Comment

Pot of Gold Waiting at the End of the ICT Rainbow

By Filip Stojanovski

In the recent months, we witness intensification of several global initiatives aimed at promotion of information and communication technologies (ICT), which in turn should aid economic growth and development of democracy.

Intergovernmental bodies, such as the UN and the EU, invest enormous funds in boosting ICT development. Important governmental agencies, such as USAID, and private donors, such as the Open Society Institute, act in a same manner also. This movement coincides with the nearing of the World Summit on the Information Society, scheduled to take place in Geneva, 10-12 December, 2003.

Even though the current prices for access to ICT benefits are lowest ever, and the optimism sparked by success of educational projects spreads over Africa, we still must not forget the plight of the "50 percent of our fellow Earthlings who have never made a phone call!" (according to Michael Moore). Even with the lowered price of about 500 Euros apiece (made possible by the law of the other Moore, and the abolishing of the customs for computer equipment) a decent PC still remains out of reach of the majority of citizens of Macedonia.

ICT policy connects to civil society in a very essential way, especially with the issues of human rights (freedom of speech, privacy, access to information…) and good governance (transparency, accountability, intellectual property…). The manner of conducting the negotiations for the controversial strategic partnership of the Government of Republic of Macedonia and the Microsoft corporation, and the treatment of the reactions to it (especially of the civic organization Free Software – Macedonia) point to the need for building of capacities for public debate, advocacy, lobbying, and sharing and spreading of information.

When in October 2000 Macedonia signed the eAgenda of eSEE Intiiative of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, it became obligated to "[a]dopt National Information Society Strategy and Action Plan, based on eSEE Agenda and National Information Society Policies, with clear goals, responsibilities and timelines for implementation," by October 30, 2003. This, still nonexistent National policy, should provide guidelines and framework both for legislature and working of the Governmental administration. The positive experiences of the nearby countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, which managed to fulfill this condition for euro integration with the help of the UNDP, can provide wealth of useful knowledge.

Initiatives and possibilities already sprout through Macedonia. At the conference of the civic association of IT professionals DECUS (Ohrid, October 13-15) , the professional association of IT companies MASIT announced that they've received over US $ 2 Million from USAID's Competitiveness project to work on developing of the local ICT industry. Transparency-Macedonia initiated a project for creating the Freedom of Information Law. ICT Center Metamorphosis started organizing public surveys and training workshops for journalists and decision makers, with the first of them scheduled for November 14-16. Of course, the NGO Fair - 3^rd Forum of the Civil Society in Macedonia (November 20-22) provides excellent opportunity for conducting public debates and educational sessions dealing with ICT issues, with participation of decision makers from the various societal sectors.