[governance] New Blogpost: Investment 58-Poverty 14: The UN's

[Jean-Louis FULLSACK]

> This may be of interest...
> 
> M

Of course Michael, it is !

I do share your opinion about the rather problematic relation(s) between Broadband access and Poverty alleviation, and all this discourse that was poured on the folks attending the WSIS meetings. This whole process tried -and is still trying- to instrumentalize ONGs for disseminating ICT gear at any cost for the POSSIBLE "benefit" of DCs and their populations. Whereas the REAL benefit goes to the private sector : manufacturers, vendors, advisers, service providers and operators. 

I think that the economical and above all the financial aspects and issues of ICT/BB dissemination in DCs, let's say sub-Saharean Africa, should be thoroughly and objectively analyzed and published. Just as an example : Does Africa REALLY need eight submarine cables from Dakar to the Cape (there are three ones in service and by the end of next year there are five other ones to come) ? At an average cost of 300 to 400 M$, this means a total investment of around 3 billion dollars ! This is 2 billions too much, or a hold-up of 2 billions from the basic needs in DCs, i.e. food, water, sanitation and energy (remember : WEHAB, the Jo'burg UN Develoment Summit program, nowhere even mentions ICT !). Who will ever carry out such a survey ? Maybe research teams in Universities, through a holistic, multidisciplinary approach (human, sociologic, economic, financial, environmental, ...). Why not with you, Michael ? 

In the meantime, this hold-up is sponsored by the UN and -first of all- the ITU.  

BTW : The CS in completely absent in this "BB4D Commission". This shows how high is multi-stakeholdership right now, and how inclusive are the two vice-chairs of the WSIS ... and of the "Commission". As far as the co-chairs are concerned, the first one isn't actually an example of democratic governance, and the second is quite simply the wealthiest man in the world ... A methaphor when we consider the billion people still suffering from poverty and hoping for a better future. 

Best regards
Jean-Louis Fullsack
CSDPTT and CESIR

> Message du 28/09/10 07:25
> De : "Michael Gurstein" 
> A : governance at lists.cpsr.org
> Copie à : 
> Objet : [governance] New Blogpost: Investment 58-Poverty 14: The UN's Broadband Commission for Digital Development vs. the MDGs
> 
> 
> 
> This may be of interest...
> 
> M
> 
> 
> Investment 58-Poverty 14: The UN's Broadband Commission for Digital
> Development vs. the MDGs
> 
> http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/investment-58%E2%80%94poverty-14-th
> e-un%E2%80%99s-broadband-commission-for-digital-development-vs-the-mdgs/
> 
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