Technology Alone Will Not Bridge Knowledge Divides

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Abdul Waheed Khan spoke on the relationship of information and communication technology (ICT) and knowledge societies at the June 2009 World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), Maastricht, The Netherlands. He stated that, "Knowledge societies should not be shaped and driven by technological forces but by societal choices... [p]olitical and social environments have to be developed that enable knowledge creation, preservation, acquisition, and sharing."

Mr. Khan spoke of the need to create enabling environments, build adequate infrastructure, and establish multi-stakeholder partnerships in order to sustain the benefits of ICT-enhanced knowledge acquisition and sharing possibilities for the benefit of large segments of society. He described UNESCO's concept of knowledge societies, including the following characteristics: inclusiveness, pluralism, equity, openness, and participation. In describing knowledge societies, he introduced their four key principles: freedom of expression; universal access to information and knowledge; respect for cultural and linguistic diversity; and quality education for all. He emphasised that these principles remain valid in crises and "that Government leaders increasingly recognize the fact that investments in the large and complex knowledge domains are critical to laying the foundation for recovery, sustainable development, economic growth and prosperity.”

Mr. Khan also said that in the coming decades the importance of acquiring factual knowledge will decrease. At the same time, the ability to find one’s way in complex information systems and to judge, organise, and creatively use relevant data will become crucial. In addition, new skills will need to be acquired to live in virtual social networks and to create one's own content online.

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