實現互聯網的全球化 To Unite the Earth Connect It

SEVENTY years ago, the United Nations was formed as the expression of a simple choice: cooperation instead of war. Humanity would stand as one against conflict, poverty and disease. All the world’s voices would be heard.

70年前，聯合國的建立表明，人類做出了一個簡單的選擇：合作而非戰爭。全人類應該團結起來，應對衝突、貧窮和疾病。世界上所有人的聲音都應被聽到。

At least, that was the plan.

至少，那時是這樣計劃的。

We’ve come a long way. We’ve halted and reversed the spread of killer diseases, extended life expectancy and raised incomes. We’ve even walked ourselves back from the edge of some global conflicts and catastrophes. But progress has not been evenly distributed. Too many people have been left outside of a mostly urban, mostly Northern success story.

我們一路走來取得了極大的進展。我們遏制和扭轉了致命疾病的傳播，延長了預期壽命，提高了收入水平。我們甚至將自己從一些全球性衝突和災難的邊緣拉了回來。但是人類的進步並不均衡。成功的故事主要在城市、在北半球，而太多的人被遺忘在這些成功故事之外。

Seeing that, world leaders put forth a new set of global goals in New York last week. If we want to build a world where not just some but all get to live in security and prosperity, there’s a lot still to do, as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development signed off on by United Nations member states shows.

目睹這些現象，世界各國領導人上週在紐約提出了一系列新的全球目標。如果我們希望構建一個不僅讓一部分人，而是讓全體人都可以生活在安全與繁榮中的世界，我們仍有很多工作要做。聯合國成員國簽署的《2030年可持續發展議程》就體現了這一點。

It lists 17 goals and 169 targets, and one of these, 9(c), is a target that we believe is crucial to accelerate realization of all the others: a commitment to provide Internet connectivity for all by 2020.

議程中列出17項總體目標和169項具體目標。我們相信其中一項目標，即編號9(c)的目標，對促成其他所有目標的實現是至關重要的：承諾到2020年，讓全世界所有人接入互聯網。

Today over half the people on this planet don’t have access. That is not good for anyone — not for the disempowered and disconnected, and not for the other half, whose commerce and security depend on having stable societies.

今天，我們這個星球上超過半數的人無法接入網絡。這對任何人來說都不是好事——對那些處於劣勢、未能連入網絡的人並非好事，對另外一半也一樣，因爲後者的利益和安全都依託於社會的穩定。

An unprecedented array of technologists and activists — from Mo Ibrahim to Bill and Melinda Gates, action/2015, Ushahidi and Sahara Reporters have come together to support a global Connectivity Declaration, pledging their support for the new global goals and connecting the world to opportunity. This needs to become a global movement.

從穆·易卜拉欣(Mo Ibrahim)到比爾和梅琳達·蓋茨(Bill and Melinda Gates)，從“行動/2015”(action/2015)到“見證者”(Ushahidi)，再到“撒哈拉記者”(Sahara Reporters)，一系列科技界人士和活動人士史無前例地聯合起來，支持一項全球“互連宣言”。他們承諾會支持新的全球目標，讓全世界與機遇相連。這需要成爲一項全球性的運動。

In this century, global development and global connectivity are closely linked. If you want to help people feed, heal, educate and employ themselves around the world, we need to connect the world as well. The Internet should not belong to only three billion people, as it does today. It should be seen as a necessity for development, and a tool that makes larger things possible.

這個世紀，全球發展與全球網絡互聯是密切相關的。想要協助世界各地的人得到飽足、醫療、教育並自力更生，我們也需要讓全世界接入網絡。互聯網不應該像今天這樣，只屬於30億人口。它應該被視爲發展的必需品，一個用來成就更遠大目標的工具。

In Ethiopia and Tanzania, for example, farmers connect to get better prices, track inventory and make mobile insurance payments in case of bad weather. In Nigeria, citizens use BudgIT, a mobile app, to assess whether governments keep their spending promises. The opportunity is especially great for women. Men have significantly more access to the web, but when women get connected, they use technology as a pathway to better education, health, economic status and security. In Guatemala, cellphones inform mothers how to have healthy pregnancies. In Kenya, women receive financial services via their cellphones thanks to the brilliant M-Pesa Microfinance scheme.

