THE INTERNET PHENOMENON:

AGENDA FOR ACTION

Proposal presented by the

NETWORKS & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

for consideration by the
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH COUNCIL, IDRC.

Caracas, Venezuela
April 1995, Final Version

1. Introduction 2
2. Antecedents 2
3. MOTIVATION 3
4. GOALS 5

1. General 5
2. Specifics 5

5. ExPECTED RESULTS 6

1. Immediate 6
2. Short term 6
3. Long term 7
4. Impact 8

6. Budget 8 VII.Schedule 9
   

1. Check Points 9

1. First Check Point 9
2. Second Check Point 9
3. Third (and last) Check Point 10

2. Tasks 10

1. Gestation and planning of the Workshop 10
2. Holding the Workshop 11
3. Follow up activities after the workshop 12

8. Partners/Counterparts/Consultants 12
9. Enclosures 13 ENCLOSURE 1: FUNREDES briefing 14
   
   WORKSHOP

Agenda for Action

AUTONUMOUT Introduction
We, at the Networks & Development Foundation, FUNREDES, plan, for a prominent group of experts coming from a variety of fields, to meet during 5 days, in order to discuss about the impact that within the next 2 years will have the INTERNET Phenomenon upon Developing Countries.

FUNREDES proposes an "expert group" workshop, with participants from a variety of fields, in order to address the issue of the impact of the "Internet Phenomenon", i.e., the expansion of computer networks and the use of information technology (NETS&IT), on developing countries.
While not minimizing the difficulty of the task, the Workshop looks beyond a significant expansion of developing country network nodes and interconnect links in the near future. Its focus is not on how to achieve that task, but is with regard to the implications of NETS&IT as a vehicle, and venue, for wider socio-economic and cultural processes. The focus of the Workshop will be to identify critical issues, flag strategic players, and propose key initiatives and responses to be implemented in the next two years. As a result of the discussion should emerge a set of strategic collaborative initiative proposals for consideration by stakeholders, funding agencies and various levels of civil society, aiming to catalyze the process, to induce some directionality or just to alert the interested sectors in order to apply the feasible provisions. AUTONUMOUT Antecedents

The host agency for the workshop, the Network and Development Foundation (Fundacion Redes y Desarrollo) FUNREDES, born out of the efforts of the REDALC Office (Santo Domingo) and its work in the field of Computer Mediated Communications (CMC) has a long history of work in telematic networking. From the beginning REDALC, and FUNREDES, have been interested in the conceptual and methodological aspects of networks, information technology and social process, and have been directly involved in planning, designing, setting in place and running telematic networks. From the beginning the focus has been on the enduser and the enduse, rather than limiting attention to the technological aspects of nodes, connections, interfaces and network applications. FUNREDES has focused its attention on NETS&IT and their social process aspects in particular relation to developing countries.

NETS&IT, under their media label "Internet", are seen as a highway or pipeline linking developed and developing worlds alike. There are conflicting opinions as to their impact on developing countries. One view casts them as yet another international structure for the further marginalization of developing countries. Another view casts them as creating a more level playing field, a virtual workspace or venue free from those material constraints of time and space which in the past so disadvantaged the developing world on the global stage.

The truth is that while technology will shape the process, it will not uniquely determine the outcome. The outcome depends in large measure upon how countries and groups individually and collaboratively use NETS&IT for purposeful activity in pursuit of specific ends. This FUNREDES Internet Phenomenon Workshop will explore the critical issues, contribute to an understanding of the potential for using NETS&IT, and produce a set of strategic collaborative initiative proposals for consideration by stakeholders, funding agencies and various levels of civil society. The INTERNET has come to be notorious by the public opinion throughout a growing mediatization lacking the corresponding research. This has some risks. It seems then appropriate the moment to invite some distinguished minds to a sound reflection about the impact that the INTERNET Phenomenon will have upon Developing Countries.

AUTONUMOUT MOTIVATION

In August of 1993 the Internet Society statistics on Internet growth registered a figure of approximately 20 million and growth rates which would have the whole population of the globe using the Internet by the year 2001. The Society reported (July 1993) that there were then in excess of 1.7 million Internet nodes with one node for every 250 people or less in the US and Norway. Starting from much lower, and in some cases near zero, base levels the same rates of growth are being experienced in developing countries. In January of 1995 the whole population accessing the Internet was estimated in approximately 70 millions The diffusion of network access and the use of information technology have proceeded at a rate unprecedented in the history of technology. In one form or another the existence of NETS&IT will be a material factor in almost all aspects of socio-economic and cultural life, and almost everywhere in the globe, by the year 2000. Because of their impact on the role of time and space, they are emerging as the "appropriate technology" for diverse settings in both advanced industrial and developing societies. Of particular importance to developing countries is the fact that their impact, as across social groups and across social issues is not at all clear. Neither is it clear what are the appropriate purposeful responses to be entertained by stakeholders in developing countries.
On the service NETS&IT, (the Internet) offers a set of basic functionalities with regard to moving packets of data between sites around the globe. They include
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h electronic messaging
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h electronic file transfer
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h remote access to information sites (textual, numerical, audio/visual objects, application software)
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h conferencing (collaborative work)
In the context of developing countries it is equally important to realize that local obstacles of time and space, aggravated by lack of resources, are as binding as are the global obstacles. This points to the need to cultivate local subcultures of activity, data provision, and conferences in response to local needs, both among and within the regions of the developing world. A systematic approach to these issues leads us to issues like information access, collaborative work in the virtual workspace, virtual research and policy venues, and the impact of NETS&IT on research, education, knowledge transfer and learning in all sectors and all aspects of society. It points to the creation of virtual (research and education) organizations, of groupwork structures and approaches to problems and solutions which transcend the traditional borders between disciplines and activity sites. It is particularly rich in its implications for dealing with global environmental issues while at the same time equally rich in its implications with regard to the local basis for civil society. Phrases like the "Invisible School", the "Global Village" and the Collaboratory" suggest both a scale of operation and degree of interconnectedness. What is less recognized is that this process can and will reproduce itself at various levels of aggregation, from the global down to the local, and that what is needed is a purposeful mastery of the potential uses of the technology, and not simply a mastery of its tools. A more descriptive metaphor would be a multi-tasking central nervous system, operating a multiple levels of aggregation and desegregation. The Internet itself is simply the integration of two components of computer based technologies, NETS&IT, the marriage of networking and information technology applications. At its core it involves moving packets of data, as electronic impulses, radio signals, or bursts of light, from one place to another. It gets its power from its uses and the fact that it is "appropriate" across such diverse settings. The profound impact of NETS&IT on the media, as the media are currently perceived, is to change the central element in communications from one of information distribution to one of information access. It is this central fact of access across time and space which holds the greatest promise and threat to sustainable socio-economic and cultural activity in developing countries. It is to be noticed that the out of proportion attention the mass media have began to dedicate to this network, is inducing some "notabilization" of the INTERNET world. By leaving its place besides the foreground, it gets power and visibility but the threat arises of loosing its creative potential. It is time to reflect about it before the INTERNET becomes another homeostatic fashion.

While it is not clear to what extent the world of the 21st Century will be "made" by the nature of the technology and those who hold the bulk of global power, it is clear that NETS&IT are the appropriate venue, the virtual workspace in which much about the issues of sustainable development, civil society, social process and justice will be decided. The challenge for developing countries lies then not with the problem of access, the so-called "last mile problem", nor with the problems of training for how to use and how to sustain networked access to the Internet. The challenge is to fashion purposeful collaborative work aimed at capacity building in and beyond the virtual workspace to address the local and global problems and opportunities facing developing countries today. It is with this intention that the proposed FUNREDES Internet Phenomenon Workshop will explore the critical issues, contribute to an understanding of the potential for using NETS&IT, and produce a set of strategic collaborative initiative proposals for consideration by stakeholders, funding agencies and various levels of civil society. Furthermore, the presentations and deliberations of the workshop itself will produce a lasting record of thought about the issues, challenges and opportunities to be faced in the next two years.

AUTONUMOUT GOALS

AUTONUMOUT General

1. Through the use of a group of qualified experts from different fields, to facilitate a discussion on the short run implications of NETS&IT for strategic options in developing countries.

2. To generate a set of issue/policy/initiative templates to serve as a basis for collaborative initiatives among and across stakeholders (in particular in Latin America and the Caribbean).

3. To identify several sector/activity specific initiatives which are to constitute follow-up activities to be initiated by FUNREDES and its collaborators.

