1. SECOND Internet Gouvernance Forum MEETING DIVERSITY TRACK Rio de Janeiro 13 November 2007 4pm -6pm

2. Daniel Pimienta Université Antilles Guyane pimienta@funredes.org NETWORKS & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION http://funredes.org Language & Culture OBSERVATORY http://funredes.org/LC

3. MEMBER LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY NETWORK EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE http://maaya.org

4. Linguistic & Cultural Diversity in Cyberspace 1. A framework to understand the complexity of the digital divide. 2. Its to the understanding of the diversity issue. 2. Its application to the understanding of the diversity issue.

5. My statement In 3 sentences There are many diversity issues beyond……………………………………………… There are many diversity issues beyond……………………………………………… It is a transversal matter crossing all digital inclusion picture. It is a transversal matter crossing all digital inclusion picture. It rises complex problems which need to It rises complex problems which need to receive more focus if we pretend to build a truly inclusive Internet IDN

9. APPLICATION OF THE PREVIOUS ICT4HD FRAMEWORK TO CULTURAL & LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY HOW DOES THE HURDLES TRANSLATE IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE (AND CULTURE)? HOW DOES THE HURDLES TRANSLATE IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE (AND CULTURE)?

10. 1-ACCESS/INFRASTRUCTURE Technological neutrality is a myth.  Interfaces concentrated most of the problems related with diversity.  Accesibility approaches required.

11. 2-ACCESS/AFFORDABILITY Universal access shall include consideration for with the level of revenues of the target population Universal access shall include consideration for pricing coherent with the level of revenues of the target population  Lenguages & cultures of poor segments of population (basically in the South but also immigrants in the North)

12. 3-ACCESO/SUSTAINIBILITY shall be coherent with local cultural practices. Telecenters’ organization scheme shall be coherent with local cultural practices.  Telecenter as a community centered place with obvious cultural and linguistic implications

13. 4-ACCESS/LOCALIZATION Access shall be in mother tongue and be natural to one’s culture.  IDN  Keyboard layout  Alphabet codification (Unicode)  Online dictionnaries, language correctors and other support softwares and other support softwares  Automatic Translation  Web design style

14. 5-ACCESS/LITERACY Universal access …. to shared knowledge If Internet is for every one, then basic functional literacy shall be first for every one…

15. 6-USE Here starts the requirements for digital literacy  Digital literacy a learning process while Unesco has shown the importance of the use of mother tongue in education.

16. 7-TECHNOLOGICAL OWNERSHIP Digital and information literacy is probably the highest challenge of inclusive Information Society… Time to switch paradigm!  How would I really get ownership of a tool which does not understand my mother tongue with training package in a foreign language?

17. 8-MEANINGFUL USAGE Content production, virtual communities, social applications  In my language and coherent with my culture

18. 9-SOCIAL OWNERSHIP Culture & Ethics of Network & Information are not “culturally neutral”  a process of with local cultures shall develop for ownership to happen  a process of sincretism with local cultures shall develop for ownership to happen

19. 10/11-EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL INNOVATION The closer we get to Human Development the more the importance switch into culture.  What is the semantic of “empowerment” and “innovation” in my linguistic/cultural context?  What is the semantic of “empowerment” and “innovation” in my linguistic/cultural context?

20. 12-HUMAN DEVELOPMENT We will only get close to this goal if people’s participation has been a reality along the process…  ¿What meaning has “participation” and how does it get real in a given cultural context?  ¿What meaning has “participation” and how does it get real in a given cultural context?  ¿Does real participation exists if a language different form mother tongue is imposed?

21. The cyberdiversity challenge. Triggers two type of reactions: 1) This is too complex. Let’s be “pragmatic” … and just do everything in English… 2) This is such a complex and key issue that we need to start early and dedicate more attention and resources.

22. DIVERSITY CHALLENGE If you are a type 1 person, just think about Ashby theorem (system theory) and how it applies to the situation of our planet, its ecosphere and its human beeings.  Reducing diversity is jeopradizing our chance to evolve and adapt.  Internet duty is to worry about diversity… if it is really for every one.

23. Let’s think again and revamp the Babel myth in light of system Theory and today World challenges!

24. MERCI Thank you Gracias Obrigado Amesegnalhu Shukran Dhonnyobaad Orkun Doh jeh Dekuji Salamat Adjarama Abhar Toda raba N’gue penù Mese ampil

25. REFERENCES http://funredes.org/presentation http://funredes.org/presentation http://funredes.org/presentation http://funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibr ary/thematic/Paradigmatic_Divide.pdf http://funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibr ary/thematic/Paradigmatic_Divide.pdf http://funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibr ary/thematic/Paradigmatic_Divide.pdf http://funredes.org/mistica/english/cyberlibr ary/thematic/Paradigmatic_Divide.pdf http://funredes.org/english/publicacio nes/index.php3/docid/469 http://funredes.org/english/publicacio nes/index.php3/docid/469 http://funredes.org/english/publicacio nes/index.php3/docid/469 http://funredes.org/english/publicacio nes/index.php3/docid/469 http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php- URL_ID=20882&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&U RL_SECTION=201.html http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php- URL_ID=20882&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&U RL_SECTION=201.html