Issues+and+Background+Hum2+Group4

=__Issues and Background__=

__Opening Statement__
By Ending the Digital Divide, we could provide people with a better education, improved communications, information on world events, and easier access to healthcare in impoverished societies. Internet access could provide paths for people living in rural areas to improve water and food supply, providing help the 25,000 people who die of hunger every day. (World Food Program) Currently only 19% of the world’s population has Internet access, (IWS - World Internet Users and Population Stats) but many people believe that this isn’t mostly because people can’t afford it, but that many people aren’t educated enough to know how to use it. By teaching more people about what the Internet is and how to use it, many more people would be able to connect with people living in other parts of the world. As mentioned, ending the Digital Divide would also have a big impact on education. People who can’t afford an education or live in areas without public schools would have an opportunity to learn English and to study a wide variety of subjects online. Using the Internet, many people could stay updated with the latest news on world events. Millions of people living today could greatly benefit from the global connections as well as the improved health care and education the Internet provides. = = =__How is this issue affecting the world__= = = Many villages in rural areas are still struggling to provide proper health care and access to food and water to their citizens. By bridging the Digital Divide; we could provide paths to improve the quality of life by using the Internet as a way of communication. This way, people could go online to learn how to relieve certain sicknesses, or even communicate with nearby villages to see if they can provide help. People living in rural areas could be easily alerted of incoming dangers, as well as how to prepare for them. Using email as a form of communication is both a more reliable and affordable alternative to cellular phones. Many people would also benefit from the knowledge provided online in the form of an education. Bridging the digital divide would keep more people up to date on the latest world events and connect more people with their homes and families.

=__What is being done to stop or prevent this issue__= Many organizations are working to end the military ruling in Myanmar in favor of democracy. This way; people living in Burma will be able to once again have access to Internet. One organization working to fix this problem is the United States Campaign for Burma. This campaign is working to spread information about the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar to empower activists to do something about this issue. They hope that if this information reaches the media in other parts of the world; more people will be determined to step up to this issue. The Myanmar government has already restored access to many Internet web sites with only the exclusion of foreign news sites; but the military has yet to make computers accessible for people. Although there is a number of Internet cafes located in Myanmar; it's very difficult to find one and each one is kept under close watch by guards day and night in case anyone decides to send information outside the country.

Source¨"World Internet Users and Population Stats.." __Internet Usage Statistics__. 30-11-2008. Internet World Stats (IWS). 22 Jan 2008 <[|http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm>.] "Global Hunger - Facts and Figures." __World Food Program__. 2006. WFP - World Food Program. 22 Jan 2008 


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