Opening remarks to the closing plenary session Chaired by : Lumko Mtimde Chief Executive Officer Media Development and Diversity Agency 07 October 2006 Global E-content Summit 04-07 October, Yerevan, Armenia

Map of South Africa

About the Media Development and Diversity Agency (S.A.) – the MDDA

Section 16 and 32 of the Constitution Act of South Africa provides for freedom of expression and access to information.
The MDDA Act provides for a statutory body entrusted with the responsibility of promoting media development and diversity in S.A. by providing financial and other support to community (non profit) and small commercial media projects.

MDDA – in the nutshell
Help create an enabling environment for media development and diversity that is conducive to public discourse and which reflects the needs and aspirations of South Africans.
www.mdda.org.za


Prime Minister of Armenia H.E. Andranik Margaryan in his yesterday, the 06 October 2006 Opening speech read on his behalf to the Global E-content Summit


“…. In promoting the development of the IT sector and placing it on the list of Armenia’s economic priorities, we realize very well that in order to keep the pace with this rapidly evolving world, not only do we need to follow closely the developments in the area of electronic communication and information technologies, but also to put our own achievements at the service of the international efforts in defiance of modern challenges facing humanity. “

“…The development-oriented present achievements may only be upheld by improved educational systems, training of new generations of qualified specialists, which is among the agenda items of this Summit. I am confident that the discussions scheduled for the couple of days to come will result in a clearer outline of the ways and tools to provide e-content developers and trainers appropriate skills in accordance with modern criteria, account taken of the fact that the panel workshop initiated jointly by the WSIS e-content gala award organizing committee and the Fund of Information Technologies aims the development of cultural diversity and multilingual electronic content. .. “

Prof. Peter Bruck’s roadmapin his yesterday’s (06 October 2006) keynote speech to the Global E-content Summit



	Context of World Summit Awards Geneva 2003 – Geneva Action Plan Tunisia 2005 – Tunis Declaration of Principles and Commitments WSA 03 – WSA 05 WSA 07 “Bridging the content gap and narrowing the digital divide”
Prof. Peter Bruck’s


Prof Divina Frau-Meigsin her yesterday’s (06 October 2006) keynote
response speech to the Global E-content Summit


	Presented conclusions and recommendations from the “Human Rights in the Information Society – Empowering children and young people” conference held from the 05th – 06th October 2006, same venue. She emphasized creative content and 3P’s Protection Provision participation
Prof Divina Frau-Meigs


Prof Caro Lucasin his yesterday’s (06 October 2006) keynote response speech to the Global E-content Summit


	Spoke of how IT can be leveraged in development projects in rural areas. Therefore I suppose emphasizing the use of ICT’s for development and economic growth. “…consumers want their devices to work together and to share content.” Referred to the 3 I’s Information Intelligence Integration Context awareness Presented the example of Gharnabad village in Iran, with its advanced centre of ICT services
Prof Caro Lucas


Today, 07 October 2006in the different presentations tabled at the Global E-content Summit


Ms Jacqueline Karaaslanian, quoted one of the veteran, Prof. Seymour Papert, talking about “knowledge workers”. Ms Emilia Nercissians spoke about societal transformation in the context of ICT and gender. The second and third sessions showcased us case studies of excellence in e-content. These ranged from the Eternal Egypt, FM Liberte from Togo, Sisu Samrakshak from India, Epygi Labs AM from Armenia, etc.

Ms Jacqueline Karaaslanian


Quality of a Global Information Society


The then, Executive Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, in his opening address to the Information Society and Development Conference (ISAD) held at Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg, 13-15 MAY 1996, said; “We need to ensure that the path to the Information Society does not widen the gap between rich and poor, developed and developing countries. The tragic irony we might confront, is that this technology which has enormous potential to benefit all humanity could serve to entrench and widen this gap. “

President Thabo Mbeki


Quality of a Global Information Society


President Thabo Mbeki (as he is now the President of S.A.) further said (in 1996); “….. there would be no Information Society without proper infrastructure and delivery mechanisms adapted to the global development needs of the people. We are not talking only of the rich neighbourhoods in major cities, but also of the small villages and townships, rural and remote areas; not only of residential, industrial and downtown business districts, but also schools, hospitals, colleges and universities….

President Thabo Mbeki

Quality of a Global Information Society


President Thabo Mbeki continued; “….Content in news, educational, cultural and entertainment programmes, songs, games, etc., plays a pivotal role in the building of the Information Society. Therefore the creation, production and formulation of content must be encouraged at all levels, not only at the national level of all developing countries but, within the same nation, at the local and community levels, to ensure that developing nations do not remain information consumers of a content conceived by others. …

President Thabo Mbeki

Quality of a Global Information Society


	President Mbeki, continued; “…. Infrastructure allows for the transformation of people inspiration, creativity and artistic, literary and scientific skills into the production of education and entertainment works shared by all.”
President Thabo Mbeki

Quality of a Global Information Society


President Mbeki, in his address to the WSIS 2005 Tunis, 16 November 2005, Tunisia concluded by saying; “…. We are therefore determined to do everything we can to implement the outcomes of this World Summit on the Information Society and appeal to all stakeholders similarly to commit themselves to take action to translate the shared vision of an inclusive development-oriented information society into practical reality.”

President Thabo Mbeki

Quality of a Global Information Society


I would therefore end by saying : “Let us together and in partnership globally, push back the frontiers of poverty and help develop our communities using ICTs.” Broadly, questions to be answered in this session, range from : Towards an information economy, bridging the content gap, infrastructure divide and narrowing the digital divide Protection, production and promotion of local content What global e-content strategies for the information society in the years to come To what extent will all these take forward the of Millennium Development Goals and better lives of all world citizens

MDDA CEO




	The first speaker to help us navigate the challenge posed in this session with “Vision Speeches” is: Marcus Leaning, Lecturer of the Scool of Creative Arts and Humanities, Trinity College, University of Wales, UK
Marcus Leaning

	The second speaker will be: Caro Lucas, Center of Excellence:Control and Intelligent Processing and School of Cognitive Sciences, University of Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
ProfCaro Lucas

	Quality of a Global Information SocietyAfter the presentations will be
Merci boko (French) Shenorhakalutyun (Armenian) Motshakaram (Farsi, from Iran) Ndiyabulela (Xhosa, from S.A.) Ke a leboga (Sotho, from S.A.) Ngiyabonga (Zulu, from S.A.) Asante sana (Swahili, from Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, etc.) I thank you (English) Lumko Mtimde lumko@mdda.org.za www.mdda.org.za 07 October2006