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Virtual Educa
Fifth International Conference on Education, Professional Development
and Information Technologies
NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY:
EDUCATION IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION
Fórum Universal de las Culturas, Barcelona
June 16-18, 2004
Theme: General Aspects
Cooperation for development and technology in the field of professional
training:
community learning centres, rural connectivity, etc.
Indigenous Peoples: Connectivity Initiatives in the Americas
in relation to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society
Geneva 2003
Author: Natalie Drache
Independent Expert: Dragonfly Blue Productions/dbn.tv
Vancouver, Canada
PO Box 51521 - 911 Park Royal South
West Vancouver, B.C. V7T2X9 Canada
Tel: 1 604 921 6663
email:
web site:
Dialogue Between Nations/Dialogo Entre Naciones
Indigenous Peoples: Connectivity Initiatives in the Americas in relation
to the
outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) took place in Geneva
from December 10 to 12, 2003. Within the context of the preparatory
process, one of the civil society groups identified as important
stakeholders is Indigenous Peoples. Approximately 400 million people
worldwide are considered Indigenous.
UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 describes the purpose of the Summit
as being the "development of a common vision and understanding of the
Information Society and the adoption of a declaration and plan of action
for implementation by Governments, international institutions and all
sectors of civil society". This provides a framework for considering the
following points and questions:
I) Providing access to ICTs for all: How can the benefits of affordable
ICTs be extended to all the world's inhabitants? How can those that have
access to ICTs be helped to use them effectively?
II) ICTs as a tool for economic and social development - and meeting the
Millennium Development Goals:The development of ICTs has implications for
economic, social and cultural development. How can ICTs be leveraged to
help promote the common goals of humanity, such as those expressed in the
UN Millennium Declaration?
III) Confidence and security in the use of ICTs: The benefits of ICTs can
only be fully harnessed if there is confidence that these technologies and
networks are reliable and secure, and are not misused. What steps should
be taken to build confidence and increase security?
The Global Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society (GFIPIS),
a four-day event held immediately prior to the WSIS, produced a formal
Declaration of Indigenous Peoples on the Information Society and a
Programme of Action.
Indigenous people called on the United Nations member states and agencies
to put information and communications technologies (ICTs) into the service
of economic and social development in their communities around the world.
The UN Permanent Forum is a 16-member panel carrying out a mandate, which
covers economic and social development, culture, the environment,
education, health and human rights. It provides expert advice and
recommendations on indigenous issues to the UN Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) and to UN programs, funds and agencies, and helps to raise
awareness of indigenous issues within the UN system.
Under the umbrella of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues (UNPFII), a large delegation of Indigenous experts and other
consultants set in motion an agenda seeking to create solutions that will
help Indigenous Peoples move forward in meaningful ways. Indigenous
Peoples in partnership with other interest-holders were encouraged to
build their Programme of Action based on concrete partnerships with and
between Indigenous Peoples, governments, private sector and financial
institutions.
As stated by the UNPFII and fundamental to this process are the following
underlying principles:
Acknowledging that:
(a). Indigenous peoples are some of the least connected people
technology-wise in society;
(b). The Information Society is critical to
the economic and social development of indigenous peoples;
(c). A special
effort is required for governments, indigenous groups, private sector and
international organizations to work together to raise awareness among
policymakers and indigenous interest-holders regarding to benefits of and
barriers to the Information Society.
(d). Local capacity building and
development is crucial to the adoption of these new technologies within
indigenous communities.
The Goal is to:
(a). Develop an internationally representative forum of indigenous
connectivity interest-holders and partners (governments and international
financial institutions) in tandem with and as an integral part of the
World Summit on the Information Society.
The Objectives will be to:
(a). Increase awareness, share best practices and identify particular
indigenous barriers/challenges to the information society;
(b). Ensure
indigenous stakeholder participation and engagement within the WSIS
process and deliberation;
(c). Identify key challenges, solutions and
priorities to overcome the digital divide among indigenous peoples and
communities;
(d). Provide an opportunity for indigenous peoples
(especially practitioners and professionals in the field) to develop an
indigenous declaration on the information society;
(e) Assist in the
development of a two-year plan of action (built on positive partnerships
with governments and financial institutions), as a path to Tunis in 2005.
