The following document is a result of the evolution
of the MISTICA project from its beginning. This means that our preparations
for the Samaná meeting coincide with the end of the virtual discussion
phase. This paper will serve as a work document of this meeting. While
our first document was DOC-INO, proposed by FPH (Foundation Léopold
Mayer pour Progrès de l'Humanité), it was DOC-COORD that
served as a base for the discussion in our virtual community.
Once the period of discussion had terminated, we elaborated
this synthesis of what was debated, respecting different contributions
that arrived during the process. The consents and the divergences are
highlighted, along with the lacking concepts and methodologies that were
detected.
The result is this document that we will call DOC-VC.
It is based on the structure of DOC-COORD, as the virtual community organized
its arguments according to its scheme.
It is important to highlight that during this process
the VC revised initially proposed axes. Judging from the contributions,
these were accepted. Here, they are incorporated in this text.
This document is now to be discussed in the following
phase of the project by members of our community. The validity of what
is exposed here only as synthesis will be revised on our new session organized
specifically for this purpose. Moreover, information and communication
technologies (ICT) will allow us to try out group work in order to integrate
the contributions of participants at a distance (PAD) with those of who
will be on the meeting. This new session is, as a matter of fact, the
Samaná Meeting.
Information and Communication Technologies
in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Context of Globalization
[table
of contents]
In general, there was agreement that a discussion on how
to use ICT in socially useful ways in Latin America and the Caribbean
and how to generate a socially positive impact should take into account
the general tendencies of the globalization process. This means that our
work needs to take advantage of opportunity globalization offers. By doing
this, ICT will be able to improve the living conditions of excluded populations
in Latin American and Caribbean, mainly by creating valuable options for
the significant number of excluded inhabitants in the region and proposing
at the same time alternative models of development that respect the diversity,
promote the justice, are in harmony with the nature and allow sustainable
human development.
At this point, it was necessary to arrive to an operational
concept of globalization.
In Search of an Operational
Definition of Globalization
[table
of contents]
Several people have given economic definitions of globalization,
arguing that it is mainly an economic process, deriving from the exhaustion
of the capitalist structures of production in the industrial era. As a
consequence, it is necessary to define it as such, since this allows understanding
the development of technology in a more appropriate way. These positions
also claimed that this process is accompanied - and supported - by an
ideological stance.
Other interpretations were proposed as well, according
to which the globalization is not only limited to the economic aspects:
it is wider process that embraces other social dimensions. The main argument
of this position was that an exclusively economic vision of the process
does not contribute to elaboration of alternative models of development
that would modify the dominant - dominated relationship imposed by the
economic conception.
In other contributions, the globalization was explained
as convergence among different aspects (economic, political, and cultural).
The North - South relationship is here dynamic and not determined by any
factor; the effects of the natural and social sciences of the North in
the region are not assumed as negative factor, but as a system of innovations.
Moreover, the new proposals of planning, politics and actions on the developmental
agenda invite to try more participative and equal models in the political
and the environmental sphere.
It was also affirmed that the globalization bears the
imposition of cultural and political models of dominant countries, to
which we should propose an antagonistic model, based on the evaluation
of diversities and free circulation.
Furthermore, a pragmatic definition of globalization
was also presented as a mixture of:
a) The contemporary perception of the reality no longer
according to which it is a sum of autarchic states, but a system of mercantile,
cultural and political relationships subordinated to multiple influences
b) A series of new and, in good measure, unprecedented,
opportunities and challenges. And as a consequence of the globalization
are new geopolitical maps on which - again - the biggest attempt to gain
more (in terms of influence, power, control over raw materials and work
forces, etc.)
Other, more optimistic positions described the globalization
as the vision of a world without borders where possibilities of a peaceful,
free and not censored communication exist and where it is possible to
listen to multiple points of view and interpretations of the reality on
the world scale.
The attention was especially drawn on the harmful effects
that globalization has had on indicators of health and unemployment. Paradoxically,
the same globalization and, specifically, the development of the knowledge
society, open opportunities for mass access to the medicine and could
allow creation of preventive medicine networks.
There was general agreement that the globalization is
an irreversible reality that implies not only threats but also opportunities.
Moreover, the general impression was that we were still on time to propose
politics that would satisfy necessities and interests of our people and
that would bring to positive social impact, develop strategies of empowerment
to reaffirm the pattern of the society that we want. It is in this sense
this debate was incorporated in MISTICA.
What Has Happened in Latin America
and the Caribbean?
[table
of contents]
The growth of the use of ICT, in the last years, in Latin
America and the Caribbean, has been impressive and it continues with the
same tendency. Although there is still a lot to make in terms of basic
connection as well as in terms of creation of real virtual communities.
The connectivity and surge in number of users is generally used as an
indicator of the advance of the globalization. It was acknowledged that
it is an important component of globalization. However, it has also been
recognized that it is necessary to incorporate or to create alternative
indicators that would reproduce this quite complex concept more faithfully.
Big inequalities exist among countries as well as inside
the same countries, in terms of access possibilities to ICT. Several sectors
have made proposals regarding ICT and developed relationships with them,
as the women and human rights organizations, microenterprises, public
health research organizations, etc. This, however, does not assure that
ICT have always been good and effective tools to improve living and working
conditions of people or organizations that use them.
As instruments, ICT, as well as their development and
implementation, are related to various interests (political, economic,
and social) and as a consequence are not neutral. Therefore, it is a permanent
challenge for the civil society that is searching for an alternative model
of development not only to develop its own experiences and instruments
(for which the flexibility of ICT offers certain advantages), but also
to lobby for its interest and to exercise pressure in the spheres of decision.
Technologies developed in the North (we speak of the North
as of the center of power and decision making) were created in order to
respond to the necessities of the developed North. Therefore, it is necessary
to dedicate special attention to how Latin America and Caribbean are assimilating
these technologies. What interests do they serve? Which are the alternatives
they open? Can popular sectors of the region use them for the construction
of an equitable development model? How can we, in the context of the globalization,
use ICT to contribute to the development of the countries with fewer resources?
Moreover, we also discussed the question if ICT can contribute
with solutions or if they are only tools, instruments not able to solve
social problems on their own. We discussed if there can be ICT-based solutions
to social problems. The conclusion was that this idea is a fundamental
topic, and therefore a research in this area is necessary. Finally, we
seem to agree that the information and the communication are today the
strategic factors to face any social problem. However, while ICT, as a
tool can be an important factor inside a strategy, they can not be its
basis. ICT can, therefore, reinforce or improve the outlined solutions
and existent initiatives, even bring to life those that, for lack of appropriate
communication channels, could never come to life. They are flexible tools
appropriate to practically any social use (even of diverse and opposed
sign) but they do not induce social changes if not associated with deep
transformations in the institutional culture. And this does not necessarily
imply an association with politics.
Evaluation of the Impact of ICT
[table
of contents]
This section arises because in the course of the discussion
some of the participants noticed lacks in the coordination proposal. The
first one is relative to the employment of the word "impact" and the second
one concerns the lack of appropriate evaluation methodologies to qualify
as positive or negative the effect the use of ICT can have in the social
structures. In the discussion, some people outlined that they preferred
to speak of a "socially positive ICT use" instead of "socially positive
impact", as they think that impact does not refer to a social process,
but to something that falls from above as a meteorite. In addition, the
word impact, in spite of being the most broadly adopted one in this context,
is associated with the notion of the first, colliding effect, and does
not refer to the condition that goes beyond that first encounter.
In opposition to this, other positions sustained that
social impact refers rather to the results - positive or negative and
to the changes induced by the social use of ICT. The social impact of
ICT is not to be reduced to modalities of the technology use, or to possibilities
of technology problem solving: it rather refers to changes that occur
when people or organizations integrate this new form of communication
in their every day life. How has their health, their educational level,
their relationships, their capacity of political incidence, their managerial
abilities and their access to resources changed thanks to the use of ICT?
(As an agreement has not been reached on this argument, in this document
we will continue to use "social impact", as it is the form that has been
used from the beginning, although its understanding can be positive or
negative according to different criteria.
Several interventions argued that if ICT are instruments
that induce a positive social impact, we should first examine these experiences
where ICT were used. Which are, and which not, the successful experiences
in this sense? Which have been the critical elements for their success?
It is necessary to systematize these experiences, in order to learn from
them and to extract the elements that could strengthen similar initiatives.
We need to know how to achieve that organizations of the civil society,
and other key players in the development field make a strategic use of
ICT in order to achieve a bigger positive impact in their work.
To achieve this, it is urgently required to have methodologies
(designed indicators and tools for gathering selected information) that
allow to measure and to predict ICT impact on how organizations develop
their internal capacities and to obtain perspectives of their work with
others organizations on sector scale in order to achieve results at level
of the society.
