Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

knowledge society must be considered tobe one of the greatest incentives to closingthe knowledge gap. Currently available ICT,for example, provides the opportunity todiffuse forms of knowledge that will helpto build an economy based on knowledge,an education for all linked to the differentstages of life, and technologies in manyfields such as medicine, treatment, andagriculture. All of the latter are knowledgemechanisms that cannot be divorcedfrom the prospects for comprehensivedevelopment, with all the latter’s promisesof well-being for humanity.A PROPOSED VISION FORBUILDING THE KNOWLEDGESOCIETYConfronting the complex knowledge gapin the Arab world requires a vision thatcomprises key features for work and action.This proposed vision should build onexisting achievements in order to narrowthis gap, since some Arab societies haveindeed taken steps towards joining theknowledge society.This proposed plan, whose generalfeatures we shall attempt to formulate,should be in harmony with theunderstanding of the knowledge society aswe envision it, going beyond technologicaldeterminism to bring to the forefront theoverall human dimension, and othersassociated with aspiration, will, criticism,and history; in this way, we shall avoidreductionist, positivist perceptions thatseek to standardise human knowledge.Before sketching the major featuresof this plan, let us stress that it is bothbased on defined principles and also is aform of long-term action and initiativewhose central aim is in harmony with theReport’s conception of the aims of theknowledge society to build overall humandevelopment.This vision is a structure identifiedthrough doing and translated throughaction. Before any of this, however, it isan aspiration. It is an initiative intendedto observe the reality of knowledge in theArab region and aimed at the formulationof strategies that will help to indigenisethat knowledge and equip the Arabs toreach the threshold at which innovationand creation begin. At its deepest level, thisvision falls under the rubric of efforts aimedat intercommunication and indigenisation,and subsequently of production andinnovation. These efforts form theaxes of the vision, for its goal is afurther expansion of Arab knowledgeperformance in pursuit of the desiredaim of a knowledge development thatwill place us at the threshold of social andeconomic development. The desire forsuch development formed the cornerstonefor our initial deliberations on the topic ofthe knowledge society.The general spirit of this proposedplan resides in a set of pre-requisites andprinciples. It also includes major fronts andaxes for action. It explains priorities for theaction and movement needed to preparefor the steps which, we assume, willtranslate its features, and which, we hope,will help to sketch out the landmarksmarking the route to the knowledgesociety.PRINCIPLES ANDFOUNDATIONS FORMOVEMENT TOWARDSTHE CONSTRUCTION OF THEKNOWLEDGE SOCIETY INTHE ARAB WORLDThe proposed vision is based on threemajor foundations, to be understood asforming an interrelated whole, as follows:BROADENING THE SCOPE OFFREEDOMThe Report has highlighted the fact thatfreedom and knowledge are inseparable, asare knowledge and development, in spite ofthe many forms that this linkage takes. As aconsequence, when we make the principleof freedom a requirement for action,we aim also to defend another duality,namely the inseparability of freedom andConfronting thecomplex knowledgegap in the Arab worldrequires a visionthat comprises keyfeatures for work andaction. The proposedvision should build onexisting achievementsin order to narrowthis gap, since someArab societies haveindeed taken stepstowards joining theknowledge societyFreedom andknowledge areinseparable, as areknowledge anddevelopment, in spiteof the many formsthat this linkage takesBUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY IN THE ARAB WORLD: A VISION AND A PLAN225