Interaction

As computers and the Internet have continued to transform the economy and society, the role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in fostering development has become more generally recognized. Access to information is important for proper functioning of services in all societies. Freedom and access to information is essential for development practice. It is a first step in the process of participation, which is a now a standard development approach. It is also an evolving principle in the democratization process of any society. Access to information is also one of the human rights. Governments have a responsibility to provide information about matters of public interest. On some matters the public should also be consulted. But such consultations are meaningful only if citizens have access to correct and sufficient information including information on alternatives. This paper argues the need for a social capital in which indigenous knowledge systems are placed at the heart of the process of education for sustainable development. It also indicates how ICT may be used to facilitate such an approach.