4. Seek expert, stakeholder, and FUNREDES commitments on follow up with regard to (a) critical short run efforts for sustainable initiatives, and (b) sources of funding support.

To produce a series of strategic and tactical recommendations about the following topics:

1. Economic Aspects: Investment, costs, tariffs, the "commercialization" of the Internet and its impact on economic prospects for developing countries.

2. Public Policy Aspects: Telecom and tariff rules, NGO and educational access vs commercial access. Technology watch and forecasting services. Role Played by the Mass Media

3. Educational Aspects: Learning and Training, Distance Education, Just-in-time Open Learning, Virtual research institutes, information provider sites, collaborative education and research, Integrated Multimedia as a complement to the INTERNET services.
4. End User Issues: Access, Awareness, Gender and Class, Empowerment and self-regarding action, occupational health and safety issues (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Radiation, etc.), Mediatics. "Diabetes informaticus".

5. Technology Aspects: Appropriate technologies, appropriate settings, objectives and pedagogies, satellites, mobile and interactive technologies.

6. Information Aspects: Information Technologies, Information provider/user skills ("Neodocumentalists"), Provider Site capabilities, Virtual access and publishing.

7. Sociological Aspects: Technology and socio-cultural barriers and facilitators in the virtual workspace. Virtualizacion.

8. Political Aspects: Participation, Citizenship, North-South Imbalances, South-South Opportunities, Local Resources for Local Uses.

9. Legal Aspects: Intellectual Property and Privacy issues.

   
   

The Workshop will be designed to produce the following results:

AUTONUMOUT immediate

1. Critical factors: Areas for immediate collaborative attention in order to assure full developing country participation on the NETS&IT and within the virtual workspace.

2. Strategies and Initiatives: Short term scenarios within the scope and resources of stakeholder organizations, as well as strategies to promote stakeholder buy-in to initiatives.

3. Guidelines for strategic collaborative action across regions or subject/task areas

4. Proposals for collaborative work (implementation initiatives, research, training, etc.) involving the institutions and experts represented at the Workshop.

   
   

FUNREDES as the organizing and host organization would be committed to the following actions:

1. That the experts produce short discussion/position papers to be posted to a pre-workshop conference site on the Internet. The papers should also be made widely available to stakeholder groups in the Dominican Republic.
2. To negotiate with related national, regional and international organizations to make specific use of the deliverables from the workshop.

3. As a post-script to the workshop, there will be a one-day workshop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in which the general results of the workshop are discussed with local stakeholder groups in order to (a) inform them of the consensus/non-consensus deliberations, and (b) set the stage for initiatives within various Rep. Dom. groups.

4. To place for access on the Internet everything that flows into and from the sessions of the Workshop and to prepare a document built on the ideas and lessons learned within the Workshop. This later document would be published in an edited format for durability, relevance and affordability.

Recognizing that the time frame for actions is the next two years, the efforts of the Workshop will be directed to:

1. Contributing to strategic planning for the use of NETS&IT in developing countries in the pursuit of pressing issues.

2. Contribute to a base of training materials directed at the uses of NETS&IT as integral to collaborative work, and training on how to "live and learn" in the virtual workspace of the Internet.

3. FUNREDES, in collaboration with other agencies, will take responsibility for assessing the impact of NETS&IT in critical areas and promoting the transfer of knowledge with regard to lessons learned in this area.

AUTONUMOUT Impact

It is foreseen to act upon:

1. The identification and animation of desired scenarios for developing countries related to the uses of NETS&IT for achieving socio-economic and environmental objectives.

2. The production and distribution (or posting in Internet access sites) of useful guidelines for policy making, program development and project implementation making use of the NETS&IT virtual workspace as a venue integral to the work and mission of the task as hand.

3. A hightened ability to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate initiatives with regard to the development of NETS&IT and the uses of NETS&IT, as an aid to project developers, funding organizations and collaborative stakeholders (national governments, institutions, NGOs)

4. The documentary and knowledge base for sensitizing stakeholders, funders, the public and others about the issues involved in the growth and use of NETS&IT as a virtual workspace and venue.


Times Unitary Cost
(US Dol.) Total Cost
(US Dol.)  Planning and organizing   45.000  Travels (Experts) 15 1500 22.000  Lodging (Experts/Organizers) 20 x 6 days 100 12.000  Attentions (Experts)   3.000  Logistics/Administration   12.000  Translation and Publication   25.000  TOTAL   119.500  

The 15 experts, invited to participate in the discussions during the Workshop, will have their transportation expenses covered.

The location selected for the Workshop will be apt for undisturbed reflection, in a place retired from any big city. The city of Samaná, in Dominican Republic is considered as a first choice.

It is planned a staying of 6 days both for the experts and organizers. The project budget covers the corresponding expenses.

No honorarums will be paid.

The Workshop's official language will be English, and there will not be simultaneous translation.

During the Workshop all participants will have access to the Internet.

The final document would be produced in Spanish and in English.

AUTONUMOUT Schedule

AUTONUMOUT Check Points

During the present Project, the following three Check Points are planned:

1. First Check Point

SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Workshop Program (topics to be addressed)
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Approved Proposal
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Book keeping of funds assigned to the Project
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Acceptance letters from the participants
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Service proposal from the organizer contractor
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Supporting documentation distributed through the "IMPACTO" Electronic Conference.

2. Second Check Point

SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Summaries of the participants's Curriculum vitae
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Adopted methodology
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Working Panels: topics, members and minute-men
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Leveling introductory lectures
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Intergroups suggestions
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Listing of areas for immediate collaborative attention
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Short term scenarios involving stakeholder organizations
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Guidelines for strategic collaborative actions
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Draft proposals for further collaborative work involving the participants.

3. Third (and last) Check Point

SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Conclusions and recommendations emanated from the Santo Domingo One-day Workshop sustained with stakeholders groups based in Dominican Republic.
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Final document built on the ideas and lessons learned within the Workshop.
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h copy of the material supplied to the written mass media about what came up from the Workshop
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h list of Radio and TV programs in which the organizers and attendants of the Workshop have participated
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h copy of the informative material consensually approved by the participants through the "IMPACTO" Electronic Conference, and widespread through the INTERNET
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h references to sessions of selective dissemination of what might have been done, together with specialized entities
SYMBOL 150 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h summary of what have been done related to follow up and control of continuing evaluation mechanism defined during the Workshop.

AUTONUMOUT Tasks

This initiative implies a set of activities distributed in the following three phases:

1. Gestation and planning of the Workshop
2. Holding of the Workshop
3. Follow up activities after the Workshop.

1. Gestation and planning of the Workshop

1. Conception of the idea by FUNREDES
2. Early validation, by renown actors, about the pertinence and relevance of carrying out this Project
3. Selection of the themes to be addressed
4. Nomination of potential participants
5. Writing of the actual proposal
6. Getting financial support
7. Legal agreement with the contractor for the holding of the Workshop
8. Formal invitation to the participants

1. Acceptance letters from the participants

10. Opening at some Internet site the "IMPACTO" Electronic Conference; as private, to interact with the confirmed participants (for circulation of both administrative information and technical supporting documents). For obvious reasons it is assumed that all personalities invited to participate in this event are active users of the INTERNET
11. Writing of the First Progress Report of the Project
12. Mobilization of organizers and participants
13. Beginning of the holding of the Workshop about The INTERNET Phenomenon: its impact upon Developing Countries.

2. Holding the Workshop

1. Official Opening of the Workshop, by the FUNREDES Head
2. Self-introduction of each one of the participants
3. Presentation of the proposed methodology to be applied during the Workshop. Reformulation by consensual agreement among the organizers and participants
4. Structuring of the Working Panels and identification of their corresponding "minute-person". The following thematic criteria are suggested:

Panel B:
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Technology Aspects: Appropriate technologies, appropriate settings, objectives and pedagogies, satellites, mobile and interactive technologies.
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Information Aspects: Information Technologies, Information provider/user skills ("Neodocumentalists"), Provider Site capabilities, Virtual access and publishing.

Panel C:
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Economic Aspects: Investment, costs, tariffs, the "commercialization" of the Internet and its impact on economic prospects for developing countries.

Panel D:
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Public Policy Aspects: Telecom and tariff rules, NGO and educational access vs commercial access. Technology watch and forecasting services. Role Played by the Mass Media
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Sociological Aspects: Technology and socio-cultural barriers and facilitators in the virtual workspace. Virtualizacion.

