The role of e-governance in bridging the digital divide

Ever since I attended the May 2011 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum, I keep thinking about one of the trends in e-government that was debated there: namely, that the development of e-services is directly linked to the active involvement of citizens and the private sector in the delivery of public services. Consequently, there is a need to increase the level and depth of all stakeholders’ participation in decision making and in the process of implementing e-governance. This, together with international, national, and individual cooperation, could help address the issue of achieving an all-inclusive Information Society. On the other hand, the heterogeneity of e-government models and the great gap between knowledge-based and rudimentary societies are the biggest impediments to overcome. In this context, we need to discern what influence and role e-governance plays in bridging the digital divide.