<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040">Dear all, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040"><br>
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040">I fully support the
opinion of </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">Divina Frau-Meigs</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color:white;font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;background-image:initial">.</span> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">There
are a number of researches saying that the spread of ICTs results in increased
inequalities in the societies and new forms of </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif">inequalities, since </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif">only people able to gain
from the new opportunities benefit from Internet and ICTs.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040">One of the arguments is
that law-income countries often have scarce resources for investment, if those
investments are directed to ICTs, basic needs still may not be addressed. I put
a link to a research paper by Mansell (LSE), who demonstrates, that ICTs can bring ‘destabilizing
effects on the economies’ of poor countries. 
</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif"">The question is <b>how</b> these ICTs are introduced in developing countries, having, for
instance, less than 1 per cent of broadband penetration and less than 4 per
cent of Internet users.   </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif""><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif""><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt">ICTs are recognized as tools fostering inclusion
in the society on one hand, and promoting greater participation of people in
decision-making processes, on the other hand. However, being tools of empowerment, in
authoritarian regimes ICTs can be turned into instruments of censorship,
surveillance and oppression.  </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">Access to ICTs means
increased access to information and knowledge, but it does not necessarily mean
that people who receive the access will <b>use</b>,
<b>process</b> and <b>multiply</b> the knowledge.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">Developing countries often have very poor
local content, Internet resources consumed by people are mostly of external
origin and mainly serve entertainment purposes. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)"> And t</span><span style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px">he divide is growing </span><b style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px">not only</b><span style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px"> because the access to ICTs are unequal, but mainly because the </span><b style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px">ability</b><span style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px"> to process information become unequal (</span><span style="font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:12pt">critical thinking skills and the ability to
create own content</span><span style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px">). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(64,64,64);font-family:Sylfaen,serif;font-size:16px"><br></span></p>


<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040">Therefore, ICT access
issues need to be re-assessed in terms of <b>skills</b>
and <b>capabilities</b> which people need
to better participate in their societies, to gain from new education and
learning opportunities.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#404040"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif""><a href="http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/24990/1/The_Information_Society_and_ICT_Policy_(LSERO).pdf">http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/24990/1/The_Information_Society_and_ICT_Policy_(LSERO).pdf</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif""> </span></p>
<div><br></div><div><br></div>Best,<div><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial">Narine Khachatryan</span></div>