Six workshop papers presented by IFIP working group 9.2 and 9.2 members and friends were published in the fourth 2011 issue of the Politeia journal. Electronic copies of the issue’s introduction are downloadable at http://www.politeia-centrostudi.org/arretrati/104.html. Full copies of the issue are available at cost from Politeia at info@politeia-centrostudi.org.
The workshop that was the source of these papers was held on Saturday June 4, 2011, in Milan. It explored overarching challenges related to social accountability and sustainability in the information society. The workshop highlighted the themes of dematerialisation [1], scarce resources, and societal discourse and collective decision-making about sustainability.
The workshop led to an exploration of societal and ethical approaches, methods and techniques that can facilitate an improved understanding and action of sustainability in relation to information and communication technologies. It is hoped that the Politeia journal issue can enhance concentration on these activities.
Citizens’ resilience in a world that focuses on ICT: views offered by Australian member, Julie Cameron
Milan keynote speaker, Julie Cameron, Managing Director of Info. T.EC Solutions Pty Ltd. of Australia, offered to write up her position paper as a web presentation that would feature on IFIP WG 9.2’s web site.
Julie presents suggestions for how governments, organisations and citizens can focus on ICT resilience. She has already drawn on suggestions made to her by working group members and friends, Chris Zielinski, Africa, and students of Lorenz Hilty, Switzerland. Our challenge is now twofold.
First, we can use Julie’s piece to start a debate on what more can be done to move the notion of resilience forward. Second, we can encourage WG9.2 members to hold discussion on this, and other, issues in the time-periods between our physical meetings.
Our first opportunity comes between now and our next workshop meeting in February 2013.
We are encouraged to feed back our ideas, impressions and responses to Julie’s web presentation on Resilient Citizens in the Information Society. We assume in each case you will answer as an individual unless you signal that you would wish your organisation’s view to also be borne in mind. See the “Contact us” page to the right-hand side of this screen, or add a comment below. Some questions to get us going are listed below.
Dependence on ICT is growing. This makes the notion of resilience of individuals, organisations and national government important. This discussion paper raises issues associated with vulnerability, and proposes issues for improving resilience at different levels of an information society.
Which ideas for improving resilience could a working group like 9.2 best support? Or an organisation like IFIP support? What other actions and principles capable of enhancing resilience are missing? What next steps need to be taken? What resilience-related topics should be raised again in February 2013 at WG 9.2’s next meeting?
[1] Dematerialisation and substitution are defined in the 2010 OECD Information Technology Outlook as: “Advances in ICTs and other technologies facilitate the replacement of physical products and processes by digital products and processes. For example digital music may replace physical music media and teleconferences may replace business travel.” (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2010), Information Technology Outlook 2010, Paris: OECD Publishing, p.194) http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/it_outlook-2010-en
