UNESCO contributes to preparing the World Summit on the Information Society

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Diaspora Knowledge Networks

Abdul Waheed Khan UNESCO Assistant
Director-General for Communication and
Information
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• The world has moved to a revolution which is
  built on knowledge, on technology and on
  information knowledge, if it is properly
  transferred, if it is made available to all,
  gives the greatest opportunity for people to
  advance themselves and to fight against poverty.
• Paul Wolfowitz, World Bank President

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The fundamental cure for poverty is not money
but knowledge. Sir W. Arthur Lewis
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The elimination of ignorance, of illiteracy and
the needless inequalities of opportunities are
objectives that are valued for their own
sake. Amartya Sen
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The Knowledge Revolution

• Triggered by both globalization and technology
  advances
• Globalization relates to a number of economic
  reform trends including liberalization,
  privatization and decentralization
• Technology is the mover in the age of
  globalization, especially the Internet, and its
  WWW

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The Knowledge Revolution

• Increased demand for Knowledge and the
  evolution from an agricultural to an industrial
  to a knowledge society
• Globalization dictates stronger competition and
  the need for better skills attained through
  modern educational offerings
• Education as a commodity and trans-border flow of
  knowledge as the technology eliminates the
  classic barriers of time and space

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Wheel of Change
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Linkage of Knowledge to Development
Human Capitals and Productivity
Macro Economic Growth and Development
Family Health and Nutrition
Reduced Poverty
Knowledge
Personal Development
Societal Development
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A World of Contrasts
Access to knowledgeand information Prosperity Gl
obalization Inclusion
Limited access to knowledge and
information Poverty Marginalization Exclusion
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Knowledge Societies
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Principles of Knowledge Societies

• Freedom of Expression
• Universal Access to Information and Knowledge
• Respect for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
• Quality Education for All
• endorsed at WSIS

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Indias Place in the Knowledge Era

• Democratic, political set up and political
  stability
• Vast infrastructure for training IT professionals
• Highly trained IT professionals
• Extensive use of English language
• Growing IT infrastructure
• Well developed IT industry
• Indigenous information and communication
  technologies
• Strong learning tradition
• Rich Indian knowledge diaspora

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Indian Diaspora

• 19th centuryForced migration to colonies
  (Mauritius, British Guyana, West Indies, Fiji,
  East Africa, etc)
• 1 August 1834Act of Emancipation passed, freeing
  slaves in colonies
• Partition of IndiaHigh migration to Pakistan
• 1947 to presentHigh migration to developed
  countries

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Indian Diaspora

• Indian Diaspora 20 Million people
• 2nd largest diaspora in the world
• 48 countries overseas with more than 10.000
  Indians
• Biggest communities in the following countries
  

Myanmar 2,902,000
USA 1,678,765
Malaysia 1,665,000
Saudi Arabia 1,500,000
Uganda 1,200,000
Source Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
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• Indians abroad have not only been successful in
  many walks of life, but have also been a source
  of inspiration for their brethren back home.
• Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, President of
  India

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From Brain Drain to Brain Gain

• Brain drain
• Migration of skilled and educated human resources
  from developing to developed nations
• Brain gain
• Expatriate skilled population as potential asset,
  not loss
• Transfer of expertise/skills of expatriates back
  to home
• Country of origin and country of adoption have
  access to knowledge and expertise of expatriate

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From Brain Drain to Brain Gain

• Grassroots actions of expatriats in need of
  institutional support
• Institutional action in need of grassroots
  support
• ICTs can help to overcome these problems

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Diaspora Networks

• Non-territorialized entities
• Defining, maintaining, activating and reproducing
  their identity through collective exchange and
  interactions
• Require high quality communication systems
• Diaspora networks are fragile social constructs
• Risk of diasporas detachment from home country
  because of stronger links between diasporas
  themselves

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ICT and Diaspora Networks

• Use of ICTs to consolidate and reinforce
  socio-cognitive processes underlying collective
  practices
• Potential of computer-mediated communications for
  new forms of interactions between diaspora
  members in host and home countries

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Diasporas, Development and ICT
Consolidate socio-cognitive dynamics of
interactions
Fragile, Bottom-Up Social Constructs
Diaspora Collective Practice
Non-territorializedEntities
Human Resources for Development
Consolidate technological base of
computermediated communications
Consolidate diaspora participation in the
co-development process
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Development through Knowledge Networks

• Education
• Exchange programmes for students and academic
  professionals
• Establish grants for academic exchange
• Partnerships between universities
• Cooperations in research projects

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Development through Knowledge Networks

• Science
• Knowledge/Publications exchange
• Interface with Non-Resident Indians in Science
  and Technology (INRIST)
• Science and Technology Professionals of Indian
  Diaspora platform by Indias Ministry of Science
  Technology

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Development through Knowledge Networks

• Culture
• Export Indian culture through entertainment
  products
• Cultural bonding through Sister City
  Relationships

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Development through Knowledge Networks

• Economy
• Promotion of Indian products in country of
  adoption
• Supply of useful insight into market penetration
  strategies by professionals abroad
• Development of Knowledge services
• Direct contribution of expatriates to Indian
  economy through FDI and remittances

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Development through Knowledge Networks

• Health
• Coordination of Indian health professionals
  volunteer services and donations to enhance
  Indian health-care
• Establishment of cooperations between hospitals
  in India and developed countries
• Medical education through professionals abroad

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Example TOKTEN

• Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate
  Nationals (TOKTEN)
• Global UNDP mechanism for mobilizing expatriates
  to undertake short-term consultancies in their
  countries of origin
• Contributes to reducing "brain-drain" at
  relatively low cost and speed of implementation
• Based on spirit of volunteerism 

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Recommendations

• Set up information networks to assist in
• Collectivizing and sharing knowledge
• Detecting new and emerging conceptual
  relationships
• Mobilizing human resources for home country
  development
• Building confidence among diaspora
• Support research on Diaspora Knowledge Networks

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Conclusion

• In order to convert brain drain into brain gain,
  there is a strong need to articulate and
  coordinate bottom-up grassroots actions with
  top-down institutional policies