Panel E:
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Political Aspects: Participation, Citizenship, North-South Imbalances, South-South Opportunities, Local Resources for Local Uses.
SYMBOL 149 \f "Roman PS" \s 10 \h Legal Aspects: Intellectual Property and Privacy issues.

5. Introductory plenary lectures, aiming to leveling the attendants on those aspects considered essential for the discussions
6. Initial individual panel sessions aiming to produce a "Samana Strategic Approach" position paper.
7. Plenary presentation of intergroup suggestions
8. Regrouping of participants, except for "minute-persons"

1. Final individual panel sessions

10. Plenary presentation of Working Panels conclusions and recommendations, by their "minute-persons"
11. Commitment definition, responsibles and datelines
12. Closing Ceremony of the Workshop, by the FUNREDES Head

3. Follow up activities after the workshop

1. Consignation of materials compiled by "minute-persons" and organizers during the Workshop, in particular the so called "Samana Strategic Approach".
2. Calling for a One-day Workshop in Santo Domingo to discuss the general results of the main Workshop with stakeholders groups based in Dominican Republic, in order to inform them of the consensus/non-consensus deliberations, and to set the stage for initiatives within those groups.
3. Appointing of an Editorial Committee for the Final Document
4. Writing of the Second Progress Report
5. Wide divulgence of what has been done and proposed
6. Focused efforts to inform and enlist significant players in the tasks
7. Follow up and control of the continuing evaluation mechanism defined during the Workshop
8. Considering of the need for calling another Workshop about the INTERNET Phenomenon: its impact upon Developing Countries

1. Writing of the Third (and last) Progress Report of the Project.

The Workshop about The INTERNET Phenomenon: its impact upon the Developing Countries, represents a joint organizational effort by the following entities:

SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	Network & Development Foundation, FUNREDES
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	University of Quebec, Canada
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	United Nations Program for Development, PNUD
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	UNESCO/CRESALC
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	COMMET-IT Taskforce on Research and Education Reform
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	York University, Distributed Knowledge Project
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	Bunyip
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	MIDS
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	RARE
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	ISOC ?
SYMBOL	183	\f	"Symbol"	\s	12	\h	IDRC

The following is a tentative listing of personalities to be invited for participation in the Workshop as experts (alphabetic ordering):
Arango, Humberto - S&T Information Policies
Baralt, Jorge - Organizational macro approach of information systems
Callaos, Nagib - Sistemic approach of information systems
Cartier, Michel - Mediatics
Chacón, Fabio - Distant education
Deustch, Peter - Aplication to access information through the INTERNET
Lanfranco, Sam - Economics of NETS&IT: Living and Learning in the Virtual Workspace
Maynie, Pierre Louis - ADEP, Educational information systems
Milchberg, Mauricio - User trainning
Patiño, José Félix - Bioinformation services. International cooperation.
Perdreau, Michel - Virtual library
Prado, Daniel - Linguistic aspects of communication
Rodríguez, Luis Germán - National Network management
Rose, John - UNESCO, PGI
Rutkowsky, Tony - Internet Society
Silvio, José - Higher Education planning

Daniel Pimienta, Holistic approach
Yacine Khelladi, Economical aspects
Senaida Jansen, Gender aspects
Pablo Liendo, Project Leader

Representative from Africa (to be identified)
Representative from Asia (to be identified)
Representative from Eastern Europe (to be identified)

AUTONUMOUT Enclosures
ENCLOSURE 1: FUNREDES briefing
[NOTE: The stakeholder groups in the Dominican Republic would not be the focus of the Workshop, but they would (a) benefit from its presence in their country, and (b) be a pilot site for testing some of the ideas. It is hoped that through the networks of the experts themselves, those of the Rep. Dom. stakeholders, and the efforts of FUNREDES, the initiatives proposed from the workshop will include wide collaboration, firstly across Latin America and the Caribbean but ultimately with all willing and interested in implementation.]

Samaná Workshop Proposal by FUNREDES Pág page 7

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Daniel Pimienta, Holistic approach
Yacine Khelladi, Economical aspects
Senaida Jansen, Gender aspects
Pablo Liendo, Project Leader

Representative from Africa (to be identified)
Representative from Asia (to be identified)
Representative from Eastern Europe (to be identified)

AUTONUMOUT Enclosures
ENCLOSURE 1: FUNREDES briefing
[NOTE: The stakeholder groups in the Dominican Republic would not be the focus€