According to the NGO Narrative Report on the Global Forum of Indigenous
Peoples and the Information Society, Geneva 8-11, December 2003, prepared
by doCip, Centre de Documentation de Recherche et d'Information des
Peuples Autochtones,
"One of the most important issues is how Indigenous Peoples can control
the process of ICT introduction and use in their daily lives, and how they
can use ICT in culturally appropriate ways, rather than be consumers
dependent on the dictates of external funders. This raises the question of
how traditional culture and ICT can be combined. Is ICT a useful tool to
be integrated into traditional culture, education, and way of life to
preserve Indigenous cultures (for instance archiving vanishing knowledge);
or does it lead to erosion of tradition, values, identity, language, and
ultimately assimilation into the mainstream? And how should Indigenous
Peoples deal with mainstream content and produce their own content?"
This paper deals with some innovative examples involving Indigenous
Peoples currently taking place, within the framework of both the private
sector and international cooperation for development and technology in the
field of professional training, addressing e-learning and both rural and
urban connectivity.
In most developing countries, Indigenous Peoples constitute the poorest of
the poor. In the Americas, close to 50 million persons are Indigenous.
In the framework of the mandates of the Summits of the Americas, the
Organization of American States has assigned a critical role to that which
is referred to as the promotion and development of human resources in the
Americas. The Third Summit of the Americas which took place in Quebec City
in 2001, produced a Declaration and Plan of Action based upon three key
themes, or baskets: Human Rights and Democracy
Creating Prosperity
Realizing Human Potential Chapter 16 of the Quebec Summit Plan of Action is devoted to Indigenous
Peoples and places emphasis on special measures which are required to
assist them in reaching their full human potential. "It is necessary to
strengthen the participation of Indigenous peoples, communities and
organizations, to promote an open and continuous dialogue between them and
governments. Their inclusion throughout out societies and institutions is
a valuable element in the continuous strengthening, not only of human
rights in our hemispheric community, but also, more broadly, of our
democracies, economies and civilizations."
In particular, as has been formally stated, "one can be assured that the
OAS will promote access to high quality basic education in the region, as
well as provide alternative educational methods to meet the needs of those
segments of the population who are disadvantaged or excluded from formal
educational systems."
The Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development of the OAS
established an Educational Portal of the Americas. This initiative
provides the communities of the Americas, and in particular, those who
inhabit remote areas with new opportunities to access education and
capacity building programs.
In the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, the leaders of the
hemisphere adopted the decision that information and communications
technology is key to connecting la gran familia - the citizens of the
Americas - and is a tool for the promotion of common values and collective
objectives. Chapter 16/ Capítulo 16: Pueblos Indígenas of the Summit Plan
of Action, addresses the issue of connectivity and Indigenous Peoples, as
follows:
"Reducirán la brecha digital, de comunicación y de información entre el
promedio nacional y los pueblos y las comunidades indígenas, mediante
programas y proyectos de conectividad relevantes que proporcionen
servicios en los campos del desarrollo político, económico y social,
incluyendo el uso de las redes de información de los pueblos indígenas."
The process is taking shape through a variety of activities, some of which
are driven by a new and dynamic group of Indigenous entrepreneurs.
An excellent example of the objectives of a private sector First Nations
initiative in Canada is Mohawk Internet Technologies. According to Chief
Joseph Norton, Grand Chief from the Kahnawake Mohawk Council, his company
is committed to helping people get access. In referring to the Internet as
the "eighth continent", at the WSIS Global Forum in Geneva, he called
attention to ICTs' capacity as a tool for traditional learning and new
vehicle for Indigenous Peoples' communication with each other, questioning
how the Internet could be of use to people who have no electricity and are
struggling to survive. Giving consideration to the possibilities of high
level outcomes, he recommended that Indigenous Peoples should consider
launching an Indigenous Peoples' satellite of their own. A whole new
generation of aboriginal lawyers, environmentalists, practitioners of GIS
and communications technologies are shaping the digital future of their
communities in the North.
In terms of implementing the Summit Plan of Action and in some instances,
supporting the Indigenous presence at the WSIS, several governmental and
international development agencies, such as the Canadian government
sponsored Aboriginal Canada Portal, the Institute for Connectivity in the
Americas (ICA) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
have been involved in providing expertise in defining needs and developing
solution-oriented policy.
In 2002, the Canadian International Development Agency established the
Indigenous Peoples Partnership Programme (IPPP). The Programme aims to
promote the establishment or reinforcement of partnerships between
aboriginal entities in Canada and Indigenous entities in Latin American
and the Caribbean.
The Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) is a major ICT
initiative whose mandate is defined in the outcomes of the Third Summit of
the Americas in Quebec City, 2001. It is one of two major initiatives of
the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC) and seeks to
be a collaborative and interactive portal for public policy makers,
entrepreneurs, community activists and digital leaders interested in using
ICT to overcome the development gap in the Americas. It shares Canadian
experience and knowledge, promotes partnerships, and thereby builds up
capacities. Their guidelines indicate that funding is directed towards
projects in the field of E-Strategies, Knowledge Networking and Innovation
Demonstration.
Documentation on this topic places an emphasis upon helping the region
play an active role in the information revolution. Partnerships between
governments, the private sector, educational institutions, and civil
society are essential for continued success. In addition to the above
mentioned Canadian government agencies, ICA's partners include the
Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank and
the World Bank.
The policies and strategies of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
concerning Indigenous issues and ICT were presented at the UNGFIPIS.
According to a widely accepted NGO summary of this event, Anne Deruyttere
(Indigenous Peoples and Community Development Unit) and Maximilian Spiess
(Information Technology for Development Division) identified different
fields of Indigenous Peoples' needs, such as access and use of ICT,
participation in E-Commerce, development of the new participation
mechanism E-Government through ICT, and broader presentation of Indigenous
culture. They explained why the IDB considers that Indigenous Peoples'
need differential treatment (geographic location of many indigenous
communities, unique relationship with biodiversity and natural resources,
need for increasing legal security and land tenure protection,
democratization and decentralization processes, need to foster
socio-culturally appropriate education processes, and need to preserve and
strengthen cultural heritage.) IDB strategies seek to strengthen the
cooperation between the two units, promote awareness within governments to
include Indigenous Peoples' in their ICT strategy, and stimulate and
assist Indigenous Peoples' in the presentation of projects in the ICT
sector.
The World Bank's Global Fund for Indigenous Peoples was developed in
response to a longstanding call by Indigenous Peoples' leaders for direct
engagement with bilateral and multilateral agencies. It is the Bank's
newest initiative and aims to directly assist Indigenous Peoples.
Speaking at the UN Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information
Society, Jorge E. Uguillas Rodas of the World Bank's Global Fund for
Indigenous Peoples, described how the program provides support to the UN
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, facilitates grants for Indigenous
Peoples' communities and organizations, and supports implementation of
sustainable development projects based on their own aspirations. The
grants are intended to complement Bank-financed investment projects; these
must be initiated, planned and implemented by Indigenous Peoples.
Potential projects include health, education, social protection, capacity
building, strengthening social capital, preservation of cultural heritage,
language, identity and protection of customary land rights and
intellectual property rights. One program the Global Fund is currently
conducting jointly with the World Bank is the Andean Indigenous Leadership
Capacity Building Program, in conjunction with the Fondo Indigena (Fondo
para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas de América Latina) which
includes education modules in governance, development in accordance with
identity, Indigenous rights, and ICT.
In spite of some state of the art advances in this field, there continue
to be many major obstacles and disappointments to overcome, as noted by
Marcos Matias Alonso, Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues and President of the Consejo Directivo del Fondo para el Desarrollo
de los Pueblos Indigenas de America Latina.
Desde el Fondo Indígena hemos concluido un primer Balance y Perspectivas
de las Agencias de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo de los
Pueblos Indígenas de América Latina. Puedo mencionar algunos datos
relevantes del impacto de la ONU en América Latina: una década de
dispersión, duplicidad y descoordinación entre las propias agencias y una
limitada colaboracion con los pueblos indígenas; inexistencia de
directrices para guiar el desarrollo indígena; nula integración de
consultores y expertos indígenas; escasa información de los montos
financieros invertidos lo que dificulta hacer una verdadera evaluación de
impacto en las regiones indígenas.
En las agencies de cooperacion internacional hay tension entre cuatro
tendencies institucionales para abordar el tema del desarrollo de los
pueblos indigenas:
a. Las instituciones que los ven como grupos "vulnerables" o como minorias
etnicas. Enfoque de la vulnerabilidad.
b. Los organismos que atienden la demanda indigena con la estrategia
global de la lucha contra la pobreza. Enfoque de la pobreza.
c. Las instancias que privilegian la especificadad como pueblos indigenas.
Enfoque indigena.
d. Los que siguen sin ver a los pueblos indigenas. Enfoque de la
disciminacion.
