Laven Hanna
Elizabeth Littlejohn
CCT260
PRA 6002
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Terrorism and The Digital Divide
The Digital Divide is known to be the gap between those people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those without access to it. A quote regarding the revolution of the Internet was stated by Nelson Mandela when he said, “If we cannot ensure that this global revolution creates a world-wide information society in which everyone has a stake and can play a part, then it will not have been a revolution at all” (Berenger, 58). The Digital Divide has segregated the world, causing issues to occur such as Terrorism. Closing the digital divide will help resolve terrorism around the globe by reducing the segregation of populations, reducing poverty and increasing the opportunity of education for those less fortunate.
Parts of the globe had been more and more advanced in this technological and information era, while other parts are less and less involved. Terrorism is arising through the segregation from the rest of the world, countries like rural Pakistan, Central Asia and Indonesia who lack on most of the opportunities that the rest of the world seem to benefit from due to their access and benefit of the information technology that’s available. The Al-Qaeda terrorism, for instance, was linked to the Somalia Internet Company making money transfer for business with al-Barakaat. As well, many Somalians when relying on the money transfers system a popular banking system among Muslims in their worldwide community were affected when the “war on terrorism” closed down the money transfer system (Berenger, 58). Also in 2005, an estimated billion global citizens were hooked up to the Internet, meanwhile 5 billion were not (Berenger, 56). The Isolation began as the information era emerged causing all kinds of rebellion to occur such as acts of terrorism.
Still, religious entremets naturally a respond to the idea that they are left out of the digital revolution, which are being forced to be accepted as the redundant “have-nots”. The Top 10 countries in numbers of Internet usage worldwide are the United States (20% of all users); China (10.9%); Japan (8.5%); India (5%); Germany (4.8); United Kingdom (3.7%); South Korea (3.3%); Italy (2.6%); France (2.5%), and Brazil (2.4%) (Berenger, 56). As the percentage increases, so does the wealth of the nation and the advance in technology and access to it.
Moreover, those countries in poverty such as rural Pakistan, Central Asia and Indonesia that do not have access to the digital network and therefore have no opportunities like education, and lack any support for improvement, so the state of enthusiasm towards the improvement of their lifestyle continues to diminish. Terrorists usually are in villages and sheltered by villages due to the villages’ lack of stability of the international economy. Even more, all countries have a responsibility of protecting its citizens and borders, the digital world has changed these possibilities and as a result an event such as 9/11 showed, a well planned strategic event that sent shock waves through highly technological countries (Berenger, 61). Continuously, Cyber-terrorism also occurs from those who rebel against the lack of advanced technology in their nation, and as a result, one Islamic site told the Associated Press it was staving off as many as 250 hacking attempts a day (Berenger, 57). Nearly all-Islamic news sites were under attack, some successfully hacked by unknown cyber-villains.
Furthermore, no opportunities are available for those of information poor, or have-nots due to the isolation that occurs from the difficulty of the application of most anti-poverty effects in rural areas that do not have access to the telecommunications necessary to do so. So in tern, these poverty stricken countries that do not have the telecommunications will not receive the benefit of the anti-poverty acts that are available in North America for example “Shared” and “Now Public”. As well, not having the precise resources for example research of information for studies make it difficult to implement a stable education system to begin with. These individuals will rely and commit terrorist acts because of the lack of freedom and opportunity they have compared to the rest of the information rich community around the globe. As well, governments everywhere rarely report the hundreds of attacks that are attempted by hacking for fear of encouraging would-be hackers to take place (Berenger, 62).
As a result, The digital divide can be undermined through the diminishing of terrorism to the best benefit our world through less segregation of populations, less poverty and more education over all. Some of the blame for the terrorism threats that many developed nations are facing, lies with the fact that many developing countries have been left behind when it comes to the digital revolution, particularly when it comes to education. Digital era has been seen as a revolution that has integrated our world, but as Nelson Mandela states, it is not a revolution if all cannot take part. The Digital revolution has changed our society and the globe from our economy, to our society, and continues to advance while others sustain no benefit.
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