There is enough information that we can use, but it needs
to be systematized. This will allow us to know which are the most favorable
conditions to facilitate ICT appropriation and the successive value creation.
Thematic Axes
[table
of contents]
Education
[table
of contents]
In this topic - which was one of those most debated and
with the biggest number of participants - the discussion revolved around
the following points:
1. Development of a New Educational Paradigm Supported
by ICT
We had some disagreements regarding the role of ICT in
the change of educational paradigm.
On one hand, it was sustained that the use of ICT necessarily
involves a paradigm shift that allows a student to become an active person,
a producer of knowledge, an individual with trust in himself or herself
that will offer solutions and that will participate in decision making.
The student is an actor, not a simple audience. In this context the role
of the educator becomes that of facilitator, organizer of educationally
significant experiences and producer of challenges and projects that induce
the pupil to produce knowledge. It means that the pupil should create
atmospheres for learning where the students will not only build their
knowledge but also build their own capacity to learn.
Another position sustains that ICT incorporation in the
education does not necessarily imply a paradigm shift. ICT are tools that
can be used in the frame of a new paradigm but can also reinforce traditional
educational paradigms. ICT themselves do not determine the contents of
the teaching-learning process. The technology can be used to generate
a new education model where the pupil becomes trained to think, but also
to reinforce traditional memory-based and repetitive models. These technologies
can be a formidable instrument in a teaching model that aims to teach
how to understand and investigate. But they can also imply an involvement
because, as it often happens, children use these technologies to repeat
what the others have said, as a simple result of an incursion in the cyberspace
and therefore without even memorizing it.
The change of the role of the teacher into a facilitator
is not something that occurs simply because of the growing links between
ICT and education. The question is: are teachers prepared
to modify their role inside the classroom?
It was also pointed out that ICT is a half suitable media
for mass education and for training in public and private environments.
2. The Adaptation of Technology to the Necessities
of Latin America and the Caribbean
Several comments have sustained that ICT have been incorporated
in an acritical way, transmitting a knowledge that does not respond to
the necessities and situations of the South. It is therefore necessary
to promote a revision of the design of programs, courses and methodologies
in order to allow integration of ICT that would respond to the cultural
characteristics and necessities of Latin America and the Caribbean.
It was also pointed out that the necessity exists to examine
the influence that developmental models of International Organisations
have in the organization and operation of the higher education institutions.
3. The Relationship Between Face-to-Face and Virtual
Education
Some participants agreed that virtual education cannot
completely substitute face-to-face education, since the virtual, or distance
education operativity depends on the maturity of the students and on the
subjects. Some sustained that it is not possible to substitute completely
the teacher in the primary and secondary education (before the students
have passed adolescence). The new communication technologies, and especially
the Internet, can serve as learning support on all the levels, but up
to now it does not seem that they can substitute the teacher.
As far as university teaching is concerned, the Internet
can be good for the diffusion of very specific knowledge. However, there
are disciplines where learning "in situ" seems indispensable. That is
also the case also with the practical knowledge that cannot be transmitted
and memorized at distance.
Someone, however, considered that in the future the face-to-face
education would be substituted by the distance education, thanks to the
Internet.
Apart from the problem of the education on distance, there
is also the problem of the development of the necessary technology, with
special focus on the education in the rural areas. Some of the crucial
questions here are: what is to be gained and what is to be lost with education
that is not face-to-face? The majority of the analyses underline positive,
not negative aspects. Can these technologies eliminate precious experiences
of face-to-face communication? How can a virtual teacher transmit enthusiasm?
4. The Significance of Virtual Universities
In relation to this topic some dangers and problems, as
well as various doubts, were pointed out.
It was said that the projects of virtual universities
in Spanish implement models that transmit a lot of information, but that
do not promote at the same time the critical analysis of this information.
On the other hand, you also expressed your fears about the virtual universities:
do ICT help them only to generate revenues by assisting more students
with the same personnel? We need to be careful how we develop these universities;
moreover, if we want to be sure of the positive social impact, we should
also have a methodology that verifies the respective yield indicators.
At this point, it was pointed out that it is necessary
to distinguish between the university at a distance and the virtual university.
You proposed that the differentiation could be based on the availability
of electricity, telephones and PCs.
In this context, several questions arouse how to distribute
the new technologies to the rural populations where there is no electricity
or telephone? How is this discussion relevant for them?
5. The Accessibility to Technology for the Education
There was a general agreement that two types of factors
hinder the access to the technologies in education: economic and psychological.
