Canada: An
Asian Nation in a Cyber Age
Remarks by
the Hon. David Kilgour, P.C., M.P.
Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) and M.P. (Edmonton Southeast)
University of Brunei Darusalaam
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
16 August 2003
In
less than twenty years, the University of Brunei Darusalaam already has
300 staff and over 2800 students. It's one of the most respected
institutions in the region, as evidenced by numerous twining programs with
universities across Asia and the world.
These include partnerships with Canadian universities in Calgary,
Windsor and Halifax (Dalhousie).
My
colleague and I are struck by your country's commitment to ICT.
Your government has invested $1billion Brunei dollars in
E-government, E-education, E-commerce, E-health, and E-community.
This university is involved; you're hosting a National Workshop on
E-government next month.
Canada
made a similar commitment several years ago and our people are now
considered as one of the most connected on earth.
This has resulted in many changes - not the least of which is how
Canadians relate to their elected representatives and the rest of the
world. This morning, I'd like
to discuss some of these changes and share some insights on how Canada is
increasingly an Asian nation in a cyber age.
ICT
and Knowledge
One
of my favourite anecdotes about the power of information is a program
started in India called "the Hole in the Wall."
Dr. Sugata Mitra, one of New Delhi's top computer scientists,
wanted to know what would happen if poor children were provided with free
and unlimited access to computers and the Internet. So he created the
first terminal of what is now known as
"Hole in the Wall".
He
installed a high-speed computer in the outside wall of his office, gave
the local children permission to do whatever they pleased with it, and sat
back to watch what would happen. Within minutes and without any
instruction, the children began to self-learn the basics and were soon
surfing the Net. Mitra and
his colleagues have established "Hole in the Wall" kiosks in
dozens of India's poor communities - often targeting young girls.
At one point, Mitra asked a young boy to define the Internet. He
replied immediately, "That with which you can do anything."
It's
difficult to overstate the impact and the potential of technology - and
especially the Internet - to change the world mostly for the better. To
say knowledge is power has become terribly cliched, but, more than ever,
it is true. In a world of too large and growing disparities of wealth and
opportunity, it can be the ultimate opportunity for many.
I'm
reminded of a quote by James Madison in 1822:
"A
popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring
it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge
will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own
governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
Anyone
with access to the Internet has the power to deconstruct traditional
media, explore diverse opinions and formulate alternate viewpoints. Many
countries are no longer dealing with electorates whose key source of
information are local newspapers. All
with PCs can access an unlimited number of news sources, commentators,
editorialists, and even newsmakers themselves (if you doubt this, try the
portal ceoexpress.com).
ICT
and Government
ICT
has helped bring about increased transparency in government by making
information accessible and eroding cultures of secrecy. Gone are the days
of phoning the government printers to order a report. Canadians, for
example, are now able to read virtually every statement made by their
representatives in provincial assemblies or the national Parliament.
The
Internet gives Canadians a direct line to government, in a sense, creating
real-time politics. Instead of writing your member of Parliament a letter,
for example, you can send an e-mail and within minutes, he or she can be
aware of your position on a breaking news event. People wanting to learn
about government programs used to have to pick the information up from
their representative's office can now simply go on-line. We can all speculate how many emails will be generated by
yesterday's power failure in North America in which about 50 million lost
their electricity in about three minutes in a cascading blanket.
One
significant elements of ICT as a tool for democratization is that it
enables communication to work both ways. Politicians and governments have
the means to communicate with Canadians as never before; it's changing
expectations on all sides. A constituent who sends an e-mail, for example,
often expects an immediate answer. Those who want your position on
something expect to find it on your Web site. For most elected persons,
having your own Web site has become a mark of modernity--to the point
where we are quickly approaching the day where a candidate for election
won't even be considered credible without one.
The
challenge is to use Web sites as tools to engage, not just as a forum for
disseminating information and/or propaganda.
Elected officials around the world are using the Web to recruit
volunteers, raise funds, reach out to young voters, generate discussion
groups and get feedback.
While
some argue that only a small proportion of Internet users actually select
candidates based on the information they read on-line, but others argue
that in some close contests the Internet, provided a candidate has a good
list of undecided voters, could make the difference.
Your
own government, of course, is using ICT as well. Your Prime Minister's office will be launching "PMOnet",
which links all government agencies and the public together. By leveraging
ICT, your government is changing the way government services are delivered
- more efficiently, effectively and in a timely manner. It is positioning
itself to improve its accessibility and interaction with citizens and
businesses.
Bridging
the Digital Divide
While
recognizing that technology offers limitless opportunities, we must ensure
that they are available to all. Bridging the digital divide must be a
priority of responsible governments everywhere.
