Korea relaunches government networking website in English - Future Gov | 1 April 2011

Seoul Metropolitan Government launched the English version of we-gov.org for social networking of the World e-Governments Organisation of Cities and Local Governments (WeGO).

The website is designed to enable cities to share and exchange exemplary cases of e-governments and to communicate with citizens who have an interest in building e-governments.


WeGO is an international organization that was established under Seoul City’s initiative - the first such initiative among Korea’s autonomous governments - with the goal of sharing exemplary cases of e-governments between international cities and closing the information gap.


The newly launched WeGo English website is a social networking homepage designed to expedite communication with the leaders of e-governments in cities worldwide. Cities and organisations worldwide can benchmark the latest information and contents in the e-government field at a single location through the WeGO website. They can upload and share diverse information and contents in real time and exchange opinions through social media services (Twitter, etc).

By overcoming a management method focused on site manager, the WeGo website has been created as social network homepage based on blogs, and can be accessed through diverse browsers, and smart mobile devices. As such, it will serve as a venue of information sharing based on the smart concept, where people can communicate in real time through social media services.


Reference: http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2011/apr/01/korea-relaunches-government-networking-website-eng/

More info: Visit WeGO website at http://www.we-gov.org/

Project Inspire gives Egyptian youth 5 minutes to change the world - Daily News Egypt - May 5 2011

CAIRO: Singapore National Committee for UN Women (UN Women Singapore) and MasterCard are joining hands to launch Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World. This year-long digital and social media driven initiative aims to connect and inspire young people in Egypt and across the world to share their life-changing ideas and fulfill their visions of a better world for disadvantaged women and children.

Project Inspire presents 18-35 year olds with a 5-minute platform to pitch their inspired idea to the world and win a $25,000 grant. The grant will be used to bring to life the winning idea and empower disadvantaged women or children in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa through education, skills training, financial inclusion or social entrepreneurship. In addition, special recognition will be given to the best Financial Literacy/Livelihood proposal, which will be awarded a $10,000 start-up grant.

People with a passion to make a difference will be encouraged to visit
www.5minutestochangetheworld.org to submit a 5-minute video or written pitch articulating their idea and how they will use the grant to implement it. Submissions will close by June 30. Subsequently, a shortlist of 10 finalists will have to convince a global voting audience of the merits of their proposal, and present live in Singapore to an expert judging panel at the end of August 2011, when the winner will be announced.
Finalists will also get the opportunity to attend a workshop on sustainable social entrepreneurship and hone their presentation skills through a training session with professional consultants.

Project Inspire will rely on the power of social media to connect people around the world to participate, interact, share ideas and inspire change. This online community will stay connected with winners as they go out into the field in the fourth quarter of 2011 to implement their vision.

Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World is jointly organized by UN Women Singapore and MasterCard and supported by INSEAD, Bain & Company and Channel NewsAsia.

The initiative supports the heightened need to devote resources to the empowerment of women. Despite great strides in their socio-economic standing, statistics show that women account for 70 percent of the world’s poor. They work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, but earn only 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the world’s property. Giving these disadvantaged women more opportunities to stand on their own feet has enormous socio-economic ramifications, as empowering women fuels economies, spurring productivity and growth.

A growing body of research demonstrates that there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. The Global Gender Gap Report 2009, for one, issued by the World Economic Forum found no country where men and women were equal, but noted that where the gender disparity gap was narrower, countries were more economically competitive and prosperous. The report noted that the combined impact of these gaps entails colossal losses to the global society and economy and concluded that significant economic recovery and growth will not occur without the engagement, empowerment, and contribution of women and girls.

Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World is part of MasterCard’s celebration of 25 years in Asia. At the Heart of Commerce, MasterCard has long devoted resources to understanding women and aiding their empowerment across Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa. With a specific focus on social entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and financial literacy, MasterCard has been working alongside other likeminded organizations to support a broad range of women’s causes through scholarships, financial assistance, educational programs and various sustainability programs. These have helped provide many women with the skills required to stand on their own feet and support themselves and their families.

“We are pleased to promote this project in Egypt as Egyptians continue to seek positive social change alongside progressive youth across Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa. MasterCard is committed to community outreach efforts that empower women and children in the region in a sustainable and meaningful way. The Project Inspire initiative will harvest the power of social media to connect and empower people in Egypt to make a lasting and tangible difference in our world,” said Magdy Hassan, vice president and country manager, Egypt.

For more information, please visit www.5minutestochangetheworld.org or join us at the Facebook Causes page at http://widgets.causes.com/causes/597940-project-inspire-5-minutes-to-change-the-world.

