Lesotho ICT Discussion Forum

							Lesotho ICT Discussion
        Forum


     22nd – 23rd November 2006

         held at Lehakoe,

         Maseru, Lesotho
in Poverty Reduction
By
Seabata Motsamai
Executive Director,
Lesotho Council of NGO’s
Introduction

   Democratic governance
    provides an enabling
    environment for broad based
    development,
   Participation in decision making
    processes fosters economic
    growth and development,
   The demand for pro-poor
    policies has recently mounted
Introduction cont.

   The debate about the role of ICT in
    poverty reduction leads to an
    understanding that ICT
    mainstreaming is essential in
    development,
   The reflection on the concept of
    poverty and its manifsetations
    provides us with an opportunity to
    identify where the ICT fits in the
    efforts geared towards poverty
    reduction
Poverty and its manifestations

   The defination of poverty has
    been shifted from being a basic
    needs only but encompasses a
    more holistic approach,
   It involves all essential
    components of human
    development, governance,
    relations etc
Poverty and its manifestations
cont.
   Poverty is extremely a complex
    phenomenon,
   It manifests itself in a range of
    overlaping social, economic, political
    and cultural problems,
   The social, economic, political and
    cultural issues may include, hunger,
    unemployment, poor health,
    hardships, insecurity, social
    exclusion,
Poverty and its manifestations
cont.
   Environmental degradation,
    discrimination and
    powerlessness just to mention a
    few,
   This broad defination
    encompasses the right to
    information, right to participation
    and right to live a dignified life
    and socially included
Integrating ICT in Poverty
reduction
   The United Nations Human
    Development Report (2003) states
    that the technology revolution begins
    at home-yet no country will reap the
    benefits of network age by waiting
    for them to fall out of the sky.
   The technological revolution requires
    every person and country to unleash
    creativity, to adapt and use
    technology for the country’s
    development
Integrating ICT in Poverty
reduction cont.
   It is noted that in order to
    mainstream ICT in poverty reduction
    initiatives, policy is necessary in
    creating common understanding,
   Speeding up the telecommunications
    reforms is vital in order to give
    people access to information, this
    may includes the regulation of tarrifs,
Integrating ICT in Poverty
reduction
   Stimulating entrepreneurship is also
    essential in mainstreaming ICT,
   Fostering technology based start up
    businesses is critical in making the
    ICT accessable to the poor,
   The idea of developing internet
    kiosks and community learning
    centres can make telephones,
    computers and internet more
    accessible and more affordable
Role of ICT in poverty
reduction initiatives
   ICT can play a key role in
    development and poverty reduction
    initiatives,
   It can promote economic growth,
    expand socio-economic
    opportunities
   It can create create a responsive
    markets to the poor peoples’ needs
   It can make it easier for the poor
    people to obtain access resources
    and services
Role of ICT in poverty
reduction initiatives Cont.
   The ICT can only be effective tool for
    poverty reduction if it can be na
    integral part of a broader and
    comprehensive agenda of national
    development strategy,
   There is recognition that information
    and knowledge quickly accessed
    and properly adapted can reduce
    poverty prevelance,
Role of ICT in poverty
reduction initiatives Cont.
   The more access people have to
    ICT, the more the cost is decreased,
   The access to ICT develops effective
    and efficacy communication which
    has direct impact to the private
    sector, government, poor people etc
   ICT facitates and increases the
    transparency and accountability of
    public institutions, improves service
    delivery,
Role of ICT in poverty
reduction initiatives Cont.
   It has been noted by the Organisation for
    Economic Co-operation and Development
    (OECD) (2003) that countries where
    information flows are poor, communication
    is difficult or even intentionaly constraint,
    and knowledge is not easily accessible,
    tend to be low-growth countries caught in
    poverty traps worsened in many cases by
    disease, environmental degradation, and
    ineffective or corrupt government
    institutions
Role of ICT in poverty
reduction initiatives Cont.
   The ICT is not an end on itself but is
    rather a tool to achieve other ends
    such as promotion of linkages, more
    production, more markets, more
    transport, a better educated and
    healthier population just to mention a
    few,
   In order for ICT to play a meaningful
    role in development there is a need
    for proper policy and regulation
    enviroment to be in place
Conclusion

   Integrating ICT in poverty reducation
    would require that poverty reduction
    strategies are adapted to needs,
    circumbstances, resources and
    contraints of the country,
   The realisation of poverty reduction
    priorities can facilitate tha sharper
    intervention of the ICT and it serve
    as a valuable tool