New technology can provide powerful new tools for enriching the lives of poor people and communities in unprecedented ways. At least that was the view of the G8 Digital Opportunities Task Force in 2001, a view that is upheld and further explored in this book. With an estimated 850 million illiterate people in the world today, this book explores how new information and communication technology (ICT) supports basic literacy and the information skills crucial for economic and social development. Published as a contribution towards the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012), the volume analyzes two interconnected approaches to using ICT to support adult literacy and basic education. The first views ICT primarily as a set of instructional tools to help people acquire the skills associated with traditional notions of literacy. The second treats the relationship between literacy, technology and development in a more integral way.

"The authors would like to thank Clarissa David and Ricardo Diaz for their contributions to the text"--P. [11]. "The material in this book was first presented at a symposium organized by UNESCO at the World Summit on Information Societies in Geneva in December 2003"--P. [11].