Web Foundation Mission Echoes Brown’s Support for Technology Investment in Africa

GENEVA – Sept. 2, 2010 – The World Wide Web Foundation (Web Foundation) today announced that it has elected former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to serve on its Board of Directors. Throughout the world, the Web Foundation leads programs that empower people to use the Web to nurture local economies and improve access to education and information. As a Board member, Dr. Brown will primarily advise the Web Foundation on ways to involve disadvantaged communities and global leaders in the development of sustainable programs that connect humanity and affect positive change.

Growing local markets in African nations will help generate prosperity required to alleviate poverty, support education and tackle the challenges posed by disease and political strife. Echoing sentiments conveyed at the African Union Summit in Kampala, Uganda in July, Dr. Brown highlighted the importance of supporting investment in Africa in order to promote local economic growth.

“Africa is a new source of dynamism in the global economy,” commented Gordon Brown. “Initiatives designed to promote continuous and sustained growth will have a profound impact, not only on the future of African nations, but also our global society. I support Web Foundation’s mission to promote the advancement of the Web, as well as access to it, especially in Africa where the Web can act as a catalyst for economic growth.”

Delivering introductory remarks at Caribbean Internet Governance Forum

This week is Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Week in St. Maarten in the Caribbean.  St. Maarten, which is moving toward self-governance later this year, and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union are sponsoring this important convocation of businesses, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and citizens young and not-so-young to “foster development and transform societies and economies”.

The start of the week featured the 6th annual Caribbean Internet Governance Forum.  I was invited to lead discussion on the subject of “Executing the Paradigm Shift: From eGovernment to oGovernment”.  The focus was on potential benefits, and realistic costs, of a relationship between government and citizens based on Open Government Data.

Tech4africa Banner

I attended the last two days Tech4Africa conference in Johannesburg. I was very excited about it. Last year, it was canceled due to lack of sponsors (iirc). So seeing that the event would be happening this year was a very good news. The subtitle of the conference was ‘web and emerging technologies’ and the moto “bringing global perspective to the African context”. So this is exactly our focus at the Web Foundation, and I was eager to learn and see what’s happening… I will try not to hammer the organizers too hard, but honestly, I was quite disappointed.

Let’s start with the very good things. It was very well organized, very well managed, with high quality speakers, and usually interesting talks. It was very well attended, I would say 400+people the first day, and a bit less the second. I was slightly annoyed by the way the program was built.