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Digital Opportunity Initiative for Pakistan
Author(s) -
Mujahid Yousaf Haroon
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the electronic journal of information systems in developing countries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.41
H-Index - 18
ISSN - 1681-4835
DOI - 10.1002/j.1681-4835.2002.tb00050.x
Subject(s) - digital divide , poverty , information and communications technology , globalization , information technology , public relations , government (linguistics) , economic growth , political science , development economics , business , economics , law , linguistics , philosophy
As mankind starts its journey into the new millennium we notice the two major forces shaping up the future of this world, reducing geographic boundaries, bringing cultures and societies closer to each other — are Globalization and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) — creating a paradox of wealth and poverty; bridging gap between individuals and isolating them at the same time; creating simultaneously the information haves and information have‐nots; empowering people contribute and restricting communities to participate. Despite many steps forward in social and economic conditions around the world in recent decades, there remain huge disparities in the quality of human existence. We are now at a critical juncture of time and place where unprecedented global flows in information, products, people, capital and ideas offer great potential for radical improvements in human development, but left unabated, they may also serve to worsen and entrench the spiral of poverty which already exists in many communities and countries limiting people to unleash the prowess of ICT revolution and creating a serious gap of information disparity called the Digital Divide. The digital divide means more than just a lack of computers and connections. Technology means nothing if it is not used where the people who could benefit the most are not using information technologies to address the problems they face, not only because they lack the training, but also because government policies often hinder affordable and accessible technology implementation.