Governance: Success Stories
Namibia: Information/Communication Technology Brings Home Democracy
In a country as vast as Namibia where it's difficult for citizens to access their public officials, information and communication technology (ICT) applications make a lot of sense. Seizing upon the opportunity offered by ICT advances, the Namibian Parliament, with USAID funding, designed a website which enables citizens and civil society to track legislation, communicate with Parliamentarians, and engage in 'chat room' dialogues on topics of current interest.
The Parliament's engagement with ICT has since snowballed rapidly. To promote the website throughout country and to strengthen the linkages between the Parliament and local government, the Parliament and the Ministry of Local and Regional Government and Housing outfitted a bus with computers and other related technology to travel around the country. Known as the Mobile Training Unit (MTU), the bus received donations from Microsoft; Compaq; a local company, the IT Department; and the Education for Development and Democracy Initiative. It traveled to every region of the country last year and reached thousands of government officials, average citizens and students, all interested in learning more about ICT access and democracy in Namibia. Microsoft was so impressed with the success of the MTU that early this December, it donated another ten computers and software, for distribution in five towns around the country.
In the highway equivalent of a whistle-stop tour, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Honorable Mosé Tjitendero, traveled to the five towns to deliver the computers and to exchange views with citizens on pending legislation and the development of Namibian democracy. The U.S. Ambassador, Kevin McGuire, joined the Speaker on one leg of the trip and applauded the smart, public-private partnership that was evolving and the contributions the partnership is making to enhancing public participation in Namibia's legislative process. Ambassador McGuire took advantage of the event's lead story status on the national news to talk about the growing partnership between the U.S. and Namibia in promoting trade, addressing issues related to HIV/AIDS, and other areas of cooperation.
Microsoft is now talking about making a much bigger donation of ICT equipment through the Parliament; and the Parliament, USAID are exploring ways to maximize the impact the anticipated equipment donation might have on Namibia's economic and political development.
Back to Top ^
|
