“I am very proud and honoured to receive this Award from ITU”

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
of the Federative Republic of Brazil

The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been active in promoting a digital inclusion programme for the people of Brazil. Its projects include “Computers for all”, which aims to make computers affordable for Brazilians on low incomes. And focusing on school-age children, President Lula has also demonstrated deep concern about their safety in cyberspace. In 2008, he signed a new law against sexual exploitation of children online.

In a message via video link, President Lula said: “I am very proud and honoured to receive this Award from ITU — particularly because it is in recognition of measures that we have taken in Brazil for digital inclusion and to fight sexual exploitation of children on the worldwide net. Last year, I approved a law that defines as a crime any buying, posting, or storing of material related to child pornography on the Internet. I am very glad to note that we are in tune with ITU’s concerns, which, for this year, adopted the theme of protecting children in cyberspace to celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. We want to protect, but we also seek to expand access to cyberspace, especially for the less privileged.”

President Lula went on to describe the initiatives being implemented to bridge the digital divide. These include the distribution of computers to Brazil’s 5564 municipalities and expanding broadband access to schools. “Every urban public school will be equipped with broadband access to the Internet. We are also distributing, on an experimental basis, 150 000 notebook computers to students and teachers in the public primary education system,” the President told the audience in Geneva. He was represented at the Award ceremony by Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo of the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations Organizations in Geneva.

Digital Inclusion Programme

The Brazilian Digital Inclusion Programme focuses on ensuring that all citizens and relevant agencies have the means and skills required to access, use, produce and share information and knowledge through communication and information technologies (ICT). In this way, they can take an active and constructive part in the information society. The Digital Inclusion Programme has three core components: expansion of the telecommunication infrastructure; use of ICT in educational policies, and creation of community centres that provide access to the Internet (telecentres). The main projects are described below.

Connected Citizens — Computers for all

This project was launched in 2005 and seeks to combine tax rebates (of around 10 per cent) with financing mechanisms to benefit industry and consumers and allow people on low incomes to buy a computer with free/open source software installed. The initial average interest rate of 6 per cent per month was reduced to 2 per cent for loans to those who qualify to buy computers under the programme. As a direct result, computer sales rose to 10 million units in 2007, against 4 million in 2004. In 2008, the number rose further to around 12 million, making Brazil the largest Latin American computer market and the fifth globally.

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Telecentres for community access

Telecentres are an important means of enhancing digital inclusion. These are shared-access facilities that empower citizens and stimulate community development and the improvement of skills. In 2008 alone, Brazil added 5500 telecentres to the already existing 5000. And President Lula recently approved a proposal for an additional 3000 telecentres to be established in 2009.

Expanding broadband access to municipalities and schools

Of the 5564 municipalities, 3439 did not have broadband infrastructure at the beginning of 2008, but all will be covered by 2010, if all goes according to plan. After intense negotiations with incumbent telecommunication operators, one of the initial universal service obligations to install public access terminals in all municipalities by 2010 and provide them with dial-up Internet access has been transformed into parameters for developing infrastructure to support the expansion of broadband.

As a result of these negotiations, broadband Internet access at schools has also become possible. By 2010, all urban public schools will be connected, and the service will be provided without charge until 2025.

Laptops for teachers

Scheduled to start before the end of 2009, the aim of this project is to encourage school teachers to use computers. By partnering with computer manufacturers and financial institutions (including the national postal service), the Brazilian Government will enable teachers to buy laptops, and have them delivered, at discount prices.

One laptop per student

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In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte’s presentation on One Laptop per Child (OLPC) was brought to the Brazilian Government’s attention at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. During 2006, research centres were asked to find ways of linking the project to public educational policies. In 2007, pilot projects were started in five schools using three kinds of notebook computers, donated by manufacturers.

The second phase of the project is more daring and involves a partnership between federal, state and municipal governments. The State Education Secretaries Forum and local government representatives have identified schools and municipalities to be covered. The Federal Government will provide equipment and Internet access, and will train teachers and provide project assessment. State and municipal authorities, in turn, will make available school infrastructure and develop a curriculum. A bidding process is now under way for the supply of 150 000 laptops for 300 schools in 275 municipalities. This will ensure that a minimum of 10 schools per state are covered, both in urban and rural areas and at the state and municipal levels. The goal is to provide every teacher and student in public schools in five municipalities per state with laptops connected to broadband Internet access.

Protecting children on the Internet

In 2008, a technical cooperation agreement was signed between the government’s Special Secretariat for Human Rights, the Federal Police, and Safernet (a non-governmental organization), to create a website for complaints concerning pornography involving children or teenagers. The complaints are received and investigated by Brazilian authorities, in cooperation with public and private organizations.

In addition to these initiatives, President Lula approved (also in 2008) federal legislation on child pornography to better coordinate prosecution of this type of crime. The new law makes it an offence to own or facilitate the production and dissemination of pornographic material involving children and teenagers, through any means.