Being myselp a "disavataged", and thus silent, user of Internet because of
my relatively poor written English, I have followed with interest the
discussion on health promotion and Internet. I think that Internet is a
great tool to use but that we have to be cautious about what we want to do
with it.
As other technologies, Internet conveys a set of values and ways of thinking
that are culturaly rooted in our occidental logic. When you work with
Internet you need to have an overview of the way it is working (net,
hypertext, etc.), you need to know where to go to look for the information,
you need to be able to express yourself in a written way, you have to get
use to not beeing in visual contact with your interlocutor(s), etc... It is
not just a question of having or not having access to Internet.
If, has other participants on this list has expressed over the last few
days, we have to be very realistics (some would say pessimitics) on the real
opportunities "ordinary" people or community based group have to use
Internet to inprove their quality of life, we have to be even more cautious
when it come to diffuse Internet technologies to the Third World. This
information given on this list by Sam Lanfranco raised my attention on this
issue.
>[INSERT: Just as I was typing this our Foreign Minister Loyd Axworthy came
>on the news talking about Canada as a global "knowledge broker" and citing
>a report by Maurice Strong (a Taskforce for the Fed. Gov't) suggested that
>15% of the Canadian CIDA (ODA) budget be devoted to ICT oriented
>activities. Already - in 12 hours - OXFAM and the Reform Party in the
>House of Commons have said "good idea" - with support from the left and
>the right you can be sure it will be an election plank when the Canadian
>government hands down its election budget early next year.]
I am not saying that we shouln't support the development of Third World
countries access to Internet technologies, but we must not see it as a mean
to reach empowerment and self-development by poor communities. Each
situation beeing different, I think it is particulary true for Africa
(specialy French Africa). My own experience, and the one of some collegues,
working with community based group as well as researchers and government
workers made me think that the introduction of Internet technologies would
not be of great support in initiating autonomous and sustainable development.
In French Africa countries, specialy Mali and Senegal that I know better,
those who have mastered Internet and used it in their daily work are mostly
academics or foreign NGO's agents, most of whom have been trained in
occidental countries. For government workers, local development agents and
school teachers, their way of relating with each other in their daily work,
the way information is circulated and most often not circulated between
collegue and through hierarchy, the strong hierarchy of work' relations, the
poor autonmy that most workers have to initiate new actions, the scholl
system that educated people to believe that there is only one truth and it
is the one beeing given to them, their poor knowledge of English (language
in wich most information is available on (Internet), an so on... appear as
big obstacles for an expanded use of Internet. And this is even more true
for community based group.
Lets say to conclude my point that we need to realy think of the priorities
we have in working with community every where in the world. Health
promotion, as well as some other field of knowledge and action, is concerned
with people' empowerment issues, and Internet is one mean, but not the only
one and not the more usefull, to do so.
I wanted to put these ideas in the ring, I would be more grateful to have
comments.
Paule Simard, Ph.D.
Coordonnatrice de la recherche
Centre collaborateur de l'OMS pour le développement de VVS
GRIPSUL
École des sciences infirmières
Pavillon Comtois, 4110-k
Université Laval
Québec, Québec
Canada
G1K 7P4
téléphone: (418) 656-2131 poste 7726
télécopieur: (418) 656-7747
Email: [log in to unmask]
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