Opinion Article: How can connectivity help accelerate the SDGs?

Why a book? Instead of a half a bread? Why libraries? Why learning? Why education?

The answer today is the same it was in 1931. To raise really free-thinking humans, able to understand human values like justice, freedom, democracy, love, honesty, dignity, compassion, courage, friendship, loyalty, respect, generosity, kindness.

In this blog post we are shining a light on the digital divide in Africa.

Africa is the content with the with the lowest internet penetration rate at 39% of the population, compared to a global average of nearly 60%.

I first met the team on a zoom call and it was great to see all the individuals from different fields who all share the same passion towards the vision of theunconnected.org to connect over a 1 Million NEW people to the internet by 2025.

I am one of theunconnected.org’s ambassadors based in Mexico. I have been working with the team on the ground to launch a project where together with NGO Mentors International, we are offering broadband internet at no-cost to people who would otherwise have no internet connection.

Connectivity enables greater access to education and health services, powers financial inclusion and supports the development of new micro-business and efficiency improvements in existing ones. But it is not evenly distributed by any means.

Did you know there are still 3.2 Billion people unconnected globally and the vast majority of them are female? The root causes are complex and driven by social and cultural barriers that can only be overcome by the collective drive of all of us.

Here in the UK we’re in another stringent lockdown, how would life be if we didn’t have the internet?

Take a second to think about your day to day life today and the role connectivity plays in that, is it now so pervasive that you, like me, take it for granted?

Across a range of large and developed economies, the internet exerts a strong influence on economic growth rates. Looking at the World Development Report you can clearly see the decrease in transaction cost and the increase in development.

UNICEF director states that the “Digital Gap is more like a Digital Canyon” as two thirds of the worlds school children do not have internet connectivity at home.

How would you stay up to date about the COVID-19 pandemic if you do not have an internet connection?

We call on all relevant UN agencies to take concrete steps with the digital industry and governments to accelerate universal access to digital services, including public–private financing to extend connectivity to hard-to-reach populations.

A call to help the youth in Medellín stay away from crime, and to help the Polytechnic Jaime Isaza Cadavid in providing that youth a way to be part of the society and and contribute to their development and the development of others.

Does COVID-19 impact women more than men? Perhaps not medically, but that is not all that we should consider.

Inequality grows globally as students can’t connect during COVID-19.

In the developing world micro-businesses make up a large percentage of the economy. Internet connectivity is critical to fuel their growth and impact the economy..

Young women are less likely to have access to a mobile phone in the developing world. This unfortunate truth is a major impediment in driving gender equality.

What are the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals?