Communique:

Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge Communiqué

Sharing Information & Knowledge

A series of two one-day seminars held in Karachi (2 February
2000) and Islamabad (10 February 2000).

Key messages from Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge to the Global
Knowledge Partnership Action Summit and Global Knowledge II
Conference, Kuala Lumpur, 7-10 March 2000

The following key messages are set out in accordance with, and further to, the TASKNET communiqué, under the three GKII themes: Access, Empowerment and Governance.

Access

Reinforcing the TASKNET message – that development of access is a major priority in South Asia, which has one of the lowest Internet penetrations and teledensity levels in the world – Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge both reviewed access strategies
and models for addressing this imbalance in Pakistan and showcased initiatives and current best practice, in the following areas:

• Convergence
  
  Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge reiterated the importance of appropriate convergent information and communications technologies (ICTs) in promoting wider access – particularly those merging television and computer-based systems capable of delivering bi-directional voice and text-based information.

• Mechanisms for wider community access
  
  Bridging the ‘digital divide’ to ensure broader community access to ICT (beyond the current access-base of a predominantly metropolitan, educated and affluent sector of the Pakistani population) will require further imaginative public-private partnership schemes and greater responsiveness from existing major stakeholders.

• Managing web-driven information
  
  The importance of users being able to retrieve the right information from authentic knowledge sources -- in Pakistan and globally, in a timely way from the already vast (and growing) body available -- was reinforced. Such access-enabling tools are urgently required, and need to be developed for the non-specialist end user.
  

Empowerment

Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge outlined measures for empowering people through ICTs at the local and national level. The following underpinning themes emerged:

• The right to information
  
  This is the key underlying principle in any discussion about empowerment, and needs to be central in the conception, design and operation of all knowledge network projects, particularly those concerned with government information (for example, in relation to census, electoral and health data).

• ICTs as a means for empowerment
  
  This is an issue of both access and content. Traditional and authentic indigenous knowledge will not be harnessed unless local communities can use ICTs to articulate knowledge and ‘development’ within their own terms of cultural reference, and in their own language.

• Appropriate community-level access
  
  This is essential. Tele and Internet centres, wiring-up of schools and colleges and using cable TV for delivery, are among a number of mechanisms proposed for reaching currently marginalised groups and sectors.
  
  

Governance

Focussing on the need for both county and global level regulation to support local needs, key issues include:

• Regulatory challenges

Concerted advocacy and lobbying of government and concerned statutory bodies is necessary for developing appropriate regulatory policies and machinery capable of embracing the technological, policy and economic implications of ICTs. A national broadcasting and telecommunications regulatory authority, for example, could take a policy lead in:

• national ICT infrastructure development planning and promotion -- the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s intention to set up a special ‘Universal Service Fund’ being a good example, with revenue earned from existing service provision being targeted towards access provision in rural / remote areas
• safeguarding and developing intellectual property rights
• providing national-level advocacy in addressing issues of global telecommunications governance, which need to be made morefavourable to developing countries.
  
  
• Promotion of locally-produced appropriate ICTs
  
  Urgently requires appropriate government encouragement, if a strong, local
  production basis for ICT products and services is to be established.
  
  

Cross-cutting themes

Several cross-cutting themes emerged. Reinforcing all those identified at TASKNET, Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge particularly emphasised the following:

• Language
  
  And the need for free, open-sourced and standardised software (includingweb-authoring tools) in national and regional languages. An essential requirement for promoting access, it is also the key to opening the already-present potential for rich and diverse content and a prerequisite for effective and widespread dissemination of information.
  
• Convergence
  
  Both in the development of appropriate regulatory mechanisms and appropriate ICTs models and projects.
  
• Freedom of information
  
  As fundamental, and underpinning all policies and actions.
  
  

Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge: The way forward

Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge aims to build on the ‘Sharing Information and Knowledge’ seminars in the following ways:

• By becoming a forum for promoting and facilitating the development of knowledge networking partnerships and projects among local organisations, the interested business sector, academia and multi-and bi-lateral Global Knowledge partners active in Pakistan.
• By winning new Global Knowledge partners; both Pakistani and multi /
  bi-lateral organisations operating in-country.
• By establishing wider South Asian and global partnerships and joint action in
  areas of mutual benefit and collaboration.
  
  Pakistan@GlobalKnowledge aims to achieve this by the following means:
  
• Through future awareness-raising events: seminars, specialised workshops,
  briefings.
• Through web-based discussion forums.
• Through advocacy and lobbying on key issues.