The Challenge of Digital Inclusion in Mozambique

Dear all

SANGONet (South Africa NGO Forum) has been coordinating a regional research project into ICT4D issues in different countries in the region. Reports are produced, and then debated in Forums in the respective country. So I want to give you a quick report on the Mozambique Forum, which as you know from SANGONet took place on 30 June. SANGONet also circulated the address for downloading our report, so maybe some of you have already had a look - it's available in both Portuguese and English you will be glad to hear, also on the CAICC website:
http://www.caicc.org.mz/images/stories/documentos/finalmozambiquereport10july2009_english.pdf

http://www.caicc.org.mz/images/stories/documentos/finalmozambiquereport_portugues_100709.pdf

We chose as the main theme for our report on ICT4D in Mozambique the challenge of digital inclusion, as a way of highlighting the needs of ordinary citizens and particularly people living in the rural areas (70% of the population). So our report discussed the advances in ICTs, state of implementation of government policies, etc, from this point of view - we didn't want to do a big survey because that's already been done. Our main findings from the research were that there have been important advances in implementing the ICT Policy, but so far the tendency has been very technology-oriented and top-down rather than citizen-centred - starting from defining people's needs. Of course establishing the infrastructure is a precondition for inclusion, but it is definitely not the solution on its own. So we made various recommendations, as you will see in the report.

The Forum therefore made a special effort to bring together different sectors, and in particular civil society organisations, to sit in the same room and discuss some of these questions. Around 80 people altogether attended at some time during the day, including half a dozen ministries and various public
institutions and companies (such as telecomms, the regulator, agricultural research and others). Civil society was represented by 5 rural telecentres/community multimedia centres as well as organisations such as the Community Radio Forum, the Women's Forum, the National Union of Peasants, Association of Visually Handicapped (who shamed us by saying that they had been to our new university central library and there was no provision at all for their needs!) and national education and development NGOs. Private IT companies, public and private universities and journalists were also there.

The Forum was opened by the Vice-Rector of Eduardo Mondlane University, and the Minister of Science and Technology came to give a keynote speech and stayed for some of the discussion. We had formal presentations summarising the report, and from our regional research coordinator Tina James to give is some insights into the situation in the Southern African region. As a way of helping open up the plenary debate we asked 4 "commenters" to give their personal opinions on the report and the issues in general - 2 from government and 2 from civil society. This tactic definitely helped to provide a good environment in which people were at ease to speak up and express their opinions.

We ended up with a series of recommendations, some confirming the proposals in the report and others adding to and improving them.

Perhaps some of the most relevant ones are the following:
- Revisit the ICT Policy, but first carry out analysis and evaluation of what's been done;
- Strategies for changing attitudes;
- Involving the private sector in digital inclusion plans;
- Need to be truly inclusive of all citizens;
- Content in local languages;
- Government transparency in its relations with the private sector;
- create a group to study and propose measures for the migration to digital radio (by 2015);

Most important, create a working or lobby group to try to ensure inclusion of digital inclusion/ICT4D in the next Government Poverty Reduction Plan or 5-year Programme. We have elections in October and then there will be a new round of planning, so it is a good opportunity.

This is already too long so will stop here. Hope you find it useful.

polly