The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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PAPER The Drum Beat - 24 - Ohio University - Information Transfer

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The Drum Beat - 24 - Ohio University - Information Transfer
Additional Information and Commentary - Please contact the student identified for a full copy of their paper.


By Thelma (Xiaodong) Tang
International Student of Ohio University
July 1999
xt346492@oak.cats.ohiou.edu


24. Abstract of Information Transfer --- Growth of the Next Millennium

As we approach the next millennium, the development issue seems more and more challenging; "elimination of poverty requires analyzing the ability of the Earth to sustain an adequate level of development to feed, clothe, and house the world's increasing population." (Smith, 1994) The notion of "sustainable development" has been widely accepted as a new development paradigm; yet the term still needs to be more clearly defined and more importantly, new strategies and means for implementing sustainable development need to be explored in this new era of information age which could pose a challenge as well as an opportunity for development. The newly appeared information communication technologies (ICTs) bring with them seemingly limitless potential to the field of communication and development. As Mansell and Wehn (1998) pointed out, "Rapid advances in information and communication technology (ICTs) are central to transformation in local and global markets and the way people conduct their everyday lives. ... ICTs are increasingly a key focus for policy makers and corporate strategists concerned with development issues." Acknowledging the importance and the exciting perspective of the issue, the research reviews the newly emerged literature regarding the information society and information transfer, trying to explore the rationale behind them as well as to find out to which degree information transfer can play an important role in development. Through the case studies of Telecottage in Sweden and the application of Remote Sensing technology in Sudan, the researcher concludes that information transfer can actually facilitate local or even national development. But other questions pop up. For example, how can ICTs be implemented not only at a local level, but at national and international level, so as to narrow rather than widening the information gap resulted from the economic gap? How can ICTs be implemented without sacrificing the rich social and cultural diversities? Further studies contributing to a set-up theory in the field are urgently needed.