IP: Spanish Ambassador's View of WWW

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Friends,


For a very interesting report on the use of the WWW by the Spanish foreign
service in Canada, may I suggest a visit to:
http://www.docuweb.ca/INET96/pardosj0.html


Jose Luis Pardos was the Spanish ambassador to Canada and the principal
leader in this WWW effort.  Dr. Pardos writes:  "On Friday 28th at the
INET'96 in Montreal I will be presenting what I think is an interesting
paper on Internet and social
transformations (may be a sort of a hint on New diplomacy and New tools for
development)...It is a research paper, not a confrontation document but a
cooperative one among spanish and canadian institutions.....to learn
something positive out of the fisheries confrontation!"


Below I have copied a section from his introduction.  I think it fits in
nicely with the concept of "distributed intelligence".


Regards,


Jock


   ........  from 'http://www.docuweb.ca/INET96/pardosj0.html'  ........


    The Internet and Social Transformations:


         "S=ED, Spain": a Case Study for Development and Diplomacy


The systemic philosophy of Prof. Mario Bunge of McGill University
(Montreal), as described in his books, 'World of Systems' (Boston, Reidel,
1979) and 'Ciencia y desarrollo' (Ediciones Siglo Veinte, Buenos Aires,
1982) emphasizes the fact that any kind of exercise in development, either
institutional or grass-roots, should
take the following concepts into account:


          The world is not a mere aggregate of things but a system composed
of subsystems. The social world is one of these. It may be as the system
embedded in the natural environment and composed of four subsystems:
biological, economic, political, and cultural. These systems are strongly
coupled to one another as well as to nature. They can be distinguished but
not detached.


          Because of the strong coupling among the various systems composing
society, every major social change involves biological, economic, political
and cultural aspects, and it has an impact on the environment. Society is
thus like a four-wheel drive vehicle.


          There is no such thing as sustained development without
environmental protection and unless the biological, economic, political and
cultural subsystems advance at the same time, even though necessarily in a
gradual fashion. In short, authentic development is not sectoral but
integral. Thus the ticket is not "One thing at a time" but "all things at
the same time, though step by step".
          (Mario Bunge, Feb 4, 1996).=20


     Key concepts about technology and development:=20


          Development is based mainly on 'knowledge'. Science and technology
are the main pillars upon which any form of development is based


          To increase the world availability of scientific knowledge through
all possible means is a challenge as well as a new frontier for progress.


          The world's population needs education for a systemic world
development to prepare for the new millennium which has practically begun.
We need this education now and on a world wide scale The Internet, and WWW
could be accessed very easily from developing countries, if the technology
is developed to meet this end.=20


     All this could be a unique occasion to reach real progress and
     advances in many of our communities within the advanced industrial
     societies (AIS) and the less developed countries (LDC). In the very
     near future, the world of electronic communication could become the
     centre of a social revolution for world development if open and equal
     access continues to be a priority in the formation of the information
     highway. It would signal an unprecedented communication revolution not
seen      since the invention of the printing press in 1457 and the first
printed book      'Johannem Fust, civem maguntium, et Peter Schoffer' anno
Domini MCCCCLVII=20


     There is great potential for a digital electronic network to facilitate
a coordinated action in all spheres of a systemic world development
(biological, political, economic, and cultural). To implement these actions
and foster future participation by all members of society it is essential
for individuals, institutions and governments to understand the role of
these new communication technologies in our "global village".=20


     These ideas about development are the founding principles of
"S=ED,Spain". This case study is one example of putting theory into=
 practice,
demonstrating how the Internet can facilitate development and open new doors
for traditional diplomacy.=20


=
 ___________________________________________________________________________=
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                                Jock Gill
                            Penfield Gill, Inc.
                               Boston,  MA
                          jgill () penfield-gill com          =20
                    <http://www.penfield-gill.com/gill>
=
 ___________________________________________________________________________=
_