Social Exclusion and Inclusion - From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunities

Overview

While the number of users of new media increases every day worldwide, access to such communication technologies is differential and many people and communities remain excluded. This heterogeneous process of networking some people while marginalizing others has called the attention on new problems like IT-illiteracy and an abismal digital divide. In order to maximize the potentials of new media to facilitate environmental governance, it is necessary to consider how to effectively address these topics. Drawing from successful examples from countries with developing economies, Dr. Stamm showed that it is possible to bridge the digital and technological divide and transform social exclusion to inclusion in a broader context of development. Following his presentation, Dr. Stamm entertained a short discussion with the audience centered on the following questions: 

• What are the consequences of differential access to new media technologies in the context of environmental governance?
• What actions can be taken to address differential access to new media technologies?

 Dr. Stamm presented interesting examples like the "One Laptop per Child" Initiative

Click here to download the presentation:

Social Exclusion and Inclusion -From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunities

 
About the Speaker

Dr. Andreas Stamm (Geographer) is since 1998 researcher in the department “Competitiveness and Social Development” at the German Development Institute.  He works with technology and innovation dynamics in developing countries. 
Dr. Stamm adviced the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development in the preparation of a concept paper on" Knowledge for Development" and adviced the organisations involved in the processing of German development cooperation in the conceptual compilation of approaches for funding of innovation (systems). Dr. Stamm is representative for Germany in the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD).
Since 2007 he is the director of a project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), whoms research aims at analyzing sectoral innovation systems of specific countries with a developing economy in relation to their ability to produce sustainable innovations.
In the course of an education- research project he analyzed three sectors relating to ecological sustainability in South Africa.
In another project which was also funded by the BMBF Mr. Stamm managed a team, which in accord with the BMBF adviced the OECD Committee on Science and Technology Policy in the preparation and processing of an international workshop. This workshop led approaches on questions such as how multilateral cooperation in science and technology can be used better to manage global challenges such as climate change, energy- and food security.