The road to the information and knowledge society : indigenous knowledge and the Millennium Development Goals

Abstract

Benefiting from the process of globalisation and becoming an information and knowledge society has become the vision for many governments throughout the world. However, becoming such a society is much easier for developed countries as they already possess some of the prerequisite criteria to be classified as an information and knowledge society. These criteria include a stable economy, an efficient physical infrastructure, and an effective ICT infrastructure, to mention a few (Britz 2006; Holmner 2008). As many of the criteria of an information and knowledge society coincide with the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is much easier and faster for these developed countries to achieve these goals and benefit from the global economy. For developing countries that are still experiencing a digital divide, these goals seem nearly unattainable. As the deadline for achieving the MDGs is only five years away, it has become imperative for developing countries to investigate other roads and possibilities to assist them in progressing towards attaining these goals at an increased speed. Utilising indigenous knowledge is one of these roads that developing countries are making use of to reach this destination.