Digital Divide Implication in the future Nepal

Imagine You, as a farmer, selling agriculture products in the market without any market information You, as a farmer, being dependent upon their traditional knowledge of weather in agriculture You, as a rural youth, walking for hours to find that medicine shop is closed You, as rural youth, going to city for study, wondering around colleges for information

You, as a farmer, selling agriculture products in the market without any market information

You, as a farmer, being dependent upon their traditional knowledge of weather in agriculture

You, as a rural youth, walking for hours to find that medicine shop is closed

You, as rural youth, going to city for study, wondering around colleges for information

What if? Farmers selling agriculture products know about market price before selling Farmers get up-to-date information on weather People get information that medicine shop is closed Rural youths get educational information at their village itself

Farmers selling agriculture products know about market price before selling

Farmers get up-to-date information on weather

People get information that medicine shop is closed

Rural youths get educational information at their village itself

Information is power That little information to those victims could have saved their time, money in order words hunger Livelihoods improve

That little information to those victims could have saved their time, money in order words hunger

Livelihoods improve

Unfortunately things are happening as we just imagined That little information couldn’t reach the needy ones at right time or couldn’t reach at all

Unfortunately things are happening as we just imagined

That little information couldn’t reach the needy ones at right time or couldn’t reach at all

Why ?

Why

Because of … Because of gap Infrastructure gap Content gap Ignorance Economic gap … Termed as digital divide

Because of gap

Infrastructure gap

Content gap

Ignorance

Economic gap

…

Termed as digital divide

What is digital divide? The term was first used to differentiate people having telephones to those without in US Traditionally, the divide between those with access to technologies to those without

The term was first used to differentiate people having telephones to those without in US

Traditionally, the divide between those with access to technologies to those without

Bridging gap Provide access to technologies Computer Internet Other gadgets …

Provide access to technologies

Computer

Internet

Other gadgets

…

Is it successful? Hundreds of studies showed that providing access to technologies is not the key factor

Hundreds of studies showed that providing access to technologies is not the key factor

What happened? People are forgotten Too much focus on technologies People are not aware of the benefits they can receive from the use of technologies People are the key factors, making them understand is the solution, not just access

People are forgotten

Too much focus on technologies

People are not aware of the benefits they can receive from the use of technologies

People are the key factors, making them understand is the solution, not just access

Vastness of digital divide Several gaps Technological divide Content divide Gender divide Social divide Economic divide …

Several gaps

Technological divide

Content divide

Gender divide

Social divide

Economic divide

…

The biggest challenge? Fighting terrorism Stopping AIDS Reducing global warming Tackling world poverty …

Fighting terrorism

Stopping AIDS

Reducing global warming

Tackling world poverty

…

Unfortunately none

The biggest challenge instead… Bridging the digital divide to the next 10 percents of world citizens

Bridging the digital divide to the next 10 percents of world citizens

Why? Gives infrastructure to the stakeholders needed for the large scale effort to stop terrorism tackle poverty, aware people about AIDS …

Gives infrastructure to the stakeholders needed for the large scale effort

to stop terrorism

tackle poverty,

aware people about AIDS

…

Hunger vs. bridging digital divide? Bridging digital divide Provides infrastructure to a village To distribute their products Support entrepreneurial activity Generating employment ….. Hence reducing hunger

Bridging digital divide

Provides infrastructure to a village

To distribute their products

Support entrepreneurial activity

Generating employment

…..

Hence reducing hunger

We tend to think that we have to overcome obstacles to reduce the digital divide gap These obstacles are primary objectives of bridging digital divide Digital divide is way to reduce hunger and not two separate issues that needs to be prioritized.

We tend to think that we have to overcome obstacles to reduce the digital divide gap

These obstacles are primary objectives of bridging digital divide

Digital divide is way to reduce hunger and not two separate issues that needs to be prioritized.

Questions? Thank-you

Thank-you