Ref: http://thedailynewsegypt.com/youth/project-inspire-gives-egyptian-youth-5-minutes-to-change-the-world.html

Visit Project Inspire Website at http://www.5minutestochangetheworld.org/about

Initiative aims to get disabled ‘Connected’ - Gulf Times - 8 December 2010

The Qatar Assistive Technology Centre (Mada) launched a new initiative yesterday in association with Vodafone and Qtel which will connect people with disabilities to information and communication technology (ICT).

Named ‘Connected’, the programme aims to provide nationwide accessibility to people with disabilities, while ensuring that those in the segment don’t have to pay more than others to use mobile telecommunications technology, officials said yesterday.

Over the next weeks, people with disabilities in Qatar will have access to a wide range of accessible and affordable services and products.

This includes assistive technology (AT) software and accessories, specialised handsets, website accessibility, and greater access to both Qtel and Vodafone Qatar stores.
 
Mada CEO Faleh al-Naemi said: “This is part of ongoing efforts by Mada and our industry partners to build an accessible ICT ecosystem in Qatar.”

Mada was launched through the combined initiative of ictQATAR (The Supreme Council of Information and Community Technology), Vodafone, Qtel, Qatar National Bank (QNB), and Microsoft, with a vision of ICT for all, and provides AT to people with disabilities.

Based on a vision of a world with information communication technology for all, Mada provides assistive technology solutions for people with disabilities.

The initiative has seen the coming together of Qtel and Vodafone, whose representatives along with al-Naemi signed agreements for the programme yesterday.

Qtel CEO Dr Nasser Marafih said: “Telecommunications transforms people’s lives, and that’s just how we see our broader mission at Qtel. Working with Mada, we are realising an important corporate goal of providing access for all, making the latest assistive communications technologies readily and easily accessible and affordable for people with disabilities throughout Qatar.”

According to him, Qtel’s own ‘Access for All’ straddles core elements of special discounts, special handsets and accessories, accessible branches, and a dedicated website.

Vodafone Qatar legal, regulatory & external relations director, Mathew Harrison-Harvey, said: “As Qatar aspires to build a fully connected society, Vodafone is proud to leverage its expertise through our partnership with Mada.

“It is part of our responsibilities to contribute by making communication more accessible for everyone.This includes handsets, tariffs and services that are specifically tailored to people with disabilities.”

Speaking to the media later, Dr Marafih said Mada’s innovative work can be copied throughout the region.
“We surely see this working in the markets we operate in,” he said. Harrison-Harvey also agreed while pointing out that Vodafone’s global outreach and expertise will be utilised to support the initiative.
 
Source:
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=403366&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

The Habitat-Redemtech project - Bridging the digital divide: Low-income families enjoy cast-off PCs - December 16, 2010

By Todd R. Weiss

Eliana Gomez moved into a Habitat home in Columbus last December. It's the first home that Gomez, a native of Mexico, has ever owned. Her family also received a computer through the Habitat-Redemtech program, and she says that she and her three children find the machine extraordinarily helpful.

"My 8-year-old uses it more than anybody. He likes to do his homework on the computer. He knows how to use it, and he's teaching me sometimes," she says. "My daughter, she is 2, likes to play Dora on the computer."

Eliana Gomez with her son, Jacob, 8, daughter Leticia, 2, and Redemtech volunteers, Laurie and Chris Williams, who installed the PC in the Gomez home.

Gomez says her family hasn't been able to afford Internet access yet, but the PC is nonetheless giving her children opportunities that they didn't have before. And for her part, she says, learning to use the computer at home is opening doors to new opportunities at work. Her employer has asked her to be a manager, and she's working on her computer skills to reach that goal, she says.

"I didn't know how to use a computer," she says. "I go to classes. I like to do that."

Companies that donate old computers make more money through tax savings than they would by simply selling their unneeded equipment, says Robert Houghton, president of Redemtech. The companies making the donations pay Redemtech to refurbish and redistribute the equipment, at a cost that's lower than what they would end up spending if they tried to donate the machines on their own, he says.

Redemtech has set up its own internal program called the Serious Good project to promote the fact that businesses that donate their old IT equipment can enjoy increased tax benefits while helping low-income families.

How innovative is the Serious Good Program? In a recent research note, IT analyst firm Gartner Inc. said the program could truly help businesses find better ways to donate old gear. "Gartner has long advised enterprises to be cautious when donating used IT equipment to charitable organizations, because the process can be labor-intensive and requires careful planning, asset preparation and documentation," while exposing donor companies to significant liability if the recipient organization subsequently fails to dispose of the equipment properly, Gartner wrote.

