regard to the
implications of NETS&IT as a vehicle, and venue, for wider
socio-economic and cultural processes.
The focus of the Workshop will be to identify critical issues,
flag strategic players, and propose key initiatives and responses
to be implemented in the next two years. As a result of the
discussion should emerge a set of strategic collaborative
initiative proposals for consideration by stakeholders, funding
agencies and various levels of civil society, aiming to catalyze
the process, to induce some directionality or just to alert the
interested sectors in order to apply the feasible provisions.
- ANTECEDENTS
The host agency for the workshop, the Network and
Development Foundation (Fundacion Redes y Desarrollo)
FUNREDES, born out of the efforts of the REDALC Office
(Santo Domingo) and its work in the field of Computer Mediated
Communications (CMC) has a long history of work in telematic
networking. From the beginning REDALC, and FUNREDES,
have been interested in the conceptual and methodological
aspects of networks, information technology and social process,
and have been directly involved in planning, designing, setting in
place and running telematic networks.
From the beginning the focus has been on the enduser and the
enduse, rather than limiting attention to the technological aspects
of nodes, connections, interfaces and network applications.
FUNREDES has focused its attention on NETS&IT and their
social process aspects in particular relation to developing
countries.
NETS&IT, under their media label "Internet", are seen as a
highway or pipeline linking developed and developing worlds
alike. There are conflicting opinions as to their impact on
developing countries. One view casts them as yet another
international structure for the further marginalization of
developing countries. Another view casts them as creating a more
level playing field, a virtual workspace or venue free from those
material constraints of time and space which in the past so
disadvantaged the developing world on the global stage.
The truth is that while technology will shape the process, it
will not uniquely determine the outcome. The outcome depends in
large measure upon how countries and groups individually and
collaboratively use NETS&IT for purposeful activity in pursuit of
specific ends. This FUNREDES Internet Phenomenon Workshop
will explore the critical issues, contribute to an understanding of
the potential for using NETS&IT, and produce a set of strategic
collaborative initiative proposals for consideration by
stakeholders, funding agencies and various levels of civil society.
The INTERNET has come to be notorious by the public
opinion throughout a growing mediatization lacking the
corresponding research. This has some risks. It seems then
appropriate the moment to invite some distinguished minds to a
sound reflection about the impact that the INTERNET
Phenomenon will have upon Developing Countries.
- MOTIVATION
In August of 1993 the Internet Society statistics on Internet
growth registered a figure of approximately 20 million and
growth rates which would have the whole population of the globe
using the Internet by the year 2001. The Society reported (July
1993) that there were then in excess of 1.7 million Internet nodes
with one node for every 250 people or less in the US and
Norway. Starting from much lower, and in some cases near zero,
base levels the same rates of growth are being experienced in
developing countries. In January of 1995 the whole population
accessing the Internet was estimated in approximately 70 millions
The diffusion of network access and the use of information
technology have proceeded at a rate unprecedented in the history
of technology. In one form or another the existence of NETS&IT
will be a material factor in almost all aspects of socio-economic
and cultural life, and almost everywhere in the globe, by the year
2000. Because of their impact on the role of time and space, they
are emerging as the "appropriate technology" for diverse settings
in both advanced industrial and developing societies.
Of particular importance to developing countries is the fact
that their impact, as across social groups and across social issues
is not at all clear. Neither is it clear what are the appropriate
purposeful responses to be entertained by stakeholders in
developing countries.
On the service NETS&IT, (the Internet) offers a set of basic
functionalities with regard to moving packets of data between
sites around the globe. They include
- electronic messaging
- electronic file transfer
- remote access to information sites (textual, numerical,
audio/visual objects, application software)
- conferencing (collaborative work)
In the context of developing countries it is equally important to
realize that local obstacles of time and space, aggravated by lack
of resources, are as binding as are the global obstacles. This
points to the need to cultivate local subcultures of activity, data
provision, and conferences in response to local needs, both
among and within the regions of the developing world.
A systematic approach to these issues leads us to issues like
information access, collaborative work in the virtual workspace,
virtual research and policy venues, and the impact of NETS&IT
on research, education, knowledge transfer and learning in all
sectors and all aspects of society. It points to the creation of
virtual (research and education) organizations, of groupwork
structures and approaches to problems and solutions which
transcend the traditional borders between disciplines and activity
sites. It is particularly rich in its implications for dealing with
global environmental issues while at the same time equally rich in
its implications with regard to the local basis for civil society.
