Economic development via the Net in Oceania

Johnston, S. and Acquaah-Gaisie, G.

The Internet is permeating our lives because of its power. This brings obvious social and economic value. Less obvious are the social and economic hurts. The Net's reach is global, but Net access is far from global; and as the IT caravan rolls on, stragglers slip further behind. However, the Net is a cheap power just made for isolated people, and thus it offers access to an unprecedented equality of opportunity. Women have equal access. But the already poor do not. Equity here raises questions of human rights, ethics, the profession-al standing of the computer industry, good business, and develop-ment aid. So the Net can both amplify- and bridge the divide between rich and poor. Wealth is a function of relative purchasing power, which itself is a complex product of money and also of how we use it. Left to itself therefore IT makes some people poorer and adds new social tensions. This paper seeks programs which use the Net as a spearhead to bridge social and economic gaps across the Pacific Islands. It outlines some possibilities and issues, points of UN leadership and UN weaknesses, the major stake-holders, and local priorities. Antipodean Estonia has taken two great steps - a computer for every twenty pupils, and a guarantee of Net access to every citizen. That is a model for isolated South Pacific islands.

Cite as: Johnston, S. and Acquaah-Gaisie, G. (2001). Economic development via the Net in Oceania. In Proc. Selected papers from the 2nd Australian Institute of Computer Ethics Conference (AICE2000), Canberra. CRPIT, 1. Weckert, J., Ed. ACS. 60-66.

(from crpit.com) (local if available)