The economic reasons are linked to the low wages of teachers
that are not able to buy PCs and software. Moreover, the educational centers
have also reduced possibilities to acquire them.
On the other hand, psychological factors deal with the
concern of teachers for the formal aspects of the teaching, and consequent
lack of time and psychological energy to consider multimedia technologies.
Also the fact that often they have more than one job (linked to the low
wages) drains energy necessary for considering the challenge that these
technologies represent.
Another interesting idea was presented: installing machines
("hardware") not only in the schools but also in other communal centers,
like sociocultural clubs, so that the children that are not included in
the formal educational system (a high percentage in Latin America and
the Caribbean) have nevertheless access to ICT.
Democracy, Governability and Civic
Participation
[table
of contents]
Several people agreed that participation is a necessary
condition to assure the existence of democratic systems, and that this
participation can be reinforced through the access to ICT. The democratization
of access to ICT should then be a primary action.
However, it was added that democratization will not occur
simply because the Web is filled with messages full of democratic content,
nor will the civic participation be automatically deepened if we guarantee
the universal access to the net. Both are important and necessary steps,
but alone they do not solve anything. Both steps will assure a minimum
level of equity, but they will also outline new challenges.
A good use of ICT should focus upon the invention of new
ways of collective action and incidence, for which ICT constitute new
and valuable tools. But these technologies should not be considered only
as tools that create or sustain organs of power and democratic participation.
This would mean to deal only with the formal aspects of the democracy,
as it guarantees that citizens occupy spaces of the free expression created
by ICT. Certainly, ICT will not create a civic participation that does
not exist in reality, although they will contribute to it as they are
tools that offer a different to approach the topic.
On the relationship between democracy and connectivity,
different - and opposing - positions were expressed. One the one hand,
it was sustained that there is no evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship
between democracy and connectivity. On the other hand, it was asserted
that a causal relationship exists between these two when democracy means
"the power to publish information" and "the possibility of an free speech
and of interaction". Therefore, the access should be sufficiently wide
to achieve the exchange of messages. Finally, some sustained that the
democratization of the access is more important than the connectivity-democracy
relationship.
Moreover, the democratization of the communication has
been considered as the fundamental element of democracy. In the case of
ICT and the cyberspace, particular challenges have already emerged in
the current constellation, and we are now defining the rules of the game
of these new spaces of communication. In order to guarantee a culture
of democracy, it is necessary to examine how ICT impact the South and
the excluded sectors: this is one of the challenges for the democratic
future of our continent. It was concluded that a united action on international
scale would be necessary and an important contribution for the creation
of the negotiation capacity. In this sense, an interesting position has
emerged about these new spaces of power which it would be necessary to
conquer in order to assure the democracy: the cyberspace constitutes a
new dimension of the space, where not only information is stored, but
where also human interactions occur and where the hegemonies, social behaviors,
etc. are established. This dimension is not detached from other dimensions
of the human activity, but it is rather influenced by it and impacts it
at the same time. In the future, the management of the power in the cyberspace
will be similar to the management of the power in the physical territories.
The inclusion or exclusion is not only a question of having access to
the technology and to the information. If the cyberspace is becoming strategic
and if it revolutionizes the traditional spaces of the communication,
then we should worry about the democracy in the cyberspace. Who will have
presence, visibility and voice in the spaces of power? How can the excluded
sectors develop their capacity of expression? How can they elaborate strategies
of diffusion and intervention designed by this media?
One of the proposed ways to enable the excluded sectors
to take advantage of the necessary information and to use the most recent
ICT elements, is the combination of ICT with media that cover a wider
area, mainly rural areas and areas where these new tools are not directly
present (radio, television, local newspapers).
ICT offer new interaction possibilities without automatically
implying a bigger democratization. Apart from these opportunities, they
also present risks of deepening disparities and the existent power relationships
in the world.
It was concluded that in order to be able to impact the
spheres of politics that allow enlarging the access, it is necessary to
work with decision-making groups or the governments. Three concrete strategies
outlined were:
- Fight for flat phone rates for Internet users (for
local calls)
- Propose to integrate the public and school libraries
to the national telecommunications network so that Internet access becomes
guaranteed to the general population
- Elaborate critical and good quality communication products,
that use ICT, that exploit new technologies, demonstrating their potential
and aiming to influence the opinion of elites that have access to the
Internet.
