The Infopoverty Programme was started by the first Infopoverty World Conference Conference, organized by OCCAM in 2001 at the instance of the European Parliament, UNESCO Mediterranean Programme, UNIC and other scientific and university institutions. Infopoverty is focused on the creation of digital villages in disadvantaged areas of the planet.

The first pilot projects were realized in 2000 in San Ramon and San Pedro, Honduras, in cooperation with the local Ministry of Science and Technologies. Those experiences not only brought broad band 108Mb/sec satellite connection, but they also were instrumental in defining the best services - such as elearning, telemedicine, e-commerce, e-government - which led to the individuation of the best possible solutions able to bridge the technological (no electricity and no telephone lines), the structural (no adequate resources and locations), and cultural divide, in order to activate an endogenous development, giving priority to local human resources.

The past editions of the Infopoverty World Conference Conference have made explicit all those problems, tying to find possible solutions (Infopoverty 2001), illustrating the actions (Infopoverty 2002) and underlining the best practices (Infopoverty 2003). The participation of more than 100 international organizations, 2000 participants and 63 countries has made the Infopoverty World Conference an important Forum where to exchange experiences, to be updated on new discoveries, to coordinate actions, in the understanding that the goal of digitalizing communication worldwide can be achieved only by a common effort made by all stakeholders (institutions, civil society, business entities and academia) working together for a shared aim, with a deep exchange of experiences and convergence of resources.

In this sense, the aim of connecting all villages of the world as envisioned in the WSIS Plan of Action can be plausible, but only if the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that has characterize the Infopoverty conferences, with concrete signals of success infighting poverty through a correct and wide use of ICTs, considered as tools (and not aims) for real development and the promotion of cultural identities.

The Infopoverty Programme will be implemented in collaboration with local Governments, international and regional organizations, Public and Private institutions and the civil society and it will constitute a common action plan so that the aims illustrated in the WSIS Plan of Action can become real.