Through Community Access Programs (CAP), Schoolnet,
Smartcommunities and more, the government of Canada has sought to ensure
that virtually all Canadians--youth, seniors, persons with
disabilities--and especially those in rural, remote, northern and
Aboriginal communities have affordable access to the Internet.
We
were evidently the first nation in the world to connect virtually all of
our schools to the Internet; since 1995, we've established or approved
more than 8,800 public Internet access centres in rural, remote and urban
communities. Adults in rural areas beyond the reach of community colleges
are now taking high school equivalency courses on-line at their own speed.
In the North, village elders are marketing their hand-crafted hunting and
fishing spears to customers around the world through their community Web
site.
Students
everywhere are supposed to have the same access to the collections of the
National Library of Canada and the National Research Council as a student
in Ottawa. I am told that part of the "RAGAM 21" initiative is
to connect all the small villages in Brunei with the commercial world.
Canada's
Changing Face
The
ways Canadians relate to each other and to the rest of the world are
changing quickly. As illustrated by the persons in this room, the face of
Canada is changing briskly too. For the last year, I've been telling just
about anyone who will listen about the importance of what I call Canada's
"Asianification." Our population is increasingly linked to the
Asia-Pacific region through trade, education by immigration. Our two-way
trade across the Pacific exceeds our trade across the Atlantic, and has
for the better part of ten years.
Vancouver
is quickly becoming recognized as the epitome of a North American
Asia-Pacific city. The top five source countries for new
immigrants--China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Korea--are
all in the Asia-Pacific region. One in thirty Canadians today is of South
Asian origin! From Afghanistan to the South Pacific, Mongolia to
Australia, each Asia-Pacific nation has its own community in Canada. As
David Hubert, author of Peace Canada: A Choice of Futures, maintains, we
are "a nation becoming." And what we are becoming is a mirror of
the world. This includes
30,000 residents originally from Brunei.
Much
has been made of the extent of these people-to-people contacts.
What they mean in practical areas, such as domestic and foreign
policy development, is sometimes uncertain.
I would assert that what "Asianification" will mean for
Canada will depend in very large part on how all diaspora communities
harness the power of ICT.
Michael
Szonyi, a professor at the University of Toronto, who is currently doing
research on the impact of Asian-Canadians on Canada's international
relations, claims that previous waves of Asian immigration to Canada had a
negligible impact on Canada's foreign relations, largely because of their
small numbers, lack of geographic concentration, and disenfranchisement
from the political process.
We
now live in the age of globalization. People everywhere are connected by
cellphones, e-mail, and relatively low-cost travel. Diaspora communities
across the country now have access to one of the most revolutionary tools
ever--the Internet.
One's
ability to stay well informed of developments in our countries of origin
has improved dramatically. Many
Bruneians in Canada and the rest of the world keep track of events in
Brunei through websites like Brudirect. The often criticized occurrence of
diaspora communities being stuck in a time warp or sticking to opinions
based on past realities is disappearing.
The
speed with which new Canadians can learn about our government processes
and political players, including MPs, MPPs/MLAs, city councillors, and
more, is evidently accelerated by the Internet.
For example, today you have only to enter your postal code into the
Elections Canada Web site to be instantly provided with a map and profile
of your electoral district, a detailed breakdown of the results of past
elections, and an e-mail address for your member of Parliament.
Not
only has the Internet changed the way an individual can communicate with
his or her government, it is revolutionizing the way members of various
groups--including diaspora communities--are communicating with each other.
Connected
diaspora communities have a vastly improved ability to lobby governments
on issues that have a direct impact on them, as well as those related to
homeland politics. Those doubting the impact of such communities on issues
of importance need only consider the recent anti-war demonstrations across
the country. Information about many of these--especially those organized
by diaspora groups--was disseminated through the Internet. Again,
listserves and message boards proved capable of turning out large crowds.
The
benefits arising from being a part of an organized, connected diaspora
extend beyond an ability to influence politics.
ICT is a valuable tool for capitalizing on the needs of employers
seeking to compete in new markets and reach new customers. It means
improving a community's employability by ensuring that its members retain
the level of local knowledge, and the personal connections that give
business people an edge.
Governments
are assessing the changing dynamics of diaspora communities and are moving
quickly to take advantage of them. India's recent decision to allow dual
citizenship with certain countries was designed in part to encourage
investment by members of its enormous diaspora communities worldwide.
Leveraging
Change
All
of this is not to say that diaspora community members without
technological savvy will--or more importantly, should--be excluded from
political processes or economic opportunities. It is simply a reflection
of the fact that throughout the world technology is changing our lives;
it's those who embrace these changes who will ultimately have the
advantage.
I
am confident that here at the University of Brunei Darusalaam, you are
already embracing these changes.
Thank you again for hosting us.
All of us welcome your questions and comments.
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