Information and Communication Technologies ICT for Poverty Reduction

1
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
for Poverty Reduction?
Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT,Berne, October 24, 2002

• Richard Gerster and Sonja Zimmermann
• in cooperation with
• Gabriele Siegenthaler and Gerolf Weigel

2
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• What is Poverty?

• Income gap
• Lack of assets
• Vulnerability
• Powerlessness
• Social exclusion

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
3
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Who are the Poor?

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
4
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• A multidimensional Approach to Poverty Reduction

• Pro-poor growth
• Sustainablelivelihoods
• Resources and redistriubtion
• Rights and empowerment

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
5
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• ICT

• Definition ICT refers to any artefact or
  technique which uses electronic means to create,
  store, manage and disseminate information
• Determinants of Access
• radio phone Internet
• Costs
• Skill
• Penetration

low medium high low low high high medium low
Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
6
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)

• Restricted access to information use
• Tacit taxation of information importers
• Double standards Modern vs. traditional
  information

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
7
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Pro-poor growth Strategy

• Creation of income additional measures
• ICT as a production sector
• Access to markets and marketing tools
• Increase of efficiency in administration

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
8
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Sustainable Livelihood Strategy

• Starting point is the often underestimated
  complexity of rural/urban life
• Information which is of particular relevance
• Valorization of local information
• Community access

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
9
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Rights and Empowerment Strategy

• Development is about the fulfilment of
  entitlements and rights gt social change
• Governance issues
• transparency
• consultation and decisions making processes
• advocacy networks
• Distant education

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
10
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Resources and Redistribution Strategy

• Influences the use and distribution of assets and
  facilitates efficient management of resources gt
  economic empowerment
• Information about access to resources (micro
  credit, credit schemes, land allocation etc .)
• Emergency aid

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
11
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• International Dimension

• Global advocacy campaigns
• Civil society as countervailing power
• Perception of poverty
• Pro-poor ICT-policies
• Voice of poor countries in negotiations
• Protecting the interests of the poor

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
12
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• National pro-poor ICT Environment

• ICT-Fund for poverty reduction
• Gender equality policies
• Favourable policies for micro- SMEs
• Good governance
• Promotion of open source software

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
13
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Relevance for SDC

• Commitment to poverty reduction
• Taking up the challenges
• disadvantaged target groups
• political roots of poverty
• Present ICT policy
• strenghten voices of the poor
• support empowerment of local institutions
• strengthen poverty/development issues in
  international negotiations
• Outlook
• itensify ongoing stocktaking
• mainstream attention to ICT components

Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002
14
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Reduction?

• Thank you for your attention

and your feedback . -)
Presentation at the SDC-IICD Workshop Poverty
ICT, Berne, October 24, 2002