International Insider

International Insider is a forward-looking platform focused on empowering readers to confidently understand and navigate a continuously changing and complex global environment. DIGITAL FOR CHANGE The ultimate goal is to build a bridge between the private sector and the development sector in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGGs) and by creating new partnerships. In order to create this eco-system and nurture potential partnerships, our programme includes a mix of offline events and an underlying comprehensive online platform. WHY DIGITAL? Digital technologies and services are proven enablers of sustainable development and inclusive growth. They can be key to improving lives even in the poorest countries, in particular by empowering women and girls, enhancing democratic governance and transparency, and boosting productivity and job creation. Nevertheless, connectivity and affordability remain a problem both across and within regions, since there are large variations between high and lower income countries and between cities and rural areas. DIGITAL INCLUSION We are committed helping people become capable of using and benefiting from the internet. We believe helping more people to go online can also help tackle wider social issues, support economic growth and close equality gaps. We have identified four main kinds of challenge that people face to going online: Access - the ability to actually go online and connect to the internet. Skills - to be able to use the internet. Motivation - knowing the reasons. why using the internet is a good thing. Trust - a fear of crime, or not knowing where to start to go online. Digital inclusion is about overcoming all of these challenges. To help people benefit from the digitla revolution we will focus on: Providing greater support to those initiatives and organisations that make a difference. Creating the environment for better, stronger joint working between people, business, charities and public sector. BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE The "digital divide" - a term that refers to the gaps in access to information and communication technology - threatens the ICT "have-nots", whether individuals, groups or entire countries. People, education and learning lie at the heart of these issues and their solutions. The machines and sophisticated ICT equipment are useless without the competence to exploit them. Nurturing this competence is in part the job of schools and colleges, where the foundations of lifelong learning and “technological literacy” are laid. Education and learning are now the lifeblood of our 21st century knowledge societies, and ICT has become integral to them. The gaps that define the “learning digital divide” become as important as the more obvious gaps in access to the technology itself. Education and learning lie at the heart of these issues and their solutions. The gaps that define the "learning digital divide" are thus as important as the more obvious gaps in access to the technology itself. WE CONNECT We need to bring together and scale up our efforts, more than ever before. No single organisation can tackle this alone and only strong partnership across all sectors will succeed. We aim to create cross-sector partnership to promote digital inclusion and bridge the digital decide. We connect decision makers to a dynamic network of data, people and ideas – accurately delivering information, news and insights to our readers and partners around the world.