以埃塞俄比亞和坦桑尼亞爲例，當地的農民可利用網絡爭取較高的售價、追蹤庫存、通過移動設備支付保險費用，以防天有不測風雲。尼日利亞公民可以利用BudgIT這個手機app，來監督政府是否遵守承諾運用開支。對女性來說這尤其是個大好機會。雖然男性連線上網的機會要多得多，不過如果女性也能使用網絡，她們就能借助科技手段，尋求更好的教育、健康、經濟地位與人身安全。危地馬拉的準媽媽能使用手機學習如何在孕期保持健康。而在肯尼亞，藉助M-Pesa這個出色的微型貸款計劃，婦女們能夠通過手機獲得金融服務。

In the last few weeks, we’ve watched desperate refugees seek shelter on the frontiers of Europe. Smartphones have made it possible for those left behind to communicate with loved ones across checkpoints and razor wire. The Internet connected our world in shared grief as a Syrian child’s death on a beach in Turkey came to symbolize every refugee. Social media carried the message and changed not just popular opinion but public policy.

過去幾周，我們看到許多難民鋌而走險，在歐洲邊境尋求庇護。智能手機使得那些留在當地的難民，得以與跨過了檢查站和鐵絲網的親人保持連繫。網絡使全世界人，共同爲一個死在土耳其海灘上的敘利亞男童哀悼，使他成爲了每位難民的共同象徵。社交網絡不只傳遞了信息，同時也促成了公衆意見與公共政策的改變。

It’s one thing to say we should connect the world. The real trick is how.

然而用網絡連結全世界說來容易，做起來難。

There’s no simple solution or silicon bullet.

並不存在簡便的解決方案，或者一蹴而就的技術工具。

In many places, increasing connectivity will have to start with extending access to energy. Nine out of 10 rural Africans don’t have electricity. Governments can make the difference. This is why we support initiatives like President Obama’s Power Africa plan and the bipartisan Electrify Africa Act in Congress, as well as the African Development Bank’s investments in renewable energy.

在許多地方，想普及網絡連接，得先從普及能源供應開始着手。非洲農村地區的民衆十分之九沒有電力可用，政府當局可以在這個方面帶來改變。這就是我們爲什麼要支持奧巴馬總統提出的“電力非洲計劃”(Power Africa)、兩黨在國會共同提出的《非洲電氣化法案》(Electrify Africa Act)，以及非洲開發銀行(African Development Bank)對可再生能源的投資。

Where governments lay the foundation, the private sector can build. Promising efforts are underway to bridge the digital divide. But we know the global community can, and must, do more — and urgently. The Intel Foundation’s work in STEM education, Microsoft’s use of technology to advance the Millennium Development Goals and Google’s Project Loon to connect remote locations illustrate how technology leaders are prioritizing this effort, as is , Facebook’s contribution to meeting the challenge.

政府打下基礎之後，私營部門就能繼續建設。我們爲縮小數字鴻溝所付出的努力前景可期。不過我們也很清楚，世界各國可以也應該作出更多貢獻，而這是刻不容緩的。英特爾基金會(Intel Foundation)爲理工和數學教育所做的工作，微軟利用科技推進千年發展目標(Millennium Development Goals)的努力，以及谷歌爲偏遠地區提供網絡接入的熱氣球計劃(Project Loon)，都顯示出科技巨頭將此視爲當務之急。Facebook旗下的也爲應對挑戰做出了貢獻。

More technology companies and entrepreneurs must take more responsibility. Silicon Valley should look beyond itself and act more on issues like education, health care and the refugee crisis. We challenge the tech industry to do far more for those most marginalized, those trapped in poverty, and those beyond or on the edge of the network.

需要有更多科技公司與企業家承擔起更多責任。硅谷不只應該關注自身，還應該採取更多行動，應對教育、醫療及難民危機等議題。我們想對科技產業提出挑戰，替那些最邊緣化、爲貧窮所困，還有那些網絡所不能及的人羣，付出更大努力。

All the global goals must be scored — but the goal of connectivity for everyone everywhere will surely hurry this game-that’s-not-a-game to its successful conclusion. Hurry being the operative word here.

所有的全球目標都必須達成，然而讓世界各地的所有人都接入互聯網的目標，肯定能加速這場並非兒戲的賽跑。“加速”理當成爲我們的行動方針。