Given these particular observations, it makes any advances in terms of
"Indigenous Peoples" in the Americas that much more impressive. One of the
affirmative initiatives that will provide Mexico's Indigenous Peoples with
a unique educational opportunity is the creation of the first Universidad
Intercultural Bilingue in San Felipe del Progreso. In addition, there are
plans to create ten Indigenous universities in Oaxaca, Tabasco, Queretero,
and Guerrero.
Although not specifically directed to the needs of Indigenous Peoples, a
project developed by El Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos (IIDH)
plans to construct the Inter-American Classroom for Human Rights (El Aula
Interamericana de Derechos Humanos), and it will be interesting to see
whether or not a virtual component will be implemented in order to provide
significant professional training for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous
members of rural communities.
The IIDH currently hosts the Inter-American Virtual Classroom. The courses
are directed at persons from diverse sectors and fields of endeavor, who
without any prior training in human rights and international protection
systems, are interested in these subjects.
As institutions and community resources converge, one can anticipate that
events such as the Primera Feria Hemisférica de Educación Indígena, held
in Guatemala in 2001, will eventually be able to showcase significant
outcomes based upon computer mediated learning within the framework of a
large network of tele-centers in operation in Central America.
The Enlace Quiche project is a perfect example of work in this field.
Located in the highlands of Guatemala, Enlace Quiche supports Indigenous
driven connectivity projects pertaining to e-learning. Their vision is to
provide the Mayan community with a quality education having linguistic and
cultural pertinence, facilitated by an educational community that has at
its disposal technology centers and abundant bilingual educational
resources.
The Academy of Mayan Languages (Guatemala) and the Access to Bilingual
Intercultural Education Project (Guatemala) produce context-based digital
material for language education to provide students with knowledge of
Mayan cosmology and cosmovision and teach language as an element of the
overall cultural system. The software and materials can be contextualized
in other languages. Enlace Quiche provides technical, administrative and
coordinative support to the local partners. Some members of their team
participated in the Global Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the Information
Society in Geneva.
As cited earlier, representatives of Indigenous Peoples from all
continents to the GFIPIS produced an Indigenous Peoples' Declaration and
Programme of Action pertaining to their major needs and concerns which was
presented for consideration to the World Summit. Ole Henrik Magga, a
prominent Saami from Norway and the current Chairperson of the United
Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, speaking in a UN Press
Conference, included the following points in his summary:
Our Declaration recognizes both obstacles to our full inclusion in the
information society and good practices that are already creating bridges
across our technologically divided world.
It is indeed difficult for Indigenous Peoples to afford ourselves the
luxury of discussing the future when most of our peoples remain
marginalized peoples without even the provision of such basic
infrastructure as fresh water, sanitation, electricity or sealed roads.
However, our discussions this week have lead us to develop a Declaration
that recognizes and applauds the advances made in bridging the information
divide by initiatives of States and the private sector in partnership with
Indigenous Peoples.
I want to make it clear that Indigenous Peoples hold States primarily
responsible for our inclusion in the information society - Indigenous
Peoples are part of your populations - not an add on problem - nor an
after thought - and as such they deserve the equitable access to new
technologies.
Having said that, they do not seek inclusion at the expense of their
rights, cultural identities, traditional territories or resources. It must
be indigenous peoples themselves, who decide on how and when they access
and use new technologies.
The document also recognizes that some Indigenous Peoples of the developed
world have built bridges with their brothers and sisters in the developing
world - for Indigenous Peoples know that - little is gained if some of
them advance and others are left behind.
The outcome, however, of the official UN Declaration and Programme of
Action created by States failed to meet the expectations of Indigenous
Peoples, as per their own Declaration and Programme of Action.
According to a press release issued by Yachay Wasi, an established NGO in
this field, "Language in earlier drafts contained specific references to
the right of Indigenous Peoples to fundamental freedoms and human rights
protections had been deleted from the documents. In addition, references
providing that Indigenous Peoples have the right to protection of their
collective intellectual property and traditional knowledge had also
disappeared from the current WSIS Plan of Action.
States have also deleted the term "Indigenous Peoples" from section C8 of
the Plan of Action covering cultural diversity, identity, linguistic
diversity and local content."
Mililani Trask, a Native Hawaiian lawyer, also a member of the UN
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, having reviewed the final language
coming out of the World Summit on the Information Society by member states
of the UN noted "the deletion of vital provisions for Indigenous Peoples."
