It’s exciting to see how UK Prime Minister links ‘poverty’ to ’the Internet’. As a communications consultant, blogger and someone working with online communication, I often find myself in a position where I have to explain myself, let alone to my parents, when discussing the role of the Internet in advocacy work: “ So basically, you are on Facebook every day, right?“ is a common reaction.
The honest answer to this question, which I think many other young people can relate to, would be “Yes, I am on Facebook every day”. But I like to think that being a ‘net-citizen’ and engaging in conversations with people from all over the world on a daily basis, is more than just a waste of time. I like to think that there is more to it.
I almost felt tempted to echo the words “yes we can”, when I recently stumbled upon an excellent video by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, “Wiring a web for global good”. Here is what he has to say about the Internet and poverty:
“We’re at a unique moment in history. We can use today’s interconnectedness to develop our shared global ethic — and work together to confront the challenges of poverty, security, climate change and the economy”.
The video is provided by TED, a US-based nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas on technology, development and design. It features Mr. Brown , who is standing in front of a photo-projector and a big audience, curious to hear what he has top say about poverty and the challenges facing the world today. I think everyone felt surprised when Mr. Brown introduced his argument – that interconnectedness is vital when it comes to poverty reduction.
To illustrate his point of view, Mr. Brown features heart-gripping pictures that have been transferred from country to country over time and gradually have become part of our collective memory:
“This is Birhan, who was the Ethiopian girl who launched Live Aid in the 1980s, 15 minutes away from death when she was rescued, and that picture of her being rescued is one that went round the world”.
Mr. Brown continues:
“This next is the Sudanese girl, a few moments from death, a vulture hovering in the background. And what do all these pictures and events have in common? What they have in common is what we see unlocked and what we cannot see. What we see unlocked: the invisible ties and bonds of sympathy that bring us together to become a human community. What these pictures demonstrate is that we do feel the pain of others, however distantly”.
Well said.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not even implying that the Internet can replace a relief package, neither am I suggesting that the Internet can compensate for the social and personal losses that follow poverty. I am rather suggesting, similar to Mr. Gordon Brown, that the Internet can provide a platform where we can be ourselves and have a global conversation on important topics, such as poverty and AIDS. As Mr. Brown puts it:
“What I think these pictures demonstrate is that we do believe in something bigger than ourselves. What these pictures demonstrate is that there is a moral sense across all religions, across all faiths, across all continents — a moral sense that not only do we share the pain of others, and believe in something bigger than ourselves but we have a duty to act when we see things that are wrong that need righted, see injuries that need to be corrected, see problems that need to be rectified”.
The Internet can not eradicate poverty nor compensate for the loss of dignity and respect that follows poverty. But it is full of potential when it comes to building a bridge between people who want to make an effort and families affected by poverty.
I will wrap up this blog post by sharing some of the questions that remained after having watched the video: Will providing Internet access to more people help end the poverty that disables millions in so many nations? And if the Internet is the answer, how do we approach challenges such as the digital divide and the fact that Internet is not accessible in all regions of the world? It is my impression that the impact of the Internet and its role in poverty reduction is poorly understood. Correct me if I am wrong.
However, we do see good examples of governments, donors, activists, development organizations and bloggers that are realizing the benefits that Internet access promises in the fight against poverty. The future will tell if we are witnessing a few isolated examples or these are signs of a revolution.
Anyway, over to you Mr. Brown. I will let you do the talking and simply just guide readers attention to your video.
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@angeline: I agree - the Internet is a too, not the goal itself.
@digitalstorylab: Thank you for writing a Danish post on Conversations for a Better World and my blog-post. Keep up the good work (digital storytelling). You are always welcome to send me an e-mail if you are working on some interesting projects related to poverty/development and digital storytelling.
Comment on: Conversations for a Better World: What Facebook has to do with poverty by Ms. Ida Jeng.
Hello,
First, I appreciate your enthusiasm!
Next, I also believe the Internet can be quite useful with sharing all information, which includes engineering, scientific, medical, humanitarian, and other. Because of this sharing, I believe people in other cultures, who have little access to the outside world, which is most "poor" people, will begin their own discussions. In turn, the "poor", who have an opportunity to gain access to a computer, will affect the poorest people in their society by educating mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and friends on their experiences. Although beneficial, I worry about the "quality" of shared data.
There are so many wonderful commercial, educational, organizational, and government sites, but the information can be quite daunting! What I believe we, the citizens of the developed World, are facing is a problem with accurate information.
