Search this site powered by FreeFind

Quick Link

for your convenience!

 

Human Rights, Youth Voices etc.

click here


 

For Information Concerning the Crisis in Darfur

click here


 

Northern Uganda Crisis

click here


 

 Whistleblowers Need Protection

 

Canada: An Asian Nation in a Cyber Age

Remarks by the Hon. David Kilgour, P.C., M.P.
Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) and M.P. (Edmonton Southeast)
University of Brunei Darusalaam
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
16 August 2003

In less than twenty years, the University of Brunei Darusalaam already has 300 staff and over 2800 students. It's one of the most respected institutions in the region, as evidenced by numerous twining programs with universities across Asia and the world.  These include partnerships with Canadian universities in Calgary, Windsor and Halifax (Dalhousie).

My colleague and I are struck by your country's commitment to ICT.  Your government has invested $1billion Brunei dollars in E-government, E-education, E-commerce, E-health, and E-community.  This university is involved; you're hosting a National Workshop on E-government next month.

Canada made a similar commitment several years ago and our people are now considered as one of the most connected on earth.  This has resulted in many changes - not the least of which is how Canadians relate to their elected representatives and the rest of the world.  This morning, I'd like to discuss some of these changes and share some insights on how Canada is increasingly an Asian nation in a cyber age. 

ICT and Knowledge

One of my favourite anecdotes about the power of information is a program started in India called "the Hole in the Wall."  Dr. Sugata Mitra, one of New Delhi's top computer scientists, wanted to know what would happen if poor children were provided with free and unlimited access to computers and the Internet. So he created the first terminal of what is now known as  "Hole in the Wall".

He installed a high-speed computer in the outside wall of his office, gave the local children permission to do whatever they pleased with it, and sat back to watch what would happen. Within minutes and without any instruction, the children began to self-learn the basics and were soon surfing the Net.  Mitra and his colleagues have established "Hole in the Wall" kiosks in dozens of India's poor communities - often targeting young girls.  At one point, Mitra asked a young boy to define the Internet. He replied immediately, "That with which you can do anything."

It's difficult to overstate the impact and the potential of technology - and especially the Internet - to change the world mostly for the better. To say knowledge is power has become terribly cliched, but, more than ever, it is true. In a world of too large and growing disparities of wealth and opportunity, it can be the ultimate opportunity for many.

I'm reminded of a quote by James Madison in 1822:

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

Anyone with access to the Internet has the power to deconstruct traditional media, explore diverse opinions and formulate alternate viewpoints. Many countries are no longer dealing with electorates whose key source of information are local newspapers.  All with PCs can access an unlimited number of news sources, commentators, editorialists, and even newsmakers themselves (if you doubt this, try the portal ceoexpress.com).

ICT and Government

ICT has helped bring about increased transparency in government by making information accessible and eroding cultures of secrecy. Gone are the days of phoning the government printers to order a report. Canadians, for example, are now able to read virtually every statement made by their representatives in provincial assemblies or the national Parliament.

The Internet gives Canadians a direct line to government, in a sense, creating real-time politics. Instead of writing your member of Parliament a letter, for example, you can send an e-mail and within minutes, he or she can be aware of your position on a breaking news event. People wanting to learn about government programs used to have to pick the information up from their representative's office can now simply go on-line.  We can all speculate how many emails will be generated by yesterday's power failure in North America in which about 50 million lost their electricity in about three minutes in a cascading blanket.

One significant elements of ICT as a tool for democratization is that it enables communication to work both ways. Politicians and governments have the means to communicate with Canadians as never before; it's changing expectations on all sides. A constituent who sends an e-mail, for example, often expects an immediate answer. Those who want your position on something expect to find it on your Web site. For most elected persons, having your own Web site has become a mark of modernity--to the point where we are quickly approaching the day where a candidate for election won't even be considered credible without one.

The challenge is to use Web sites as tools to engage, not just as a forum for disseminating information and/or propaganda.  Elected officials around the world are using the Web to recruit volunteers, raise funds, reach out to young voters, generate discussion groups and get feedback.

While some argue that only a small proportion of Internet users actually select candidates based on the information they read on-line, but others argue that in some close contests the Internet, provided a candidate has a good list of undecided voters, could make the difference.

Your own government, of course, is using ICT as well.  Your Prime Minister's office will be launching "PMOnet", which links all government agencies and the public together. By leveraging ICT, your government is changing the way government services are delivered - more efficiently, effectively and in a timely manner. It is positioning itself to improve its accessibility and interaction with citizens and businesses. 

