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IDRC Report Promotes a Social Vision of the Internet in Latin America

2001-05-29

Internet projects in Latin America and the Caribbean need to go beyond connectivity and technology to make meaningful contributions to development, say the authors of a new report on the Internet and development.

The Internet . . . Why and What For?, by Ricardo Gomez of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Juliana Martínez of Costa Rica's Fundación Acceso, synthesizes the experiences of about 50 IDRC-funded information and communication technology (ICT) projects since 1997, worth more than CA$4 million.

"Governments are launching programs and often trying to introduce meaningful legislation, but many don't really know what to do," says Dr Gomez. "Those that do know what to do are the private businesses, and they're pushing their agenda very strongly." Civil society groups need help in getting their voices heard, he adds.

First step

According to the authors, the IDRC project survey shows that connecting people to the Internet is only a first step, but much more is needed if this is to help in changing societies. Their report lays out a social vision for the Internet in Latin America, provides some lessons to achieve this vision, and states what different projects need to do to meet coming challenges. It also notes some of the unintended negative effects of ICTs in the region: increased inequality, the imposition of dominant views, information overload, and detachment from real-world needs. Dr Gomez says that whatever problems or pre-conditions exist in a society before the Internet is introduced, ICTs tend to amplify them.

Connecting the masses is not by itself enough to foster democracy. According to Dr Martínez, a social vision of the Internet in Latin America has to involve three things: equitable access, which involves basic training and reasonably priced connections; an ability to make meaningful use of ICTs; and social appropriation — ICTs should help people solve concrete problems and transform current realities. Otherwise, ICTs will just reproduce and increase the social divide.

Simultaneous investments

"One of the key ideas we present in the document is that whenever we have a hundred dollars, it's going to pay off more to invest simultaneously in improving access, use, and appropriation than to invest all of the money in improving access and expect use and social appropriation to increase somehow on their own," says Dr Martínez. "This is a key idea, and it goes against the dominant view that first we provide access, and then we deal with use and appropriation."

Many Internet projects are working at the local level, but they now need to inform public policy as well, say the authors. Furthermore, they need to pay more attention to gender issues, and to present their results in ways that they can be used effectively by others. Dr Martínez adds that those who would use the Internet to encourage social change need to find creative ways to promote their social vision over the Internet — which is now dominated by business and government agendas — by cooperating on specific projects. She admits this may sometimes require the creation of broad alliances, but stresses that it will get results.

Connectivity institute

The IDRC report is already generating discussion in Latin America, where drafts have circulated widely. The final version was distributed at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April. During the Summit, the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien, announced the creation of a connectivity institute for the Americas, to be administered by IDRC. The institute's budget of CA$20 million will complement IDRC's $5 million planned for the next four years.

Dr Gomez sees this new institute as an opportunity to promote a social vision for the Internet in Latin America, strengthen IDRC's network of partners in the region, and build alliances between civil society, business, and government. He also hopes it will help IDRC strengthen its relations with other Canadian organizations, while building a strong, inclusive, and accountable program to encourage more meaningful use of the Internet for development in the region.

Keane J. Shore is an Ottawa-based writer and editor.

For more information:

Dr Ricardo Gomez, Senior Program Specialist, IDRC, 250 Albert Street, PO Box 8500, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 3H9; Tel: (613) 236-6163, ext. 2546; Email: rgomez@idrc.ca

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Planet Radio: Sharing Community Programming Over the Internet, by Keane Shore

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