Ms Tuula Haatainen

The Challenge of Informed Humanity

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The topic of my presentation is Informed humanity, which is a broad and challenging subject. In the short time available, it is not possible to cover all the different aspects of this topic. I will therefore focus on the role of education and training - that of capacity building. I will also touch upon the importance of research and the agreement on common values and rules. I will briefly discuss recent developments and some future prospects.

The concept "Informed humanity" leads us to think about information society. The progress in information and communication technologies offers great new opportunities. Information and communication technologies are among the most important factors contributing to sustainable development and growth. The stress is sometimes on the importance of technology. However, whereas technology can certainly be a powerful tool, it just that -- a tool. What is important is information itself and content.

All societies throughout the history of mankind have been information societies of their own time. The need to gather and pass on useful knowledge to the next generation is innate in the human being. We now believe that the ability to cope with life is in direct proportion to the amount of knowledge we possess. Today, the ability to elaborate information into knowledge is a key to success. It is not enough to have an information society; the aim is a true knowledge society.

The concept 'information society' can stand for many things, but I would like to underscore the primary nature of information, content and its use. The fact is that only when used, or applied, information has meaning and influence. As I see it, an information society is a society which arranges things so that information is always accessible and easily and rapidly usable at a moderate cost. This is a prerequisite for capacity building and for informed humanity. Efforts to increase the reliability of information are also to be considered vital. One essential feature of knowledge society is that it has creativity to use all available information. Societies and individuals who have excelled in art and science have done so because they have been exceptionally talented in using information.

In Finland all sectors of society contribute towards developing the information society. This means that both the public and the private sectors as well as civil society organisations have made significant input into its development. The present Finnish Government has chosen "Information Society" as the theme of one of its horizontal policy programmes. The aim is to promote information society development by enhancing co-operation between the different partners, by developing citizens' information society skills, by ensuring access for people to fast connections, by promoting the availability of educated and trained labour, and by using ICT in public services and administration.

Today, the public sector is faced with numerous challenges. We work in conditions characterised by globalisation, rapidly changing industrial structures and the growing role of knowledge and know-how. On a general level, the challenge is to carry on development measures which will ensure economic, social and cultural development on a sustainable basis in the future. Growth based on knowledge and know-how is business-driven. Creating a solid basis for growth is largely a task for the public sector, because the foundation of intellectual and material welfare is largely created through education, training and research.

Since 1995, the Ministry of Education has had an information strategy for education, training and research. Numerous actions have been taken to raise the level of education and research through the application of information technology. eLearning complements traditional learning methods and is a good tool for our sparsely populated areas. A virtual university and a virtual polytechnic have been established, and their work seems to proceed well. All Finnish universities and polytechnics participate in these projects. As for the virtual school, we have focused on developing teaching methods, teacher training and digital content available on the net. Over a thousand schools participate in over 200 projects. We have thus a comprehensive network in place. Most educational institutions have also prepared their own strategies for educational use of ICT. In addition to teachers, these projects need technical experts and content professionals.

One of the key priorities is to provide information society skills for all citizens.

Measures have also been taken to further enhance cooperation between education and working life. The changing demands made on the know-how of the adult population must be addressed by means of lifelong learning.

This is an ongoing process, and new measures were formulated again this year. The new programme falls into three main areas dealing with knowledge, content and the operating environment.

A recent Committee appointed by the Ministry of Education presented a report on "Science and Society" issues. Among other things, the Committee looked into the situation in science communication and information practices, including information through the Internet. The whole education system in Finland, from the comprehensive schools to the universities, is connected to the Internet, where information is sought more and more frequently. The report notes that the reliability, actuality as well as the varying quality of information require special attention and recommends some specific measures.

In Finnish society, the public library system has long traditions. The public libraries are open for everybody and offer services free of charge. Libraries are a cornerstone of our democratic society and at the same time its guarantee. The libraries have an extensive mission: to satisfy the information needs of citizens, from ordinary people to researchers, and to ensure that every citizen has access to information networks and services via the net. The widespread use of libraries has also been mentioned as one of the underlying causes for the good results Finland achieved in the PISA review conducted by the OECD in 2002. The Finnish 15-year-olds scored well in this international comparison of reading, mathematics and science literacy.

Research, technological development and innovations are also basic elements in information society and informed humanity. What we also need is research on the changes taking place in our societies. The ongoing socio-economic transformation of our information societies can only be understood if we look at it in a wider context, as a social process where bytes, networks and knowledge have a social context. We need research findings on the economic, social, cultural and psychological change. It is also essential to know how we can help people through education and supportive measures to adjust to and manage change. Research relating to information society is typically of a multidisciplinary nature. Many important research topics emerge in areas that cross the borders of traditional scientific disciplines. This research is also typically international, and cooperation between researchers and research groups from different countries comes naturally in it. For example, we have launched a research programme on "Life as Learning".

New opportunities also carry with them new challenges. It is important to reach agreement on common values and rules on which to base the development of the information society. The on-going WSIS-process (World Summit on Information Society) under the auspices of the United Nations is the best possible forum for all nations worldwide to discuss and agree on common principles. Freedom to access information, freedom of communication and participation, transparency and good governance are preconditions for the information society. We must also work hard to overcome all forms of digital divide, both within our countries and at the international level.

Education is an essential basis for both economic and social development. It is also a basis for equality. Everybody - girls and boys, men and women of all ages - must have access to good basic education and training.

Dear friends,

When looking at the information society development on the global scale, we cannot be satisfied with the situation. Especially the poorest countries are at a disadvantage - and losing - in the international competition. The international community should be more aware of the unfair situation in the distribution of knowledge and skills in using modern information technology. With advanced information technology we can improve the situation of the third world countries in an efficient way.

As regards Finland, a recent study by Professor Manuel Castells and Dr. Pekka Himanen identified certain assets we have in the information society development. As a particular strength, they stressed that Finland combines a technologically advanced society with a well-developed welfare state. By this they meant free, high-quality public education, universal public health coverage and a generous social system. Castells and Himanen also pointed out that Finland is characterised by a national identity that is technology-positive and favours networking.

Their study also lists some major challenges facing Finland in the future, some of which are not purely national but derive from current global trends. The combination of the information society and the welfare state needs to be preserved and constantly defended. Growing multiculturalism will also affect Finnish society deeply in the coming years. In the Government's Development Plan for Education and Research for the years 2004 - 2008 it has been estimated that the number of foreigners will double within ten years. This makes additional demands on the Finnish education system. It is important to see multiculturalism as a rich source for economic and cultural growth, as a chance for Finland to become an attractive node in the global network.

To end with, I would like to quote President Tarja Halonen. In her speech at the World Summit on Information Society last December, she said:

"Every country will create its own information society from its own unique starting point. History and culture, just like the other requirements for development, all vary from country to country. However, the values and principles on which we build the information society are common to all of us in the United Nations. Human rights and freedom of opinion are the basis of an information society where people have the right to access, change and distribute information without restriction."

Ladies and Gentlemen, here we have a great common