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May 13, 2004
ICT Summit Opening Plenary: Corporate Social Responsibility and Technology
The Global ICT Summit on E-Creativity and E-Content, featuring nine technology ministers and 60 invited speakers from 22 countries, kicked off its first full day of public presentations at Hong Kong's new Cyberport center. Francis Ho, Hong Kong's Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, welcomed a packed audience in the Cyberport's arcade auditorium. Secretary Ho recalled the importance of computers and Internet access during Hong Kong's SARS crisis one year ago; with schools closed because of quarantines, students and teachers were forced to utilize technology to continue their education. Unfortunately, he noted, this meant that students who were quarantined at home without Internet access were caught off from the rest of the world. Despite Hong Kong's immense progress in bridging the digital divide, many of the region's low-income families lack Internet access or the skills to use it.
The first plenary panel focused on corporate strategies for global social responsibility. Ken Larson of HP talked about the company's history of codifying notions of corporate citizenship into the company's mission and goals from the company's inception, dating back more than 50 years. He cited HP Corporate Affair's mission "to build a brand a grow the business through recognized leadership in global citizenship." Larson noted that recent trends in the public's eroding trust in corporations, along with global political instability, make it more important than ever for corporations to embrace corporate citizenship as a fundamental aspect of their business strategy. "You are going to want to do business with a company you can trust," he said. "Community engagement is fundamental… It's now the global community; it's no longer just the community located around a factory."
HP frames its digital divide work in terms of "e-inclusion," Larson explained. He noted that HP sees ICTs as a tool to unlock the potential of individuals and communities, particularly by engaging in cross-sector initiatives. "We don't go in with a [technology] solution in mind," he said. "We go in to engage a community." Larson talked about a new networking device called the 441, a low-cost, open-source computing device that's being deployed in South Africa. In India, HP's Village Photographer technology is allowing villagers to get access to mobile devices combining photography, printing and networking to allow them to register for national ID cards and become eligible for government services.
Dr. Winnie Tang of ESRI discussed the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in global development. "You and I have the responsibility to make the world more sustainable," she explained; GIS technologies allow us to have a better grasp of how the planet works, interpreting layers of data onto geographic digital maps. She demonstrated a digital map of Mexico city, with interrelating data layers related to poverty, access to affordable housing, water drainage, income, unemployment, and other poverty-related data. Similarly, ESRI is working with the Kenyan government for examining geographic patterns of AIDS infections. They are also a partner in Afghanistan's world food program, tracking the movements and distribution of food aid across the entire country. "GIS is an indispensable technology for encapsulating and sharing geographic knowledge. "Let's work together to make the world more sustainable."
Posted by acarvin at May 13, 2004 10:13 PM
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