TEDxSanMigueldeAllende
Aleph Molinari: Let's bridge the digital divide!
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Five billion people can't use the internet. Aleph Molinari empowers digitally excluded people, by giving them access to computers and sharing the know-how to use them.
Aleph Molinari - Economist, techno-activist
Through education and technology-focused community centers, Aleph Molinari empowers the 5 billion people who cannot access or use the Internet and other technologies. Full bio
Through education and technology-focused community centers, Aleph Molinari empowers the 5 billion people who cannot access or use the Internet and other technologies. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:08
The digital divide is a mother
that's 45 years old and can't get a job,
that's 45 years old and can't get a job,
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because she doesn't know
how to use a computer.
how to use a computer.
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It is an immigrant that doesn't know
that he can call his family for free.
that he can call his family for free.
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It is a child who can't
resolve his homework,
resolve his homework,
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because he doesn't have
access to information.
access to information.
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The digital divide is a new illiteracy.
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"Digital divide" is also defined as:
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the gap between individuals
and communities
and communities
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that have access
to information technologies
to information technologies
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and those that don't.
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Why does this happen?
It happens because of 3 things.
It happens because of 3 things.
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The first is that people can't get
access to these technologies
access to these technologies
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because they can't afford them.
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The second is because
they don't know how to use them.
they don't know how to use them.
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The third is because they don't know
the benefits derived from technology.
the benefits derived from technology.
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So let's consider
some very basic statistics.
some very basic statistics.
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The population of the world
is nearly seven billion people.
is nearly seven billion people.
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Out of these, approximately two billion
are digitally included.
are digitally included.
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This is approximately 30%
of the entire world population,
of the entire world population,
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which means that the remaining
70% of the world --
70% of the world --
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close to five billion people --
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do not have access
to a computer or the internet.
to a computer or the internet.
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Let's think about
that number for a second.
that number for a second.
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Five billion people; that's four
times the population of India,
times the population of India,
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that have never touched a computer,
have never accessed the internet.
have never accessed the internet.
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So this is a digital abyss
that we're talking about,
that we're talking about,
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this is not a digital divide.
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Here we can see a map by Chris Harrison
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that shows the internet connections
around the world.
around the world.
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What we can see is that most
of the internet connections
of the internet connections
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are centered on North America and Europe,
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while the rest of the world is engulfed
in the dark shadow of digital divide.
in the dark shadow of digital divide.
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Next, we can see connections,
city-to-city, around the world,
city-to-city, around the world,
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and we can see that most
of the information generated
of the information generated
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is being generated
between North America and Europe,
between North America and Europe,
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while the rest of the world is not
broadcasting their ideas or information.
broadcasting their ideas or information.
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So what does this mean?
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We are living in a world that seems
to be having a digital revolution,
to be having a digital revolution,
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a revolution that everyone here
thinks that we're part of,
thinks that we're part of,
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but the 70% of the world that is
digitally excluded is not part of this.
digitally excluded is not part of this.
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What does this mean?
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Well, the people that will be digitally
excluded won't be able to compete
excluded won't be able to compete
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in the labor markets of the future,
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they won't be connected,
they'll be less informed,
they'll be less informed,
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they'll be less inspired
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and they'll be less responsible.
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Internet should not be a luxury,
it should be a right,
it should be a right,
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because it is a basic social necessity
of the 21st century.
of the 21st century.
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We can't operate without it.
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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It allows us to connect to the world.
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It empowers us.
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It gives us social participation.
It is a tool for change.
It is a tool for change.
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And so, how are we going
to bridge this digital divide?
to bridge this digital divide?
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Well, there are many models
that try and bridge the digital divide,
that try and bridge the digital divide,
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that try and include
the population at large.
the population at large.
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But the question is:
Are they really working?
Are they really working?
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I'm sure everybody here
knows One Laptop per Child,
knows One Laptop per Child,
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where one computer is given to one child.
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The problem with this is,
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do we really want children
to take computers to their homes,
to take computers to their homes,
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homes that have adverse conditions?
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And we also must understand
that by giving a child a computer,
that by giving a child a computer,
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we're also transferring costs,
very high costs,
very high costs,
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such as internet connection, electricity,
maintenance, software, updates.
maintenance, software, updates.
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So we must create different models,
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models that help the families
rather than add a burden on them.
rather than add a burden on them.
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Also, let's not forget
about the carbon footprint.
about the carbon footprint.
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Imagine five billion laptops.
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What would the world look like then?
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Imagine the hazardous residue
that would be generated from that.
that would be generated from that.
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Imagine the trash.
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So if we give one computer to one person,
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and we multiply that times five billion,
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even if that laptop is a hundred dollars,
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then we would have 483 trillion dollars.
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Now let's consider we're only counting
the youth, ages 10 to 24.
the youth, ages 10 to 24.
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That's approximately 30%
of the digitally excluded population.
of the digitally excluded population.
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Then that would be 145 trillion dollars.
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What nation has this amount of money?
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This is not a sustainable model.
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So with this in mind,
we created a different model.
we created a different model.
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We created the RIA, in Spanish,
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or in English, Learning
and Innovation Network,
and Innovation Network,
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which is a network of community centers
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that bring education
through the use of technology.
through the use of technology.
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We wanted to increase the number
of users per computer in such a way
of users per computer in such a way
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that we could dilute the cost
of infrastructure, the cost per user,
of infrastructure, the cost per user,
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and that we could bring
education and technology
education and technology
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to everybody within these communities.
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Let's look at a basic comparison.
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The RIA has 1,650 computers.