The main challenge is how to achieve that excluded populations
become able to appropriate themselves of information and communication
tools so that they can be integrated in the global processes in order
to improve their local conditions, and to actively participate in this
new virtual democracy.
Economy and Productivity
[table
of contents]
At the start of the debate concerning this topic, there
was consensus that the changing environment imposes to the organizations
necessity to adapt quickly to new conditions. Therefore, they need to
change all aspects of their organizational structures, reducing hierarchical
levels and boosting flexibility and capacity to learn. This will allow
them to introduce new strategies that not only allow them to passively
adapt, but also to promote changes in their environment.
In this sense, and within this subject matter, it was
pointed out that it is crucial for Latin America and the Caribbean, as
well as for all those that are in the periphery of the economic system,
to learn how to use ICT in favor of their own development processes and
for their local interests. How to transform the technology into a self-determination
tool? How to avoid that the globalization conquers our markets if not
by developing endogenous strategies of participation and competition?
In the knowledge society, ICT become a fundamental tool
for achieving competitive advantages on the corporate level. The new technologies
of information, as Castells sustains, are not only tools to apply, but
also processes to develop. Can we support small companies and basic producers,
and develop processes that allow them to achieve competitive advantages?
It was supported that, on the corporate level, ICT open
the possibility for better integration of chains of inputs, producers,
distributors and merchants. This necessarily requires the construction
of communication spaces in which information is shared by enterprises.
ICT could allow the integration of this chain, so that the producers can
directly market their products.
Moreover, you pointed out that ICT can give consumers
a bigger power, as they can interact directly with the producer without
intermediaries.
On the other hand, one person commented that the new requirements
of flexibility make companies implement more and more work schemes that
discharge permanent work forces and recruit temporary ones which cover
specific necessities of production. These changes in the job world imply
more independent workers or unemployment. It is here that ICT can acquire
significance as tools that certain workers could use, for example, to
work, or even form virtual cooperatives of teleworkers that would offer
their services through electronic means. Some experiences of this type
already exist in Latin America and the Caribbean and it would be interesting
to evaluate their success and their viability.
From what is stated above, a great question is raised:
how to use ICT to improve the administrative, productive and marketing
capacities of small organizations and of the base communities in front
of the global organizations?
We need studies on the successful experiences of ICT
use in the small and medium companies of Latin America and the Caribbean.
This can help to create work methodologies that could support other organizations
of this type.
Language and Culture
[table
of contents]
At the beginning of the discussion the virtual community
debated upon the topic of the representation of women in language. For
this, two methods were proposed: the first proposed to add the os/as termination
to the entire generic masculine, while the second proposed to use the
@ symbol as a form of establishing a generic name that would be different
from the masculine. There were several comments upon the "annoyance" of
using the �at�-sign and pronunciation difficulties, as well as practical
problems that arise with its use (for example, in the last versions of
Word where the program automatically assumes that it is an e-mail address).
Clearly, it was also pointed out how complicated it is to write using
the os/as termination, but, apparently, this option presented less practical
problems and was therefore the one that was adopted in this document.
But, it is necessary to highlight that there was agreement upon the necessity
of using some form that would allow overcoming sexist practices in the
language.
It was also mentioned that, in order to achieve the equitable
participation of women and men in the spheres of decision that configure
the future of the cyberspace, it is necessary to incorporate the gender
analysis in the considerations upon ICT. It requires contemplation of,
on one hand, equal participation of women and, on the other hand, the
development of political contributions with gender focus.
As for the language, the biggest challenge is to know
how to adapt ICT to the diversity of languages existing in Latin America
and the Caribbean. Also, we had considerations regarding colonization
of our languages by English, as the introduction of technologies created
in the North force us to look for new forms of writing, (for example anho
instead año etc.), as these some characters of the Spanish alphabet
were not considered at the moment of the creation of these technologies.
TV, radio and the Internet intervene much more in the transformation of
the language that the editors of dictionaries which have been traditionally
imposing standards.
It was also remarked that English is the dominant language
in all the electronic media and that is the case of PC programs and of
Internet pages as well. These tools in English can be used only by the
very small part of the Latin American population that speaks English as
a second language. It is therefore a negative contribution to the democratization
of ICT access for the majority of population. In addition, a great part
of the content of this information is generated in another cultural context
and consequently responds to necessities different from those of our region.
But the topic of the language in Latin America and the
Caribbean is more complex, as many languages exist here: Spanish, Portuguese,
French, English, Aymara, Quechua, Zapoteco, and many other indigenous
languages. It is also important to notice that some of these languages
don't have the scripture and that the significant percentage of population
of the region is illiterate. This makes us think about the necessity of
the development of technology that would overcome the illiteracy and that
would incorporate indigenous languages in ICT.
