MIT e-Planning Seminar

Pedro Ferraz de Abreu

e-Planning Seminar, Chair

"e-Planning in a world embattled by war and poverty: Why should planners study and influence the information technology revolution?"

Friday, December 5, 2003

MIT Rm. 10-401, 12:15PM - 2:00PM

Discussants: DUSP faculty - Bish Sanyal, David Laws, Judith Tendler

At the G8 meeting in 2000, protesters set fire to a laptop computer on an Okinawa beach. "We can't eat computers", "people are dying", was the message in response to what was seen as a technology "fad" distracting from real priorities. But the Human Development Report of 2001 (UNDP) argues that information and communication technologies (ICT) "can make major contributions to reducing world poverty" and are "truly a breakthrough technology for democracy and expansion of knowledge for poor people" (HDR 2001, UNDP).

In this session, we will examine some evidence that both sides are right and briefly discuss what questions need to be asked in order to understand and solve this paradox.

Drawing from recent United Nations indicators and trends related with ICT, poverty and war; from research on the nature and consequences of recent ICT developments; and supported by examples extracted from research projects and case studies, we will briefly examine some elements of the following questions:

Global indicators from:

Research projects: