Leo Van Audenhove

Online Political Debate, Unbounded Citizenship, and the Problematic Nature of a Transnational Public Sphere

Citizenship has always been a dynamic notion, subject to change and permanent struggle over its precise content and meaning. Recent technological, economic, and political transformations have led to the development of alternative notions of citizenship that go beyond the classic understanding of its relationship to nation states and rights. Civil society actors play an important role in this process by organizing themselves at a transnational level, engaging with issues that transcend the boundaries of the nation state and questioning the democratic legitimacy of other transnational actors such as international and corporate organizations. They also allow citizens to engage with “unbounded” issues and to construct a transnational public sphere where such issues can be debated. It is often assumed that the Internet plays a crucial role in enabling this transnational public sphere to take shape. Empirical analysis of discussion forums and mailing lists developed by transnational civil society actors shows, however, that the construction of such a transnational public sphere is paved with constraints. To speak of a unified transnational public sphere is therefore deemed to be problematic. It cannot be seen or construed without taking into account the local, the national, and enforceable rights in order to materialize the ideas and hopes being voiced through civil society.

An Information Society in Africa? An Analysis of the Information Society Policy of the World Bank, ITU and ECA

The widespread belief in the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a developmental context is shared and fostered by international organizations. In recent years they have introduced a multitude of programmes and initiatives in this field. This article sets out to critically analyse the formal ICT policy of three international organizations, namely the World Bank, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In order to do so, policy is analysed according to three dichotomies which are central to the debate on the Information Society: materialism/idealism, technophilia/technophobia and market/state. As is the case for Europe, it is argued that discourses on the Information Societies in developing countries often do not transcend these simplistic dichotomic pairs.

Information society policy in the developing world: A critical assessment

The Global Information Society (GIS) has in recent years been high on the political agenda of Western countries. These countries have been concerned with the development of Information Infrastructures in order to achieve the Information Society. In the West there has been a broad consensus about the framework in which the development of the GIS needs to take place. On both national and international levels a framework has to be established which supports competition, encourages private investment, supports flexible regulatory framework and allows for open access to networks. Recently this dominant scenario has been transposed as the appropriate scenario for the development of Information Infrastructures in the developing world. This article sets out to give an overview of GIS policy in a developmental context. It elaborates on recent policy initiatives in the area. At the international level it critically analyses changes in the communications industries and in the global economy. At the national level it...

Towards an integrated information society policy in South Africa: an overview of political rhetoric and policy initiatives 1994–2000

Abstract South Africa is considered one of the few developing countries that has fully embraced the concept of information society and has formulated and implemented policy inititives in order to change society accordingly. By 1995 the theme of the information society started to surface regularly in political discourse and policy documents. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and access to ICTs started to have prominence both in policy formulation and implementation. Although there was much talk about a Green Paper/White Paper process on the information society during 1996 and the beginning of 1997, such a policy process never materialised. To date, there is no document defining the governments view of the information society, no policy document outlining an integrated strategy to arrive there and no government department officially responsible for the coordination of policy initiatives. This article sets out to analyse the notion of the information society in South Africa and to analyse th...Abstract South Africa is considered one of the few developing countries that has fully embraced the concept of information society and has formulated and implemented policy inititives in order to change society accordingly. By 1995 the theme of the information society started to surface regularly in political discourse and policy documents. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and access to ICTs started to have prominence both in policy formulation and implementation. Although there was much talk about a Green Paper/White Paper process on the information society during 1996 and the beginning of 1997, such a policy process never materialised. To date, there is no document defining the governments view of the information society, no policy document outlining an integrated strategy to arrive there and no government department officially responsible for the coordination of policy initiatives. This article sets out to analyse the notion of the information society in South Africa and to analyse the broad evolution of South Africas information society policy between 1994 and 2000.

Theories on the information society and development: recent theoretical contributions and their relevance for the developing world

Abstract The rise and effects of information and communcation technologies (ICTs) form the starting point of a few interesting theoretical accounts on the information economy and society. Even some more critical authors proceed in their argumentation from economic and social change in relation to major changes in the area of ICTs. This recent literature is often confusing, as the role of ICTs is perceived as all pervasive. As such, authors do not always distinguish between evolutions in specific sectors, at the economic level or at the level of social institutions and structures. This article has a twofold goal. First, it provides a systematised discussion of recent theoretical contributions on the information society. Second, it analyses these contributions in the light of its accounts of, relevance to, the developing world. It starts from the assumption that all too often no specific attention is paid to the developing world or that – in the case of more policy-orientated accounts – the theory on the information society is seen to be universal in character.Abstract The rise and effects of information and communcation technologies (ICTs) form the starting point of a few interesting theoretical accounts on the information economy and society. Even some more critical authors proceed in their argumentation from economic and social change in relation to major changes in the area of ICTs. This recent literature is often confusing, as the role of ICTs is perceived as all pervasive. As such, authors do not always distinguish between evolutions in specific sectors, at the economic level or at the level of social institutions and structures. This article has a twofold goal. First, it provides a systematised discussion of recent theoretical contributions on the information society. Second, it analyses these contributions in the light of its accounts of, relevance to, the developing world. It starts from the assumption that all too often no specific attention is paid to the developing world or that – in the case of more policy-orientated accounts – the theory on the in...

The African Information Society: rhetoric and practice

ABSTRACT In the last few years Africa has seen an enormous activity in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) related conferences and initiatives on behalf of international and donor institutions. These initiatives became increasingly coloured by the rhetoric of an emerging global information society and the need for an African answer to these developments. With regard to this information society two documents hold particular relevance: the United Nations Economic Commission for Africas, (ECAs) Africas Information Society Initiative (AISI): An Action Framework to Build Africas Information and Communication Infrastructure and the ITUs African Green Paper. This article sets out to question these policies and implementation initiatives, and their rhetoric and practice.

Discourse and reality in international information society policy: the dominant scenario and its application in the developing world

Abstract Since the early 1990s the concept of the information society has taken centre stage on the political agendas of several national governments in the North and South, as well as regional and international institutions, donor organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This article first sets out to analyse and describe both the content of, the evolution in, this policy discourse. It attempts to assess the validity of this discourse in light of the current changes at the global level and in the light of the problems associated with the practical implementation of policy in a developmental context. By so doing, it questions the basic – and overly simplistic – assumptions of the dominant scenario.

Neue Demokratie durch neue Medien

In den letzten Jahren ist im In- und Ausland wachsendes Interesse an Aspekten der E-Governance und E-Demokratie zu verzeichnen. In mehreren Landern finden Pilotprojekte zur Burgerbeteiligung auf verschiedenen Ebenen statt, bei denen Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IuK-Technologien) eine tragende Rolle spielen. Dabei haben sowohl Regierungen als auch Burger oft hohe Erwartungen bezuglich einer Erneuerung der Demokratie. Dies ist im Licht aktueller gesellschaftlicher und politischer Entwicklungen zu sehen: Beobachter gehen schon langer davon aus, dass sich die reprasentative Demokratie in einer schweren Krise befindet. Zwischen Burgern und Politik wachst eine tiefe Kluft, die sich in einer immer geringeren Wahlbeteiligung, sinkenden Mitgliederzahlen bei den politischen Parteien und in der Erscheinung von ultrarechten oder populistischen Parteien bemerkbar macht (vgl. Galbraith 1992; Hall/Jacques 1989). Gleichzeitig verliert der Nationalstaat an Bedeutung, wobei Globalisierungsprozesse, internationale und regionale Abkommen und der Ruckzug des Staates aus dem Wirtschaftsgeschehen eine wichtige Rolle spielen (vgl. Held u.a. 1999; Rosenau 1990).

Media and democratisation in Gabon: a political analysis

SUMMARY The introduction of the new democratic constitution in Gabon after the National Conference in 1990 opens new possibilities for the creation of independent media. In the area of the press in particular, a lot of new titles appear. Although it could be expected that these titles should be affiliated primarily with the opposition, towards the end of 1993 most of the newspapers are financed and controlled either directly by the regime or by former top ranking officials. In this article we show that there is a strong link between the specific characteristics of the Gabonese media and the basic characteristic of the underlying political system: that access to political positions leads to access to economic accumulation. The period between 1990 and 1993 was a period of struggle for power between different democratic and non-democratic groups. As these groups are not supported by large segments of the population the fight for media and access to the media is hard, as this is the only way to reach their po...