But besides the adaptation of ICT to the linguistic diversity
of our region, the VC also underlined the necessity of adaptation to the
cultural characteristics of the populations of the region. It was thought
that for this objective we could reexamine the lessons learned from the
indigenous experience in connection with ICT, for example, those that
solve the relative barrier of the illiteracy or the orality of our cultures
and the multimedia usage. This idea was supported by the possibility of
developing vocal interfaces for the indigenous languages. That is not
only a consequence of the high level of illiteracy, but also of cultural
norms.
It was emphasized that the necessity to outline technological
solutions that allow incorporation and integration of cultural and linguistics
diversity of the region becomes obvious.
From these considerations, it is necessary to create an
organization complementary to the work of automatic translation, which
is not always perfect. The human networks should be created for the translation
of programs and information (Web pages, multimedia material, etc.) in
several languages. Much of English production is good and the challenge
is to translate it to the language and the context of culturally different
regions. Without this translation, there will not be ICT assimilation
but ICT imposition. This assimilation can only be accomplished through
agreements and alliances between the place of information production,
and the place where we want it to be assimilated. EMEC is one of the possible
solutions proposed to solve linguistic problems.
On the other hand, recapturing the idea of the Macrothesaurus,
we can look for the tools that can exist in several languages. The Gutenberg
project, for example, compiles works of the literature almost exclusively
in English (both original and translations).
But, besides the challenge of the preservation of identities,
and of respecting the existent cultural characteristics, ICT involve as
well a change in the communication culture and information, as these technologies
are incorporated in the everyday life. A part of this change can be facilitated
if we work on the adaptation of ICT to our culture and on the creation
of virtual communities' methodologies that allow incorporating them in
an effective way.
As part of this cultural adaptation, the topic of the
change in the rhythms and times of the communication was discussed as
an example. Electronic communication sometimes demands our immediate reaction
that is not always possible. In the mail or mailing lists, for example,
the identification and the respect of the rhythms of the other are essential,
as well as the role of the moderator who is in charge of controlling that
the information production does not overflow and, from time to time, of
summarizing it for a better assimilation. The respect of rhythms means
to make the distinction between the important and the urgent thing. Not
everything urgent is important, nor is an important thing (although essential)
always urgent. We should learn how to manage this distinction, and how
to maintain a fluid and respectful, and not hysterical and fast virtual
communication. This is a necessary cultural adaptation to the use of ICT.
Health
[table
of contents]
The telemedicina was outlined as an important area of
ICT application in health, if used for the creation of dynamic nets of
patients, doctors and health institutions aiming to preventative work.
Regarding this concept, one member noticed that it is necessary to distinguish
among tele-health and tele-medicine. It is necessary to understand the
tele-health as a space to promote the understanding of the health like
process, while the health is a result.
It was considered important not to introduce ICT in the
health environment as a quick fix or as an isolated solution: it is more
important to insert them inside what has been called the bio-psico-social
focus, or integral or holistic medicine context. In this context, it was
pointed out that we should also consider cultural aspects, in particular
those of the indigenous cultures. It is necessary to highlight that this
holistic conception of the health is present in these cultures.
Possible work topics related with ICT in the health sector
were suggested: ICT and the health promotion, ICT and the community health,
the tele-health in the tele-centers, ICT and the fast training ("just-in-time
training") for health professionals, ICT and politics of health, ICT and
the transparency and responsibility.
On the other hand, we underlined the efforts in Latin
America and the Caribbean that have been concentrated on the virtual communities
dealing with the topic of the coordination and incidence in public health
politics.
One participant highlighted the direct effects of the
globalization on the health, pointing out that to a large extent these
are negative if we consider epidemic indicators on the global level. The
relationship between the global unemployment and the increase of tuberculosis,
hypertension, malnutrition, depression and anxiety was also pointed out.
However, it was also pointed out that the globalization,
the creation of this global society of knowledge, with its networks of
information and communication, would open opportunities for widespread
access to the technological advances in medicine. This could allow creation
of networks in preventive medicine.
Finally, the problem of side effects of ICT use was discussed,
for example the health problems of people that spend a lot of time in
front of a computer (lesions for repetitive efforts, problems of sight,
as well as effects on the mental health, derived from the exposure to
an enormous quantity of information).
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