According to the summary of her statements during the press conference,
"Most disturbing was the deletion of the text that would force States and
the private sector to get the consent of Indigenous Peoples for the use
and display of their traditional knowledge. These issues must be addressed
in order to make the world a safe place for Indigenous Peoples. If the
economic information and digital divide was to be bridged, information and
communication technologies must support true cultural diversity and
preserve and promote the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples."
"Ms. Trask said Indigenous Peoples must be granted the right to
self-determination, the right to their traditional lands and to their
traditional heritage. She assured participants that despite the
disappointment of the Forum, it would continue to work in good faith with
States in the hope that the information society would become inclusive for
all, including Indigenous People."
What then are the strategies to be implemented which fully embrace a
framework of partnership in action, as well as the Millennium Goals and
Latin America with regards to Indigenous Peoples and ICTs?
In a recent study entitled Los Pueblos Indígenas y la Sociedad de la
Información en América Latina y el Caribe: Un Marco para la Acción
prepared in May, 2003 for the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas
by Isabel Hernández and Silvia Calcagno, the "digital divide" is likened
to another form of exclusion. What becomes apparent is that one has to
take racism and other forms of discrimination into account when attempting
to support mutually beneficial social and economic systems.
The authors and the statements of the afore-mentioned members of the UN
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues draw our attention to the need to
dismantle the mechanisms of exclusion, suggesting that this must be a key
focus of local and national governments and multilateral agencies.
Para estimular la llamada "oportunidad digital", debería existir un
consenso capaz de unir las fuerzas gubernamentales con las de la comunidad
internacional y de las asociaciones de la sociedad civil
In addition, many benefits accrue to Indigenous communities if they
themselves are unified and pro-active in seeking a balance between their
traditional cultural values and the challenges of playing a vital role in
the information society.
Amongst the numerous recommendations suggested by Hernández and Calcagno,
they suggest an "emphasis on two basic principals that guide the spirit of
the social programs to conceive and implement: the principle of
self-determination so that a community can play an active role in its own
development and the principle of self-management as an instrument to learn
the concrete tasks that require the gradual incorporation of the
population and the Indigenous communities into the digitalization
process."
"Entre los principales factores que excluyen a los grupos indígenas de la
sociedad de la información están fuertes prejuicios culturales, altos
costos de la infraestructura tecnológica en las áreas indígenas y el
analfabetismo entre algunos grupos. Es esencial reducir la distancia
cultural entre los grupos sociales y enfrentar el analfabetismo para
incrementar la capacidad de los pueblos aborígenes de participar en la
actividad cultural y lingüística. Para revertir la exclusión de los grupos
indígenas de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC), es
importante también promover el acceso a la información organizada de
acuerdo con los intereses y las necesidades de los usuarios indígenas."
A number of important recommendations cited by ECLAC/IDRC in March, 2003,
are contained in a paper entitled: Regional Strategy for the Reduction of
the Information Marginalization of the Indigenous Communities:
Revitalization of the ethnic and cultural identity of the Indigenous
Peoples
Definition of a communication policy of significant impact, aimed at the
reduction of ethnic discrimination and the digital divide
Revision of the rash defense mechanisms of the values and behavior of the
peoples historically discriminated against
Self-affirmation of the ethnic identity and distinct culture of the
Indigenous Peoples, in a scenario of self-management, all of above leading
to a specific program for Indigenous access to the ICT's.
Las autoras son funcionarias del Centro Latinoamericano y Caribeño de
Demografía (CELADE), División de Población de la Comisión Económica para
América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
The beneficiaries, according to Indigenous Peoples, of the debates and
outcomes of global mega-conferences and international cooperation programs
are the next seven generations.
Indigenous Peoples want to ensure the survival of their nations, cultures
and communities through the sharing of their knowledge for future
generations, to provide education and training, not only for the future
but also to address current problems. There needs to be a dialogue
concerning technical and local knowledge because technology merely
provides alternative options. Indigenous Peoples want to incorporate
modern technology, but they do not want to lose or replace their
knowledge.
The WSIS produced a Declaration of Principles: Building the Information
Society: a global challenge in the new Millennium which includes a common
vision of the Information Society for all young people, making a global
commitment for the empowerment of young people as learners, developers,
contributors, entrepreneurs and decision-makers. Governments further agree
to focus on young people who have not yet been able to benefit fully from
the opportunities provided by ICTs and agree that in the development of
ICT applications and operations of services that the rights of children,
as well as their protection and well-being be respected.