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If we had used
the One Laptop per Child model
the One Laptop per Child model
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of a 1 to 1 ratio,
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then we would have benefited 1,650 users.
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What we did instead is set up centers
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that have longer hours
of operation than schools,
of operation than schools,
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that also include all of the population --
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our youngest user is 3 years old,
the oldest is 86 --
the oldest is 86 --
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and with this, in less than two years,
we were able to reach 140,000 users,
we were able to reach 140,000 users,
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out of which --
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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out of which, 34,000 have already
graduated from our courses.
graduated from our courses.
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Another thing with One Laptop per Child
is that it doesn't guarantee
is that it doesn't guarantee
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the educational use of a computer.
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Technology is nothing
without that content.
without that content.
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We need to use it
as a means, not as an end.
as a means, not as an end.
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How did we accomplish such a high impact?
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Well, you can't just go into a community
and pretend to change it,
and pretend to change it,
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you need to look at a lot of factors.
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So what we do is a thing
we call "urban acupuncture."
we call "urban acupuncture."
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We first start by looking
at the basic geography of a site.
at the basic geography of a site.
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So take, for example, Ecatepec.
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This is one of the most densely
populated municipalities in Mexico.
populated municipalities in Mexico.
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It has a very low income level.
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So we look at the basic geography,
we look at roads, streets,
we look at roads, streets,
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the flux of pedestrians and vehicles.
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Then we look at income,
we look at education.
we look at education.
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Then we set up a center there
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in the place that's going
to heal the body,
to heal the body,
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a little needle to change the city body.
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And there we go.
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And so, there are four basic elements
that we need to consider
that we need to consider
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when we're using education
through technology.
through technology.
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The first one is we need to create spaces.
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We need to create a space
that is welcoming to the community,
that is welcoming to the community,
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a space that is according to the needs
of the children and of the elders
of the children and of the elders
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and of every possible person
that lives within that community.
that lives within that community.
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So we create these spaces
that are all made with recycled materials.
that are all made with recycled materials.
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We use modular architecture
to lower the ecological impact.
to lower the ecological impact.
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And second, connection.
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By connection, I mean not only
a connection to the internet,
a connection to the internet,
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that's too easy.
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We need to create a connection
that's an interconnection of humans.
that's an interconnection of humans.
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The internet is a very complex organism
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that is fueled of the ideas, the thoughts
and the emotions of human beings.
and the emotions of human beings.
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We need to create networks
that aid in exchanging information.
that aid in exchanging information.
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Third, content.
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Education is nothing without content.
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And you can't pretend
to have a relationship
to have a relationship
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of only a computer with a child.
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So we create a route,
a very basic learning route,
a very basic learning route,
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where we teach people
how to use a computer,
how to use a computer,
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how to use the internet,
how to use office software,
how to use office software,
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and in 72 hours,
we create digital citizens.
we create digital citizens.
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You can't pretend that people
are just going to touch a computer
are just going to touch a computer
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and become digitally included,
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you need to have a process.
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And after this, then they can take on
a longer educational route.
a longer educational route.
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And then fourth, training.
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We need to train not only the users,
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but we need to train the people
that will facilitate learning
that will facilitate learning
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for these people.
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When you're talking about
the digital divide,
the digital divide,
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people have stigmas, people have fears;
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people don't understand how
it can complement their lives.
it can complement their lives.
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So what we do is train facilitators
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so that they can help
in breaking that digital barrier.
in breaking that digital barrier.
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So, we have four elements:
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we have a space that's created,
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we have a connection,
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we have content and we have training.
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We have created
a digital learning community.
a digital learning community.
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But there is one more element,
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which is the benefits
that technology can create,
that technology can create,
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because it is not printed, static content.
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It is dynamic; it is modifiable.
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So we have we do is, we provide
content, then we do training,
content, then we do training,
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then we analyze the user patterns
so that we can improve content.
so that we can improve content.
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So it creates a virtuous circle.
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It allows us to deliver education
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according to different
types of intelligence
types of intelligence
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and according to different user needs.
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With this in mind,
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we have to think that technology
is something that can modify
is something that can modify
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according to human processes.
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I want to share a story.
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In 2006, I went to live here.
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This is one of the poorest
communities in all of Mexico.
communities in all of Mexico.
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I went to film a documentary
on the people that live off trash,
on the people that live off trash,
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entirely of trash -- their houses
are built with trash,
are built with trash,
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they eat trash, they dress in trash.
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And after two months of living with them,
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of seeing the children
and the way they work,
and the way they work,
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I understood that the only thing
that can change
that can change
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and that can break the poverty
cycle is education.
cycle is education.
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And we can use technology
to bring education to these communities.
to bring education to these communities.
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Here is another shot.
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The main message is that technology
is not going to save the world;
is not going to save the world;
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we are, and we can use
technology to help us.
technology to help us.
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I'm sure everybody here
has experienced it;
has experienced it;
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what moves technology is human energy.
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So let's use this energy
to make the world a better place.
to make the world a better place.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aleph Molinari - Economist, techno-activistThrough education and technology-focused community centers, Aleph Molinari empowers the 5 billion people who cannot access or use the Internet and other technologies.
Why you should listen
Economist Aleph Molinari is working to close the digital divide and empower people by providing access to technology education. In 2008, he founded Fundación Proacceso, and in 2009 launched the Learning and Innovation network, which uses community centers to educate under-served communities about different technologies and tools. To date, the network has graduated 28,000 users through 42 educational centers throughout Mexico.
Aleph Molinari | Speaker | TED.com