Connecting the Unconnected

SCCN in Geneva on invitation by UNESCO

Leaving no one behind

The Digital Revolution, like industrial revolution and agricultural revolution heralded the new era. It totally transformed the way the computing is done, information is stored and communicated. It marked the arrival of information age.

The revolution has two distinct dimensions. First, is the mass production of the digital logic circuits and the related devices like, computers and mobile phones. Second, the development of the digital programming to enhance the efficiency of the processes that involve the living and non-living matters. Unlike industrial and agricultural revolution, digital revolution spread faster than wildest expectations and imaginations of many of the experts including, United Nations.

Today 50 percent of the world population uses internet and near 100 percent uses the mobile telephones. While there have been huge benefits to society from the digital revolution, especially in terms of the accessibility of information, there are a number of concerns, particularly those related to 'digital divide' providing the unlimited powers of communication. The privileged possession of information may be utilised for exploiting those who are still disconnected or inadequately connected. The unequal level of digital literacy also creates number of concerns related to the way the digital technology is used for the mass communication.

The digital revolution has also resulted in making inroads into the privacy of the individuals and their rights. Reliability of data and the possible alteration of the authenticity of data have created huge credibility gap.

Alarmed by these and emerging challenges, on 21 December 2001, the United Nations General resolved to hold World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to discuss about information society opportunities and challenges.

Two summits from thereon, one in Geneva in 2003 when 175 countries attended the first ever summit on the subject and other in Tunis in 2005 defined overall process and framework and helped to roll out the process of annual summit of WSIS. 17^th May was established as World Information Society Day.

International Telecommunication Union ( ITU) a UN body, has been maintaining the WSIS Stocktaking database as a publicly accessible system providing information on ICT-related initiatives and projects with reference to the WSIS Action Lines.

Earlier, the WSIS was focussed on finding ways for developing countries to gain better access to the Internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Lately, particularly after the global agreement on United Nations SDGs in 2015, the WSIS is aiming at helping the countries to improve the sustainability of the ecosystems and life. Connecting villages and communities, schools and universities, research centres, libraries, health centres and hospitals, and local and central government departments to contribute towards SDGs have become the key issues for the WSIS.

WSIS Forum has now become the largest global multi-stakeholder platform facilitating the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines for advancing sustainable development. The annual WSIS Forum provides an opportunity for information exchange, knowledge creation and sharing of best practices, while identifying emerging trends and fostering partnerships, taking into account the evolving Information and Knowledge Societies. The WSIS Forum is constantly evolving and strengthening the alignment between the WSIS Action Lines and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Forum will serve as a key platform for discussing the role of ICTs as a means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, with due regard to the global mechanism for follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

TERRE Policy Centre is, therefore, very proud to be invited by UNESCO for WSIS's 2018 forum in Geneva to present the ideas about developing a strategy for youth on open access to knowledge and contribution to SDGs by building their skills in digital technology. Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN) is the project (sccnhub.com) that is conceived by TERRE to build the digital skills of students through campus-project based learning.