Phrases like the "Invisible School", the "Global Village" and
the Collaboratory" suggest both a scale of operation and degree
of interconnectedness. What is less recognized is that this process
can and will reproduce itself at various levels of aggregation,
from the global down to the local, and that what is needed is a
purposeful mastery of the potential uses of the technology, and not
simply a mastery of its tools. A more descriptive metaphor would
be a multi-tasking central nervous system, operating a multiple
levels of aggregation and desegregation.
The Internet itself is simply the integration of two components
of computer based technologies, NETS&IT, the marriage of
networking and information technology applications. At its core it
involves moving packets of data, as electronic impulses, radio
signals, or bursts of light, from one place to another. It gets its
power from its uses and the fact that it is "appropriate" across
such diverse settings.
The profound impact of NETS&IT on the media, as the media
are currently perceived, is to change the central element in
communications from one of information distribution to one of
information access. It is this central fact of access across time and
space which holds the greatest promise and threat to sustainable
socio-economic and cultural activity in developing countries. It is
to be noticed that the out of proportion attention the mass media
have began to dedicate to this network, is inducing some
"notabilization" of the INTERNET world. By leaving its place
besides the foreground, it gets power and visibility but the threat
arises of loosing its creative potential. It is time to reflect about it
before the INTERNET becomes another homeostatic fashion.
While it is not clear to what extent the world of the 21st
Century will be "made" by the nature of the technology and those
who hold the bulk of global power, it is clear that NETS&IT are
the appropriate venue, the virtual workspace in which much about
the issues of sustainable development, civil society, social
process and justice will be decided.
The challenge for developing countries lies then not with the
problem of access, the so-called "last mile problem", nor with the
problems of training for how to use and how to sustain networked
access to the Internet. The challenge is to fashion purposeful
collaborative work aimed at capacity building in and beyond the
virtual workspace to address the local and global problems and
opportunities facing developing countries today. It is with this
intention that the proposed FUNREDES Internet Phenomenon
Workshop will explore the critical issues, contribute to an
understanding of the potential for using NETS&IT, and produce a
set of strategic collaborative initiative proposals for
consideration by stakeholders, funding agencies and various
levels of civil society. Furthermore, the presentations and
deliberations of the workshop itself will produce a lasting record
of thought about the issues, challenges and opportunities to be
faced in the next two years.
- GOALS
- GENERAL
1. Through the use of a group of qualified experts from different
fields, to facilitate a discussion on the short run implications of NETS&IT
for strategic options in developing countries.
2. To generate a set of issue/policy/initiative templates to serve as a
basis for collaborative initiatives among and across stakeholders (in particular
in Latin America and the Caribbean).
3. To identify several sector/activity specific initiatives which are
to constitute follow-up activities to be initiated by FUNREDES and its
collaborators.
4. Seek expert, stakeholder, and FUNREDES commitments on follow up with
regard to (a) critical short run efforts for sustainable initiatives, and (b)
sources of funding support.
- SPECIFICS
To produce a series of strategic and tactical
recommendations about the following topics:
- Economic Aspects: Investment, costs, tariffs, the
"commercialization" of the Internet and its impact on
economic prospects for developing countries.
- Public Policy Aspects: Telecom and tariff rules, NGO
and educational access vs commercial access.
Technology watch and forecasting services. Role
Played by the Mass Media
- Educational Aspects: Learning and Training, Distance
Education, Just-in-time Open Learning, Virtual
research institutes, information provider sites,
collaborative education and research, Integrated
Multimedia as a complement to the INTERNET
services.
4. End User Issues: Access, Awareness, Gender and
Class, Empowerment and self-regarding action,
occupational health and safety issues (Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome, Radiation, etc.), Mediatics. "Diabetes
informaticus".
5. Technology Aspects: Appropriate technologies, appropriate settings,
objectives and pedagogies, satellites, mobile and interactive technologies.
6. Information Aspects: Information Technologies,
Information provider/user skills
("Neodocumentalists"), Provider Site capabilities,
Virtual access and publishing.
7. Sociological Aspects: Technology and socio-cultural barriers and
facilitators in the virtual workspace. Virtualizacion.
8. Political Aspects: Participation, Citizenship, North-
South Imbalances, South-South Opportunities, Local
Resources for Local Uses.
9. Legal Aspects: Intellectual Property and Privacy issues.
- EXPECTED RESULTS
The Workshop will be designed to produce the following
results:
- IMMEDIATE
- Critical factors: Areas for immediate collaborative
attention in order to assure full developing country
participation on the NETS&IT and within the virtual
workspace.
- Strategies and Initiatives: Short term scenarios within
the scope and resources of stakeholder organizations,
as well as strategies to promote stakeholder buy-in to
initiatives.
