FITUG e.V.
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
FITUG e.V.Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft |
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http://www.jrc.es/pages/iptsreport/vol48/english/TRA3E486.htm
NGOs and the Internet: Use and Repercussions
Giorgio Di Pietro, IPTS
Issue: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have played a major role in making non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) voices heard more loudly by citizens and governments around the world.
Relevance: Thanks partly to the use of ICTs, NGOs have gained an important place on the international scene. This not only poses new challenges for sovereign states, but at the same time, counter- technologies leading to more intrusive electronic policing are being developed and used, thus raising different and perhaps deeper concerns.
Perhaps one the most important reasons why over the last decade national governments and international organizations were gradually forced to share their powers with a multitude of citizens groups, known as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), lies in the evolution of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Advanced ICTs have increased NGO’s ability to mobilize information strategically to help to create new issues, to persuade, apply pressure and gain leverage.
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Conclusions
In conclusion, there is evidence that ICTs, and especially the Internet and e-mail, have made NGOs more effective at contacting people, in organising events, in establishing networks and in disseminating information about their activity. Thanks to advanced ICTs NGOs have experienced rapid growth in their power in the policy- making arena. The protests organised by NGOs against the WTO meeting in Seattle, against the IMF and World Bank in Washington and against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment and the important contribution of NGOs to the setting up of the International Criminal Court are only some examples of their influence in the decision- making process at international level. One should also recall the importance of ICTs in establishing NGO networks. ICTs are key to NGOs and will continue playing a vital role also in the future. In the present circumstances many NGOs are adapting to fast technological change through the creation of portals to sustain the promotion of their voices in the Internet.
On the other hand, some may suggest that electronic surveillance technologies already deployed by police authorities will, among other things, limit the effectiveness of such tools for activists. The profound concern raised in this context is whether such policing measures are too intrusive and sacrifice too much, in terms of privacy, freedom of expression, etc., on the altar of tighter policing.
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