Poverty heads list of conference topics

As long as people struggle to survive day by day, talk of computers, telecoms and the Internet seems misplaced. But the digital divide between information haves and have-nots is both a symptom of poverty and part of the solution.

For a background briefing, read Catherine Adeya's review of the literature on poverty and ICTs.

The researchers who gather for the Acacia conference in April 2003 know from personal experience how difficult and costly it is to get communications systems up and running in many parts of Africa. These are not mere theorists meeting for another general discussion on the role of ICTs in development:. They have participated in four years of research and analysis by Acacia, showing that information and communication infrastructures are vital for social and economic development. They are gathering to exchange experiences and address critical problems on the ground. Top of the agenda is poverty.

Follow the background briefings on poverty, education, access, policy issues and innovation, in the linked pages below.

Key themes express new realism

A new realism has dawned at the community level and in government, that ICTs can and do make a difference to people's living standards and opportunites, provided the policy framework enables change to take place. The conference will focus on:

•  poverty

• education

• access

• policy issues

• and innovation

Helping communities to overcome poverty means empowering people with the knowledge, technologies and freedom to make use of modern communications systems. It also means putting in place the infrastructures (such as telephone and satellite connections, electrical power, roads and housing) that make electronic communications possible. And it means working with other organisations and governments to to broaden access to telecoms and put an end to corruption and obstruction.

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Last modified: 07/29/03