The Digital Divide

Its difficult to talk about 'uniting our common humanity and how these values may be expressed globally through the Millennium Development Goals, empowered by the new and rapidly developing information and communication technologies' without bringing up the digital divide. So often, the people most affected by the MDGs are the ones without the access to the technology and information. We must think strategically about access and not forget about 'the global south' We must find innovative ways that involve more people in the important conversations that are happening.

Its always been a struggle for me to balance cool technology that will deliver engaging information with information that is just plain accessible to the most amount of people worldwide. Here are some simple ideas that have proven effective:

1. Downloadables that can be distributed offline
2. Information centres that can be synched up to a central database
3. Using old technology in innovative ways - Check out 'The Lifelines India Project'- a telephone-based question and answer service that enables marginalised communities in India to share knowledge and receive timely advice.
4. Utilize leap-frog technology. The cell phone is rapidly becoming the most widespread way to access text information. In some places more people have access to cellphones than to the internet.

To read more on this see The Digital Divide Network.