In many situations, the data, "information", has not been verified by peers, and this will become extremely important in the future! Opinions are great, but opinions can cause problems as well. Although more than an "opinion", I provide the media and their use of a published "journal article" as an example.
As many have seen on the news, there is often major "sways" in beliefs regarding health, which are caused by recent research results. When the media "gets ahold" of these "individual articles", they, like many others, become excited and report the information. This or that is GOOD! Chocolate is good for you!! Later, they discover that a food or vitamin may not be so good and can cause cancer or another medical aliment. Why? Science works off the "shoulders of giants" and requires many people to perform research, investigate claims, reproduce data, and question another's data and methods. In some cases, the person's goals are questioned as well. It is not that the information is necessarily bad, it was just a "block" of information that was needed to increase scientific accuracy. As another example, I provide social and psychological sciences.
As I began researching "Child Marriage", coerced sexual assault, rape, suicide, etc. I noticed the Confidence Intervals of some sociology and psychology data was very large. As a chemical engineer, who has worked in an industry that requires very tight process controls, I was somewhat surprised until I thought about the possibilities. When studying human beings, the "system" is quite complex, the ethical considerations are very significant, the "numbers" are small, and the data is affected.
In my opinion, the Internet provides good and bad "blocks" of information. Why? Because scientific journal articles are reviewed prior to submission, and there is a filtering process. Sadly, this filtering process can affect some credible journals, and some bad science does make it through the system, but that is another topic. On the other hand, much of the Internet's information has not been peer reviewed, and this may negatively affect the life of another. In the worse-case scenario, it can cause the death of an individual, or the "Clash of the Civilizations", which was described by Samuel P. Huntington. Although Dr. Huntington didn't consider the internet during his original discussion, I'm sure he probably considers it as a possible mode in the future.
Some Information on "The Clash of Civilizations?":
• Foreign Affairs: Summary;
• "Is There a Clash of Civilizations? Islam, Democracy, and US-Middle East and Central Asia Policy, 2006 "White House Foreign Affairs, §.
§Quote:"This is important because the recruitment of terrorists today tends to use appeals to individual responsibility for upholding Islam, and is ideally suited for the internet age where individuals not living in a Muslim land—perhaps sitting alone in their apartment in Hamburg or Rotterdam or Falls Church looking for meaning in their lives on the internet—make an individual decision to commit to suicidal jihad. This is important because the recruitment of terrorists today tends to use appeals to individual responsibility for upholding Islam, and is ideally suited for the internet age where individuals not living in a Muslim land—perhaps sitting alone in their apartment in Hamburg or Rotterdam or Falls Church looking for meaning in their lives on the internet—make an individual decision to commit to suicidal jihad."
Although terrorism is a possible byproduct of the "bad" blocks of information, a similar situation can occur in healthcare as well. In certain societies, people may consider an Internet post as definitive when considering medical advice, while the advice could be "bad" blocks of information. As a side note, I am not suggesting all Muslims are terrorists. Rather, I have many Muslim friends, value their friendship and values, and know many strongly disagree with terrorism.
In summary, I agree the Internet could be a valuable tool for reducing poverty and increasing the average knowledge of the World's population, but we need to properly review and educate newcomers to the dangers as well! As we know, we haven't successfully accomplished this task ourselves, but many are trying! For example, the Food and Drug Administration is creating "Partnerships" with online health sites and providing valuable information for consumers.
Committee on International Relations Hearing. Is there a Clash of Civilizations? Islam, Democracy, and US-Middle East and Central Asia Policy. US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs[online]. 2006. Available from: From a Google Search.
Huntington, S. P. The Clash of Civilizations? Foreign Affairs[online]. 1993. Available from: Wikipedia.org.
About
I’m Ida. Born in Denmark, roots in Africa, living in New York. My work focuses on digital advocacy. I like to believe that social media can lead to social and political change. Happy to be part of UNFPA's media team in New York and social media initiatives, such as Conversations for a Better World and 7 Billion Actions.
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Angeline
Thursday 6th August, 2009, 3:13pm
Hi Ida,
What an interesting post-- both your reflections and the summaries from Mr. Brown. Though rarely summed us as eloquently as above, this is a good reminder of the powerful, positive role of the internet.
Further, you remind us that we need to take the time to actively seek opinions that are outside of our zip code, mindset and daily exposure.
To one of your final questions: I think the internet is a growing necessity. Personally, I think it's a secondary goal to say, universal literacy, but at the same time I think it has similar benefits toward overall access to education. And, yes, perhaps that it can play a helpful role in reducing poverty.