- Guidelines for strategic collaborative action across
regions or subject/task areas
- Proposals for collaborative work (implementation
initiatives, research, training, etc.) involving the
institutions and experts represented at the Workshop.
- SHORT TERM
FUNREDES as the organizing and host organization
would be committed to the following actions:
- That the experts produce short discussion/position
papers to be posted to a pre-workshop conference site
on the Internet. The papers should also be made
widely available to stakeholder groups in the
Dominican Republic.
- To negotiate with related national, regional and
international organizations to make specific use of the
deliverables from the workshop.
- As a post-script to the workshop, there will be a one-
day workshop in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, in which the general results of the workshop
are discussed with local stakeholder groups in order
to (a) inform them of the consensus/non-consensus
deliberations, and (b) set the stage for initiatives
within various Rep. Dom. groups.
- To place for access on the Internet everything that
flows into and from the sessions of the Workshop and
to prepare a document built on the ideas and lessons
learned within the Workshop. This later document
would be published in an edited format for durability,
relevance and affordability.
- LONG TERM
Recognizing that the time frame for actions is the next
two years, the efforts of the Workshop will be directed to:
- Contributing to strategic planning for the use of
NETS&IT in developing countries in the pursuit of
pressing issues.
- Contribute to a base of training materials directed at
the uses of NETS&IT as integral to collaborative
work, and training on how to "live and learn" in the
virtual workspace of the Internet.
- FUNREDES, in collaboration with other agencies,
will take responsibility for assessing the impact of
NETS&IT in critical areas and promoting the transfer
of knowledge with regard to lessons learned in this
area.
The Workshop is also intended to create new "virtual
workspace" activities for collaborative work and set the
basis for a follow-up Workshop after two years, in order to
take stock of progress, lessons learned, and the new list of
critical short term tasks in the quest for sustained capacity
building to address the socio-economic and environmental
problems of developing countries.
- IMPACT
It is foreseen to act upon:
- The identification and animation of desired scenarios
for developing countries related to the uses of
NETS&IT for achieving socio-economic and
environmental objectives.
- The production and distribution (or posting in Internet
access sites) of useful guidelines for policy making,
program development and project implementation
making use of the NETS&IT virtual workspace as a
venue integral to the work and mission of the task as
hand.
- A hightened ability to discriminate between
appropriate and inappropriate initiatives with regard
to the development of NETS&IT and the uses of
NETS&IT, as an aid to project developers, funding
organizations and collaborative stakeholders (national
governments, institutions, NGOs)
- The documentary and knowledge base for sensitizing
stakeholders, funders, the public and others about the
issues involved in the growth and use of NETS&IT as
a virtual workspace and venue.
- BUDGET
TABLE DELETED ASK NON ASCII VERSION
The 15 experts, invited to participate in the discussions during
the Workshop, will have their transportation expenses covered.
The location selected for the Workshop will be apt for
undisturbed reflection, in a place retired from any big city. The
city of Saman�, in Dominican Republic is considered as a first
choice.
It is planned a staying of 6 days both for the experts and
organizers. The project budget covers the corresponding
expenses.
No honorarums will be paid.
The Workshop's official language will be English, and there
will not be simultaneous translation.
During the Workshop all participants will have access to the
Internet.
The final document would be produced in Spanish and in
English.
- SCHEDULE
- CHECK POINTS
During the present Project, the following three Check
Points are planned:
- FIRST CHECK POINT
By the ending of the Workshop preparatives. The First
Progress Report will include:
- Workshop Program (topics to be addressed)
- Approved Proposal
- Book keeping of funds assigned to the Project
- Acceptance letters from the participants
- Service proposal from the organizer contractor
- Supporting documentation distributed through the
"IMPACTO" Electronic Conference.
- SECOND CHECK POINT
Once the Workshop is concluded. The Second Progress Report
will include:
- Summaries of the participants's Curriculum vitae
- Adopted methodology
- Working Panels: topics, members and minute-men
- Leveling introductory lectures
- Intergroups suggestions
- Listing of areas for immediate collaborative attention
- Short term scenarios involving stakeholder organizations
- Guidelines for strategic collaborative actions
- Draft proposals for further collaborative work involving
the participants.
- THIRD (AND LAST) CHECK POINT
One year after the Workshop. The Third Progress Report will
include:
- Conclusions and recommendations emanated from the Santo
Domingo One-day Workshop sustained with stakeholders
groups based in Dominican Republic.
- Final document built on the ideas and lessons learned within
the Workshop.
