Iran and Information Society
The first Iranian scientific and professional conference in preparation for the second phase of WSIS
Dr. Abbas Horri,
Professor of Tehran University and Founding Member of Iranian Society for Research into Information Society
Some remarks on better participation in the second phase of WSIS
What I want to refer in this occasion is an expression of the wishes I had during the first phase of WSIS. To me, participation at such a summit has three main objectives: first, to see the actions and achievements of the other countries; second, to understand how they have achieved this and, third, to find a way that leads us to higher stages.
The first objective is achieved through observation, discussion, and study. The pack of brochures and pamphlets that we brought from Geneva can be helpful for this objective. When we were asked to write down our own personal report of the event, I was reminded of Karl R. Popper’s remark on “what would you like us to see?” We need to define and assign the tasks of each person before the seminar, and ask him or her to write down his or her own professional report. In this way we can produce a detailed account of the whole event, a report that would be more influential.
The second target also can be achieved through a close study of the reports and documents. The other countries have represented their achievements fully in the reports they have published. The third objective is the most important one. I agree that we failed to represent ourselves fully during the Summit, and we could have been more active. Historically, this is rooted in our modest and humble personality and culture. We have lots to say and have achieved high degrees of development, but we tend to understate our great accomplishments.
On the way to achieve information society, we need to rebuild some infrastructures. The educational system is one of the institutions that demand a second thought. As far as our educational system is based upon one text, and the examinations and evaluations are conducted according to a set of fixed texts, we cannot think about a network in the system; actually there is no need to a network. When all the information is contained within the covers of a single book, and the student knows that to answer the teacher and pass the exams, only memorizing the contents of the book is required, no need to search for further information emerges. Now, despite all these structural limitations we have accomplished a great task that needs to be documented and represented. Therefore, in order to achieve the third objective, we need to think and plan for different fields of operation. In Geneva these fields included exhibitions, panels, sessions, and the use of print and non-print media for the transmission of information. Even the costume and make up of the representative people serve as a media.
Based on our experience in Geneva, I think we need to manage the future exhibitions in real time format; that is, no question should be postponed to a later time. Also, we need a group of people fluent in international languages to host the exhibitions. Our panel at Geneva was faced with little attendants; so was the situation with some other countries, but we had and have a faith in our work, and we must plan and organize the affairs before.
One of the issues that we can introduce in the upcoming summit is a report of TAKFA (National Initiative for Development and Application of ICT). A student of mine has prepared a report on TAKFA for presentation at an international conference to be held in Argentina. Also, we have been busy in the field of virtual education, both at the level of university education and primary and secondary education. As Dr. Motamed-Nejad always insists, we need to document these efforts and prepare them for an international exhibition. These reports should not necessarily be exhaustive; sometimes a small brochure can communicate the facts perfectly. After the Geneva summit, a group of young and volunteer activists invited us to a meeting, presenting a report of their activities during the summit. They were complaining about their lack of knowledge about the event, and the fact that they were not educated and prepared for it. They were right. We cannot communicate and we need to plan for it, we need to educate and prepare our youth for active participation in the future international events.
Reference
http://iranwsis.org/Default.asp?C=IRNW&R=&I=63
