Addis Ababa — Introduced to the Forum by Mr. K.Y Amoako, Executive Secretary of the ECA, and briefed on the previous day's activities and recommendations by H.E. Dr. James Jonah, Minister of Finance, Development and Economic Planning of Sierra Leone, H.E. President Alpha Oumar Konare expressed his pleasure at attending such fruitful discussions on highly technical areas. He acknowledged that the information revolution was of enormous importance to Africa's development.
President Konare stressed the usefulness of ICTs as an information gangway into the future, with specific national and sectoral impact in such areas as information for enhanced decision making, public interaction with policy makers, democratization and decentralization, health care, educational programmes, and new opportunities and modalities in trade and commerce. President Konare nonetheless warned the Forum that ICTs used externally derived models that needed adaptation to best serve Africa's information needs and cultural realities. He advised that efforts should be made to create models suitable for African civilization and capacity. Referring to the enormous dilemma facing African planners and decision makers in promoting costly ICT availability and use, he pointed out that one might need the equivalent of 8 years' salary to buy a computer, an amount that could send 20 or more children to school.
Affirming, however, that Africa had to be a part of the changes being fostered by the new information age, President Konare urged that Africans should not merely passively undergo the transition, but should actively contribute and play its part. They should use the ICTs to advance African cultural pride and civilization which stressed respect for nature and the environment, ethical behaviour, consensus seeking, respect for elders and solidarity with neighbours in a collective quest for survival and sustainable development.
The Malian head of state underscored that development should not be reduced to economic growth alone, but also included cultural integrity and solidarity, social justice and humanism. ICTs should be developed and used with specific benefits for the people in mind, incorporating indigenous knowledge and know how as much as possible. ICTs should not confuse the people, especially the youth, by eroding their cultural identity and replacing it with lifestyles of waste, excessive consumption, and lack of morality and spiritual values. He said that the knowledge base inherited through colonialism offered too much profit seeking and separation from the spiritual. It had sometimes strangled local know how and initiative and replaced it with cultural mimicry.
President Konare also stressed the need for true partnership with developed countries and donor agencies to ensure that Africa did not fall too far behind, as there could literally be no globalization without Africa's presence. Partners should understand this and help to find modalities to secure what was needed. Collaboration between African countries was also necessary, as this would share expertise, reduce costs and shorten time and space. Community telecentres were effective in extending popular access but technical aspects such as equipment maintenance needed more attention. In the world of education, he noted that teachers had to be trained to use ICTs in the classroom, and be provided with the required equipment. Emphasizing the role of ICTs regionally, he noted that African regional integration was an edifice not yet constructed and ICTs could help to speed up the process through communication and pooling of intellectual, technical and information resources.
ICTs could be a source of rehabilitation of African people and culture, sparking regeneration -- or could be a recipe for confusion. He asserted that there could be no development if culture and tradition were ignored or taken out of the picture, to the detriment of future generations. ICTs should help to solve problems more efficiently, channeling positive energy into using them with honour, dignity and integrity as human beings, as well as with accountability to future generations. In concluding, President Konare informed the Forum of a meeting next year in Bamako on ICT usage where a critical assessment would be made of the needs, roles of various actors, concrete measures and projects, including the enhanced participation of women. He anticipated a Bamako Declaration that would guide policy development and planning. He also mentioned that follow up on these issues would be possible at the upcoming Global Knowledge II meeting to be held in Malaysia next year.
The full text of all speeches, statements, press releases and summaries are available on the ADF Home Page at: http://www.un.org/depts/eca They are supported by video and audio clips of keynote addresses and other major moments. This site also includes the programme, list of participants, theme papers and other relevant background documents.
For more information on the Forum or to interview participants, please contact: Peter da Costa Senior Communication Adviser Economic Commission for Africa P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Tel: +251-1-51 58 26 Fax: +251-1-51 03 65 Cell: +251-9-20 17 94 E-mail: dacosta@un.org or ecainfo@un.org Web: http://www.un.org/depts/eca
