* Australia

Founding member and host country of APEC’s first official meeting in 1989, and then again for the 2007 summit, Australia provides strong, steady leadership within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. 1

Of particular note, is Australia’s commitment to democratization of information. As a free democratic society, Australia supports inherent human rights. Freedoms of press and speech remain forefront in the “Aussie” creed.

Any country with English as the official or de facto language is advantaged by that fact as English is the leading language of international discourse. English, adopted as lingua franca in so many regions, facilitates communication between peoples who do not share a mother tongue. English is third most natively spoken language (ranks behind Mandarin and Spanish), but is by far the most widely spoken in the world. 2 Australians speak English.

With just over 22 million inhabitants - but only 7.3 people per square mile – Australia boasts APEC’s fifth largest economy. 3 Three quarters of its geography is referred to as “outback”, a highly hostile and remote landscape. Australia lies between latitudes 9o and 44o south and longitudes 112o and 154o east. Its climate is temperate along the coast with semi-arid, desert-like conditions prevailing in the outback. Ninety-nine percent of Australian’s are literate. This country is ranked eighteenth in freedom of press, ahead of both the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and has a parliamentary democracy/constitutional monarchy as its government. Queen Elizabeth II of England still reigns as royal representative of Australia. 4

In simplest terms, democratization of information defines freedom. Free societies heavily promote this form of transference. Free people demand the “right to know”. The question arises, “how do I, as a free citizen, obtain knowledge…how am I informed?”

Historical technological advancements have exponentially increased the efficiency and manner(s) by which information is shared. Smoke signals, drum beats, designated messengers, and pictographs preceded written language. Eventually letters, symbols, and characters marked advancement by humans. Postal services, newspapers, telegraph, radio, short wave radio, television, and computers define now the culmination of man’s undying pursuit of knowledge Presently, cellular telecommunications, satellite telecommunications and telemetry, and internet connections have caused the world to shrink in figurative terms. With the touch of a fingertip, access to the world’s information is at hand (no pun intended).

Australia has remained current with regard to all modern signal sending advancements. Examples of this desire to stay “in the know” include the UK Telegraph Act of 1868, whereby Australia’s Postmaster General was empowered to “acquire, maintain and work electric telegraphs”, and the 1880 unveiling of Australia’s first telephone exchange. 5

This country’s willingness to remain abreast on all cutting edge fronts of telecommunication becomes clearly evident as 2008 saw the introduction of Australia’s first wide area wireless broadband network.

Democratization of information in Australia becomes even more apparent in its government’s approach to indigenous populations. In fact, without government funding, Australia’s indigenous peoples would most probably be excluded from keeping in fashion with the most current trends in telecommunications. Geographically, indigenous Australian’s (aborigines) find themselves challenged because of proximity to telecommunications infrastructure – the remoteness of their villages being the determining factor. However, there is a strong history of government commitment to their disadvantaged position. One example is the formation of the Australian Indigenous Communications Association (AICA) in 2003, which replaced the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia. The AICA receives the bulk of its funds from the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 6

AICA represents Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander broadcasters. Its aim is to represent all indigenous people and organizations in the media, communication and entertainment industry. It develops national policy, advocates and lobbies on behalf of its members and provides assistance for the creation and sustaining of indigenous media forms. 7

Internet access - perhaps the most effective and objective information sourcing process available today - remains forefront for those who seek dissemination of knowledge. Censorship of information on the internet is nearly impossible because of the open forum nature of this tool. Instantaneous inputting negates efforts at censorship. Policing of internet information (normally occurring after the fact) is a more effective means to censorship whereby site access could be restricted/off limits. But the sharing of information - via email, search engines, chat rooms and the like – is a worldwide phenomenon. Ninety-four percent of Australian students surveyed (2010) have internet access at home while nearly ninety-nine percent have access at school. Home access figures are up from eighty-six percent in 2006. 8

These facts give rise to the question: With nearly one hundred percent exposure, how much farther can the internet go where Australian access is concerned? Obviously a one percent increase in access is viable but what does the future hold? Technological upgrades will provide more speed. Information formally held in secret will find its way to the worldwide web as individuals with access to that knowledge continue to leak it out.

In summary, Australia enjoys a rich tradition where the sharing of knowledge is addressed. Its government is highly receptive to this process. No cultural/ethnic segment of Australian demography is excluded, even where remoteness plays a major role. Australia continues to upgrade and stay abreast of technological advancement. And perhaps most important of all, no child is left wanting; knowledge, in the form of supply, meets and often exceeds demand. A bright future indeed. (Aus123)

By Michael Handy

Bibliography

1 University of Hawaii’s UHERO Undergraduate Research Report

2 Wikipedia

3 University of Hawaii’s UHERO Undergraduate Research Report

4 Wikipedia

5 ITNews; Telstra.com.au; Wikipedia

6 Australian Indigenous Communications Association; Australian Communications and Media Authority; Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and Arts; Wikipedia

7 See 6

8 Ray Fleming

For recent economic information see;

UHERO APEC Project

http://www.uhero.hawaii.edu/74/apec-project

For news items see:

Pacific Islands Report, Pacific Islands Development Program, East West Center

http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/graphics.shtml

For flag, map, pictures and information see:

World Factbook, The

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html