EOTO--Bridging Afghanistan’s Digital Divide

Like all developing nations, Afghanistan is lagging behind developed nations when it comes to many parts of their infrastructure. Decades of conflict have left roads, bridges, and essential buildings badly in need of repair, but no services are farther behind in development than in the digital technology sectors. During the Taliban’s years in control of the country, all Western technological advancements were banned with the belief that they were tools for spreading Western philosophy and culture and eroding the moral and religious values of this Islamic nation. With the fall of the Taliban after Operation Enduring Freedom, one task for the newly formed Afghani government in conjunction with the United States and allied forces was to bridge this digital divide.

Of course, in a country where electricity is unreliable at best, women were not allowed an education until recently, and there is a constant threat from terrorists, getting the internet up and running is a low priority. The U.S., in conjunction with other nations and private companies such as Microsoft, have made closing Afghanistan’s digital divide a goal, but there is concern about the logistics and practicality of being able to maintain communication technology in a country where generators are the main power source outside of the major cities. This power supply situation is a good illustration of how there is not only a gap between Afghanistan and developed nations, but there is also a large divide within Afghanistan between the urban and rural population. The challenge in bridging Afghanistan’s digital divide is also bridging the divide between the country’s own people, which is a challenge that has never been accomplished.

Another challenge in bridging the digital divide in Afghanistan is the education factor. Most rural Afghanis have never owned a television much less operated a computer. Literacy rates are low compared to other Middle Eastern countries, and something like 80% of the material on the web is written in English. It is not too much of a stretch to contend that in order for all Afghanis to be given access to the internet a major education program would have to be launched with literacy, computer literacy, and English programs as focal points. Even if Afghanistan was provided with all the hardware, software, and infrastructure support from developed nations, a considerable economic factor would persist in getting the population educated to the point that they can effectively operate a computer and navigate the web. It will take a decades-long effort by developed nations and the Afghani government for Afghanistan’s digital divide to be lessened, a monumental task given the many issues facing the country today.

My 5 Biggest Fears about this Issue:

1. The digital divide will widen, and only the elite will have access to information/
   communication technology.
2. Afghanistan has so many more immediate problems (i.e., security, hospitals, schools),
   that this issue will never be adequately addressed.
3. The Afghani government will institute a system like China’s where they control what
   their people can and cannot see on the web.
4. The internet will be seen as an evil by some members of society and spark further
   violence or sympathy for groups who perpetuate violence against the U.S., our allies,
   and the Afghani democratic process.
5. Internet access will become a catalyst for eroding the culture of Afghanistan, mainly
   among the country’s youth, and the U.S. will be blamed.

Six Sources:
Development Gateway: Special Report on Afghanistan Reconstruction
This website is a collection of articles and links to sites about the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan as it applies to digital technology. It is an excellent source for tracking down information, because most of the articles come with bibliographies linking to more information on the subject.

Afgha.com
This is another website with links to articles about the digital divide and digital technology issues in Afghanistan. The site does not exclusively discuss this subject, but is good for finding some information on the topic.

Library of Congress: Portals to the World—Afghanistan
This is a website from the Library of Congress with links to nothing but information about Afghanistan. Two subheadings are particularly useful: Media and Communication and Science and Technology. While the website itself produces no original materials, it does link to news sources and gives information about the source that gives insight into their credibility. For example: Asre Jadid (http://www.asrejadid.org) Political publication of Afghani Communists.

MyAfghan.com
MyAfghan.com is described by the Library of Congress as “a private news service by unaffiliated expatriates living in the United States.” It links to articles in major, American and foreign newspapers with articles of interest concerning Afghanistan. The article sources range from The New York Times to the Russian Information Agency.

Abyznewslinks.com
This website provides links to foreign and domestic, large and small news articles that appear online concerning all aspects of Afghanistan. It is good for getting started and doing some trial and error searching for information on the digital divide.

Central Eurasian Studies Worldwide
This website is maintained by Harvard University and contains information on the culture and history of nations located in the Central Eurasian region. The site contains links to information packets put together by Harvard and is useful for exploring the cultural implications as they apply to my topic.

Recommended Solutions:

1. The U.S. government and other developed nations need to commit to building a stable infrastructure that makes technology available to all citizens.
2. The U.S. government and other developed nations needs to commit long-term funding for repairs and upgrades to the networks, hardware, and software.
3. The U.S. government and other developed nations needs to provide the Afghani government with training and support so that they can successfully transition into self-reliance over the long-term, as well as establish educational opportunities for the Afghani people so they can learn to use this technology.