Conclusion The Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society
examined both potentials and obstacles to the full and effective
participation of Indigenous peoples in the Information Society.
Obstacles included (but were not limited to), lack of basic community
infrastructure, limited access to modern technologies and the urgent need
for gender and age sensitive capacity building.
Potentials included (but were not limited to) access to new market-places,
increased indigenous networking (both regionally and internationally), new
strategies to revitalize and pass on culture and languages, and the
opportunity to fully participate in the new information and connectivity
revolution facing humanity.
The official UN WSIS Declaration of Principles specifies that in the
evolution of the Information Society, particular attention must be given
to the special situation of Indigenous Peoples, as well as to the
preservation of their heritage and their cultural legacy. With regards to
international and regional cooperation, the WSIS Declaration of Principles
made the following commitments in Item 11:
60. We aim at making full use of the opportunities offered by ICTs in our
efforts to reach the internationally agreed development goals, including
those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and to uphold the key
principles set forth in this Declaration. The Information Society is
intrinsically global in nature and national efforts need to be supported
by effective international and regional cooperation among governments, the
private sector, civil society and other stakeholders, including the
international financial institutions.
61. In order to build an inclusive global Information Society, we will
seek and effectively implement concrete international approaches and
mechanisms, including financial and technical assistance. Therefore, while
appreciating ongoing ICT cooperation through various mechanisms, we invite
all stakeholders to commit to the "Digital Solidarity Agenda" set forth in
the Plan of Action. We are convinced that the worldwide agreed objective
is to contribute to bridge the digital divide, promote access to ICTs,
create digital opportunities, and benefit from the potential offered by
ICTs for development. We recognize the will expressed by some to create an
international voluntary "Digital Solidarity Fund", and by others to
undertake studies concerning existing mechanisms and the efficiency and
feasibility of such a Fund.
62. Regional integration contributes to the development of the global
Information Society and makes strong cooperation within and among regions
indispensable. Regional dialogue should contribute to national capacity
building and to the alignment of national strategies with the goals of
this Declaration of Principles in a compatible way, while respecting
national and regional particularities. In this context, we welcome and
encourage the international community to support the ICT-related measures
of such initiatives.
63. We resolve to assist developing countries, LDCs and countries with
economies in transition through the mobilization from all sources of
financing, the provision of financial and technical assistance and by
creating an environment conducive to technology transfer, consistent with
the purposes of this Declaration and the Plan of Action.
64. The core competences of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
in the fields of ICTs-assistance in bridging the digital divide,
international and regional cooperation, radio spectrum management,
standards development and the dissemination of information-are of crucial
importance for building the Information Society. The Road to Tunis: 2005 The second phase of the WSIS will take place in Tunis in 2005. Looking
ahead to that process, and in response to the official Declaration of
Principles, Ole Henrik Magga of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
re-iterated the need to ensure that further gains for Indigenous Peoples
are made on the Road to Tunis in 2005. He said that the main barriers are
resources, infrastructure, capacity building and access.
"In asking for inclusion in the Global Revolution of New Technologies,
Indigenous peoples say strongly, that they are not simply another
marketplace - to be exploited for financial gain. " Above all, they ask
for inclusion in this revolution on their own terms as equal players, for
they believe that they have much to offer the rest of the world in terms
of new thinking and approaches to the great possibilities of this new age.
Further to this, they also ask for inclusion at the WSIS in Tunis as equal
partners - sitting at the main table. "In Tunis, we do not want to be a
side event in a different location from the main meeting."
The research and outcomes presented in this paper have led to an
understanding that in terms of international cooperation and development,
real participation happens when all stakeholders, including Indigenous
Peoples are involved in decision-making. Experts have concluded and
Indigenous Peoples themselves have reminded us that traditional Indigenous
knowledge is an immense contribution to the wealth of all humanity and
should be considered as part of the solution to problems in the world.
The Indigenous experience for more than 500 years has been that they are
here but we haven't seen them. Their needs as articulated in Geneva
require a shift in perception, one that no longer continues to qualify
them as marginal and vulnerable groups but welcomes them instead, as
peoples and nations into the global family.
The challenge facing multilateral agencies and member states of the United
Nations is to recognize the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. This
is crucial to inclusion in the information society.
In closing, I offer an excerpt from their Final Report to the governments
of the world:
"At the heart of our vision of the Information Society is respect for the
dignity and human rights of Indigenous Peoples, nations and tribes, which
must be affirmed, if the economic, information and digital divide which
separates technology rich nations and the private sector from the most
marginalized peoples in society including Indigenous peoples, nations and
tribes, is to be bridged."
I ask those of you here today, is it a realistic expectation during the
next few months on the road to Tunis, that many of the international
cooperation agencies in the Americas, some of whom are present in this
gathering at Virtual Educa in the Universal Forum of Cultures in
Barcelona, will seek to further strengthen their capacity building
programs in new and/or continuing dialogue and co-creation with Indigenous
experts in order to secure significant advances in the implementation of
jointly stated goals? Can Tunis be a win/win situation for all
stakeholders, driven by the social, economic and political will of the
Americas? BIBLIOGRAPHY
Official Documents:
Informe final de la fase de Ginebra de la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad
de la Información (Original: ingles)
Documento WSIS-03/GENEVA/9(Rev.1)-S
12 de mayo de 2004
The Declaration of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the
Information Society
GENEVA DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTION
Geneva, 11
December 2003
The Declaration of Principles: Building the Information Society: a global
challenge in the new Millennium
The Report of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information
Society E/23
December, 2003
Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues, Economic and Social Council
Third Summit of the Americas - Plan of Action
UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183
Papers:
doCip, Centre de Documentation de Recherche et d'Information des Peuples
Autochtones, Geneva
NGO Narrative Report on the Global Forum of Indigenous
Peoples and the Information Society, Geneva 8-1,
December 2003
Hernández, Isabel and Calcagno, Silvia (Funcionarias del Centro
Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Demografía (CELADE), División de Población
de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL)
Los
Pueblos Indígenas y la Sociedad de la Información en América Latina y el
Caribe: Un Marco para la Acción (pdf) Spanish Version
Institute for
Connectivity in the Americas (ICA)
May 2003
Hernández, Isabel and Calcagno, Silvia
Indigenous Peoples and the
Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Framework for
Action, English Version
Institute for Connectivity in the Americas
May 2003
Regional Strategy for the Reduction of the Information Marginalization of
the Indigenous Communities: A Series of Proposals, ECLAC/IDRC, March 2003
Paldao, Dr. Carlos E.
Educación, Formación y Nuevas Tecnologías
Menasaje
del Presidente de la Comisión Organizadora de Virtual Educa 2003-2004
Agencia Interamericana para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo, Organización
de los Estados Americanos, Miami, Florida, EEUU, 19-20 de junio de 2003
Press Releases/Conferences
Press Release on the Outcome of WSIS
Geneva, December 10, 2003
States Betray the World's 400 Million Indigenous Peoples
Press Statement
of the Indigenous Peoples Delegation to the UN World Summit on
Information
Society: Published on the web site of Yachay Wasi
Geneva 11 December 2003
UN-backed Information Summit Called on to Help Progress of Indigenous
Peoples New York, December 11, 2003 1:00 PM
World Summit on Information Society Concludes General Debate
4th & 5th Plenary Meetings (AM & PM): 12 December 2003
Web Sites:
Aboriginal Canada Portal
Aboriginal Planet:
Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information
Society
Geneva, 8-11, December 2003
CIDA's Indigenous Peoples' Partnership Programme
(PPP)
Programa de Cooperación entre Pueblos Indígenas (PCPI)
Enlace Quiche
Fondo Indigena (Fondo para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indigenas
de America Latina)
Universidad Intercultural del Estado de Mexico
Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society
Aboriginal
Canada web site
The Institute for Connectivity in the Americas
Spanish
Partners, including the Inter-American Development Bank, The World Bank,
etc.
International Development and Research Centre (IDRC)
Inter-American Institute for Human Rights
El Instituto Interamericano de
Derechos Humanos (IIDH)
Organization of American
States - Indigenous Peoples; Educational Portal of the Americas,
Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development in the Americas
2001: Programa de la Primera Feria Hemisférica de Educación Indígena
Sistema de Información de la Cumbre de las Américas: Pueblos Indígenas
Summit of the Americas Information Network: Indigenous Peoples
Tunis 2005 - Official Web Site
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
World Bank's Global Fund for Indigenous Peoples
World Summit on the
Information Society |