- copy of the material supplied to the written mass media about
what came up from the Workshop
- list of Radio and TV programs in which the organizers and
attendants of the Workshop have participated
- copy of the informative material consensually approved by the
participants through the "IMPACTO" Electronic Conference,
and widespread through the INTERNET
- references to sessions of selective dissemination of what might
have been done, together with specialized entities
- summary of what have been done related to follow up and
control of continuing evaluation mechanism defined during the
Workshop.
- TASKS
This initiative implies a set of activities distributed in the
F0ll0wing thrEe phases:
- Gestation and planning of the Workshop
- Holding of the Workshop
- Follow up activities after the Workshop.
The follows are the details of each of the phases:
- GESTATION AND PLANNING OF THE WORKSHOP
It begins with the conception of the idea and ends up with the
0pening 0f thE w0rksh0p ab0ut the INTERNET Phen0men0N: its
Impact up0n DEvel0ping C0uNtries. It inCludes the f0Ll0wing
Activities:
- Conception of the idea by FUNREDES
- Early validation, by renown actors, about the pertinence and
Relevance 0f Carrying 0ut This Pr0ject
- Selection of the themes to be addressed
- Nomination of potential participants
- Writing of the actual proposal
- Getting financial support
- Legal agreement with the contractor for the holding of the
w0rksh0p
- Formal invitation to the participants
- Acceptance letters from the participants
- Opening at some Internet site the "IMPACTO" Electronic
c0nference; aS private, t0 interact witH the c0nfirmEd
Participants (f0r circulatI0n 0f b0th aDministrative inf0rmati0n
And technical supp0rting d0cuments). F0R 0bvi0us reaS0ns it is
Assumed that All pers0naliTies invited T0 participatE in this
Event are actIve users 0f The iNTERNET
- Writing of the First Progress Report of the Project
- Mobilization of organizers and participants
- Beginning of the holding of the Workshop about The
iNTERNET Phen0men0n: its iMpact up0n DeVel0ping
c0untries.
- HOLDING THE WORKSHOP
It includes the following activities:
- Official Opening of the Workshop, by the FUNREDES Head
- Self-introduction of each one of the participants
- Presentation of the proposed methodology to be applied during
The W0rksh0p. Ref0rmulati0N by c0nsensuAl agreement Am0ng
The 0rganizerS and particiPants
- Structuring of the Working Panels and identification of their
C0rresp0nding "minute-pers0n". The f0ll0wing thematiC
Criteria are Suggested:
Panel A:
- EdUcati0nal AspEcts: LearninG and traininG, Distance
educati0n, JuSt-in-time OpEn Learning, Virtual reseaRch
Institutes, iNf0rmati0n pr0vider sites, c0llab0rativE
Educati0n and research, InTegrated MultImedia as a
C0mplement t0 the INTERNET services.
- EnD user Issues: Access, AwaReness, GendeR and Class,
emp0werment aNd self-regarDing acti0n, 0ccupati0nal
Health and saFety issues (Carpal Tunnel Syndr0me,
radiati0n, etC.), MediaticS. "diabetes Inf0rmaticus".
Panel B:
- TeChn0l0gy AspeCts: Appr0priAte techn0l0gIes, appr0priAte
Settings, 0bjEctives and pEdag0gies, saTellites, m0bIle and
Interactive tEchn0l0gies.
- InF0rmati0n AspEcts: Inf0rmaTi0n Techn0l0Gies, Inf0rmaTi0n
Pr0vider/user skills ("Ne0D0cumentalistS"), Pr0vider Site
Capabilities, Virtual acceSs and publisHing.
Panel C:
- Ec0n0mic AspectS: Investment, c0sts, tariFfs, the
"c0mmercializAti0n" 0f the Internet and its impact 0N
Ec0n0mic pr0sPects f0r devEl0ping c0untRies.
Panel D:
- PuBlic P0licy ASpects: Telec0m and tariff rules, nGO aNd
Educati0nal aCcess vs c0mmErcial access. Techn0l0gy
Watch and f0rEcasting servIces. R0le PlAyed by the MAss
media
- S0Ci0l0gical AsPects: Techn0L0gy and s0ci0-cultural
Barriers and Facilitat0rs In the virtuaL w0rkspace.
virtualizaci0N.
Panel E:
- P0Litical AspecTs: participaTi0n, citizenShip, N0rth-S0uth
imbalances, S0uth-S0uth OpP0rtunities, L0cal res0urcEs
F0r L0cal UseS.
- LeGal Aspects: Intellectual Pr0perty and Privacy issueS.
- Introductory plenary lectures, aiming to leveling the attendants
0n th0se aspeCts c0nsidereD essential f0r the discusSi0ns
- Initial individual panel sessions aiming to produce a "Samana
strategic AppR0ach" p0siti0n paper.