Bridging the Digital Divide

While recognizing that technology offers limitless opportunities, we must ensure that they are available to all. Bridging the digital divide must be a priority of responsible governments everywhere.  Through Community Access Programs (CAP), Schoolnet, Smartcommunities and more, the government of Canada has sought to ensure that virtually all Canadians--youth, seniors, persons with disabilities--and especially those in rural, remote, northern and Aboriginal communities have affordable access to the Internet.

We were evidently the first nation in the world to connect virtually all of our schools to the Internet; since 1995, we've established or approved more than 8,800 public Internet access centres in rural, remote and urban communities. Adults in rural areas beyond the reach of community colleges are now taking high school equivalency courses on-line at their own speed. In the North, village elders are marketing their hand-crafted hunting and fishing spears to customers around the world through their community Web site.

Students everywhere are supposed to have the same access to the collections of the National Library of Canada and the National Research Council as a student in Ottawa. I am told that part of the "RAGAM 21" initiative is to connect all the small villages in Brunei with the commercial world. 

Canada's Changing Face

The ways Canadians relate to each other and to the rest of the world are changing quickly. As illustrated by the persons in this room, the face of Canada is changing briskly too. For the last year, I've been telling just about anyone who will listen about the importance of what I call Canada's "Asianification." Our population is increasingly linked to the Asia-Pacific region through trade, education by immigration. Our two-way trade across the Pacific exceeds our trade across the Atlantic, and has for the better part of ten years.

Vancouver is quickly becoming recognized as the epitome of a North American Asia-Pacific city. The top five source countries for new immigrants--China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Korea--are all in the Asia-Pacific region. One in thirty Canadians today is of South Asian origin! From Afghanistan to the South Pacific, Mongolia to Australia, each Asia-Pacific nation has its own community in Canada. As David Hubert, author of Peace Canada: A Choice of Futures, maintains, we are "a nation becoming." And what we are becoming is a mirror of the world.  This includes 30,000 residents originally from Brunei.

Much has been made of the extent of these people-to-people contacts.  What they mean in practical areas, such as domestic and foreign policy development, is sometimes uncertain.  I would assert that what "Asianification" will mean for Canada will depend in very large part on how all diaspora communities harness the power of ICT.

Michael Szonyi, a professor at the University of Toronto, who is currently doing research on the impact of Asian-Canadians on Canada's international relations, claims that previous waves of Asian immigration to Canada had a negligible impact on Canada's foreign relations, largely because of their small numbers, lack of geographic concentration, and disenfranchisement from the political process.

We now live in the age of globalization. People everywhere are connected by cellphones, e-mail, and relatively low-cost travel. Diaspora communities across the country now have access to one of the most revolutionary tools ever--the Internet.

One's ability to stay well informed of developments in our countries of origin has improved dramatically.  Many Bruneians in Canada and the rest of the world keep track of events in Brunei through websites like Brudirect. The often criticized occurrence of diaspora communities being stuck in a time warp or sticking to opinions based on past realities is disappearing.

The speed with which new Canadians can learn about our government processes and political players, including MPs, MPPs/MLAs, city councillors, and more, is evidently accelerated by the Internet.  For example, today you have only to enter your postal code into the Elections Canada Web site to be instantly provided with a map and profile of your electoral district, a detailed breakdown of the results of past elections, and an e-mail address for your member of Parliament.

Not only has the Internet changed the way an individual can communicate with his or her government, it is revolutionizing the way members of various groups--including diaspora communities--are communicating with each other.

Connected diaspora communities have a vastly improved ability to lobby governments on issues that have a direct impact on them, as well as those related to homeland politics. Those doubting the impact of such communities on issues of importance need only consider the recent anti-war demonstrations across the country. Information about many of these--especially those organized by diaspora groups--was disseminated through the Internet. Again, listserves and message boards proved capable of turning out large crowds.

The benefits arising from being a part of an organized, connected diaspora extend beyond an ability to influence politics.  ICT is a valuable tool for capitalizing on the needs of employers seeking to compete in new markets and reach new customers. It means improving a community's employability by ensuring that its members retain the level of local knowledge, and the personal connections that give business people an edge.

Governments are assessing the changing dynamics of diaspora communities and are moving quickly to take advantage of them. India's recent decision to allow dual citizenship with certain countries was designed in part to encourage investment by members of its enormous diaspora communities worldwide.

Leveraging Change

All of this is not to say that diaspora community members without technological savvy will--or more importantly, should--be excluded from political processes or economic opportunities. It is simply a reflection of the fact that throughout the world technology is changing our lives; it's those who embrace these changes who will ultimately have the advantage.

I am confident that here at the University of Brunei Darusalaam, you are already embracing these changes.    Thank you again for hosting us.  All of us welcome your questions and comments.

-30-

 
Home Books Photo Gallery About David Survey Results Useful Links Submit Feedback