Knowledge and Development Paper presented at the 2nd International ICT Conference “Abu Dhabi Summit on Information and Communication Technology” Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates : 19 March 2006 Abdul Waheed Khan Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information UNESCO

2 “Development is about advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. ” UNDP

3 Importance of change Social change Demographic change Economic change Cultural Change Political Change change Educational Knowledge

4 Millennium Development Goals Goal 1 Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger Goal 8 Developing a global partnership for development Goal 2 Achieving universal primary education Goal 3 Promoting gender equality Goal 7 Ensuring environmental sustainability Goal 6 Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria etc. Goal 4 Reducing child mortality Goal 5 Improving maternal health Knowledge

5 The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) commit the international community to a vision of development that vigorously promotes human development as the key to sustaining social and economic progress in all countries, and recognizes the importance of creating a global partnership for development.

6 “Today, the search for knowledge continues to produce an ongoing revolution in the health and wealth of humankind.” Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek editor

7 What is Knowledge? DataInformation such as lists (e.g. phone list) or records in a database or spreadsheet InformationOrganized data that can be communicated KnowledgeInformation (i.e. organized data) that can be used to achieve some result WisdomSelection of appropriate knowledge for a specific task

8 "Knowledge is like light. Weightless and tangible, it can easily travel the World, enlightening the lives of people everywhere.“ World Bank World Development Report

9 Central Role of Knowledge for Development Knowledge Economic Growth Cultural Enrichment Social Development Political Empowerment

10 “ The ability to create and maintain knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers and enhance their productivity will be the key factors in deciding the prosperity of the knowledge society.” Abdul Kalam, President of India

11 A World of Contrast Ignorance Poverty Marginalization Exclusion Knowledge Prosperity Globalization Inclusion Knowledge Divide or Digital Divide

12 Knowledge Societies HumanNeedsandRights KnowledgeSocieties Pluralism HumanNeedsandRightsHumanNeedsandRights KnowledgeSocietiesKnowledgeSocieties Pluralism Knowledge Creation Dissemination Utilization Preservation Knowledge

13 Knowledge Creation “Half a hectare of land and one year of labour were required to feed one person in 1900 whereas that same half-hectare now feeds 10 persons on the basis of just one and a half days of labour”. UNESCO Science Report

14 Knowledge Creation Central role of science for knowledge creation Unique opportunities of Science to: –meet basic human needs –reduce poverty –protect the environment –improve the quality of life –enhance sustainable development

15 Knowledge creation: Gaps in investment in R&D GERD/GDP in Arab States (2000) (UNESCO World Science Report 2005)

16 Knowledge Preservation Preservation of indigenous knowledge Preservation of digital knowledge

17 Knowledge Dissemination: Role of technology To reach 50 million people: - Radio: 38 years, - Television: 13 years - Internet: 4 years Countries connected to Internet: –1990: 20 –2000: All

18 The Multi-Platform World The Multi-Platform World

19 Knowledge dissemination: ICT for Development Source: ICT4D-Connecting People for a Better World, Editors: G. Weigel and D. Waldburger (2004)

20 Human Capitals and Productivity Reduced Poverty Macro Economic Growth and Development Family Health and Nutrition Personal Development Societal Development Education Linkage of Education to Poverty Reduction & Development

21 Knowledge Dissemination: Major Challenges Increasing access Providing educational inputs of good quality Making educational opportunities available at affordable cost Enhancing the relevance of educational provision to societal and individual need Providing opportunities for lifelong learning

22 Knowledge Dissemination: Meeting the Challenges Business unusual Using mix approaches (new and traditional technologies) Developing enabling environments Creating public/private partnerships

23 Knowledge Utilization Knowledge, once created and disseminated, needs to be used wisely in order to enhance economic and social well-being. Essential factors for knowledge utilization: –Universal access –Skills and capacity (Basic literacy, Computer literacy, information literacy, e-learning…..) –Cultural and linguistic diversity –Relevant content

24 Guiding Principles of Knowledge Societies Freedom Inclusiveness Diversity Empowerment

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