- Plenary presentation of intergroup suggestions
- Regrouping of participants, except for "minute-persons"
- Final individual panel sessions
- Plenary presentation of Working Panels conclusions and
Rec0mmendati0Ns, by their "minute-pers0Ns"
- Commitment definition, responsibles and datelines
- Closing Ceremony of the Workshop, by the FUNREDES Head
- FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES AFTER THE WORKSHOP
It includes the following activities:
- Consignation of materials compiled by "minute-persons" and
0rganizers duRing the W0rkSh0p, in partIcular the s0 called
"Samana StratEgic Appr0ach".
- Calling for a One-day Workshop in Santo Domingo to discuss
The general rEsults 0f the main W0rksh0P with stakeh0lders
Gr0ups based In D0minican Republic, in 0rder t0 inf0Rm them
0f the c0nsenSus/n0n-c0nseNsus deliberaTi0ns, and t0 set the
Stage f0r iniTiatives withIn th0se gr0uPs.
- Appointing of an Editorial Committee for the Final Document
- Writing of the Second Progress Report
- Wide divulgence of what has been done and proposed
- Focused efforts to inform and enlist significant players in the
Tasks
- Follow up and control of the continuing evaluation mechanism
Defined durinG the W0rksh0P
- Considering of the need for calling another Workshop about
The INTERNET Phen0men0n: iTs impact up0N Devel0ping
c0untries
- Writing of the Third (and last) Progress Report of the Project.
- PARTNERS/COUNTERPARTS/CONSULTANTS
The Workshop about The INTERNET Phenomenon: its
Impact up0n tHe Devel0ping C0untries, rEpresents a j0int
0rganizati0naL eff0rt by tHe f0ll0wing Entities:
*
|
Network & Development Foundation, FUNREDES
|
*
|
University of Quebec, Canada
|
*
|
United Nations Program for Development, PNUD
|
*
|
UNESCO/CRESALC
|
*
Reform
|
COMMET-IT Taskforce on Research and Education
|
*
|
York University, Distributed Knowledge Project
|
*
|
Bunyip
|
*
|
MIDS
|
*
|
RARE
|
*
|
ISOC ?
|
*
|
IDRC
|
The following is a tentative listing of personalities to be
Invited f0r pArticipati0n In the W0rksh0p as experts
(alphabetic 0Rdering):
Arango, Humberto - S&T Information Policies
Baralt, Jorge - Organizational macro approach of
information systems
calla0s, NagiB - Sistemic Appr0ach 0f iNf0rmati0n syStems
cartier, MichEl - MediaticS
chac˘n, Fabi0 - Distant edUcati0n
deustch, PeteR - Aplicati0N t0 access iNf0rmati0n thR0ugh
The INTERNET
guadamuz, L0rEnz0 - Basic Educati0n plaNning
huizer, Erik - rARE
lanfranc0, SaM - Ec0n0mics 0f nETS&IT: Living anD
learning in tHe Virtual W0Rkspace
milchberg, MaUrici0 - User trainning
perdreau, MicHel - Virtual library
prad0, Daniel - Linguistic aspects 0f c0mmunicati0n
r0drĄguez, LuIs Germ慙 - NAti0nal Netw0Rk management
r0se, J0hn - UNeSCO, PGI
rutk0wsky, T0ny - InterneT S0ciety
silvi0, J0s� - higher EducAti0n planninG
Daniel Pimienta, Holistic approach
yacine KhellaDi, Ec0n0micaL aspects
senaida JanseN, Gender aspEcts
pabl0 Liend0, Pr0ject LeadEr
Representative from Africa (to be identified)
representativE fr0m Asia (T0 be identifIed)
representativE fr0m EasterN Eur0pe (t0 Be identified)
- ENCLOSURES
ENCLOSURE 1: FUNREDES BRIEFING
[NOTE: The stAkeh0lder gr0Ups in the D0Minican RepubLic w0uld n0t be the f0cus
0f the
w0rksh0p, but they w0uld (A) benefit fr0m its presenCe in their c0untry, and (B)
be a pil0t site f0r
Testing s0me 0f the ideas. It is h0ped That thr0ugh The netw0rks 0f the expertS
themselves, th0se 0f
The Rep. D0m. stakeh0lders, and the eff0rts 0f FUNREDES, the initIatives
pr0p0Sed fr0m the
W0rksh0p will include wide c0llab0rati0N, firstly acR0ss Latin AmErica and the
Carribean buT
Ultimately wiTh all willinG and interesTed in implemEntati0n.]
Saman� Workshop Proposal by FUNREDES P鮰 12