The Serious Good initiative can mitigate those types of risks, according to Gartner, because Redemtech acts as an intermediary to "streamline the process from end to end, minimizing end-of-life liability risk by including no-charge recycling as a standard part of the process, and ensuring the recipient gets a high-value, working asset. These relatively low-risk IT asset donations can be attractive to an enterprise's corporate social responsibility area."

But beyond just helping with tax breaks and making companies feel good that their old computer equipment is being put to good use, the bottom line is that families truly benefit from the Habitat-Redemtech project, Houghton says.

"Habitat has changed the paradigm so that safe, affordable housing has to include a computer," he says. "They've identified that eliminating that digital exclusion is a necessary part of setting up a family in one of their homes."

Source URL: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9200984/Bridging_the_digital_divide_Low_income_families_enjoy_cast_off_PCs?taxonomyId=64&pageNumber=2

Habitat for Humanity
URL: http://www.habitat.org/

Serious Good Project (Redemtech own internal program)
http://www.redemtech.com/seriousgood/default.aspx
Redemtech has set up its own internal program called the Serious Good project to promote the fact that businesses that donate their old IT equipment can enjoy increased tax benefits while helping low-income families.

Houston Public Library Awarded $3.7 Million Federal Grant To Increase Public Computer Access, Connectivity Digital Inclusion Initiative to benefit from $5.9 million expansion

October 8, 2010 -- The City of Houston is pleased to announce the receipt of a major federal grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to upgrade and expand computing and Internet capabilities in high-need neighborhoods throughout Houston. The $3.7 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant, matched by $2.2 million in funds from respective partnering entities will allow the Houston Public Library (HPL) to provide Houstonians with greater access to broadband internet access and much-needed learning and economic opportunities through the City’s Digital Inclusion Initiative Wireless Empowered Community Access Network (WeCAN), which is managed by HPL.

"In the fast-paced environment of email, online banking and bill pay, and electronic job applications, we tend to forget that many of our residents cannot afford Internet access." said Mayor Annise Parker.  "What many of us may tend to take for granted simply isn't an option for thousands of Houstonians.  These grant dollars will help bridge that digital divide, giving a fighting chance to those who face difficulty competing and staying connected in the era of electronic communication."

"We are especially thrilled to receive this grant award because of the positive impact it will have on people’s lives," says Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson, director of the Houston Public Library. "This grant will allow us to reach many more Houstonians who need reliable computer and broadband Internet access for homework assignments, job searches, online learning and other means of growth and self-improvement.　By expanding the access to community based technology, more people throughout our city can now have access to online opportunities that could mean the difference between struggle and success."

The outreach for the WeCAN program includes numerous community partners from the education, non-profit, social-service, and private sectors. This proposal’s key partners include the Houston Area Library Automated Network, which includes libraries in six surrounding communities, Houston Community College System, the Houston Department of Health & Human Services Department, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. Each partner is allocated a portion of the $3.7 million BTOP grant and will provide their portion of the $2.2 million in matching grants."

Houston Department of Health & Human Services Director Stephen Williams remarked, “This is an important opportunity to bring new computer access to many residents in our city. These computers will help those who do not have a computer at home to search for jobs, find resources, and even do their homework.”

“The Houston Public Library is a great partner and the digital inclusion initiative is a project that we are especially fond of,” said Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner. “Burnett Bayland Park was one of the original pilot sites when the WeCan program began a couple of years ago.  That site has been very successful and well received by the community. We are excited that the BTOP grant will allow us to offer the WeCan program at 15 of our H.P.A.R.D. community centers in the near future.”

Houston Community College Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler said, “HCC is innovatively finding ways to serve all students across our communities. Through programs such as the Digital Inclusion Initiative, HCC is realizing its vision to become the most relevant community college in the nation. We are fulfilling our mission comprehensively and are extending resources out into the community collaboratively and efficiently as we bring access to learning to greater numbers. Meeting the needs of our students and the community serves to improve the quality of our human resources and, ultimately, our opportunities for economic development and enrichment.”

Houston Community College Trustee Dr. Michael P. Williams said, “The HCC Board of Trustees is proud of this initiative and the partnership of the City of Houston’s Health and Human Services and Parks and Recreation Departments and the Houston Public Library. Through our cooperative efforts we will be able to provide access to materials and resources that many Houston-area residents would not have. The Board supports this program that will bridge the gap between those who have access to technology and those who cannot afford it, making higher education more available to all.”

Houston Community College Trustee Neeta Sane said, “The primary beneficiaries of this program are low-income students who do not have the funds to pay for such high-tech instruments such as a laptop or iPod Touch. These new technologies are revolutionizing our learning processes, allowing access to materials from anywhere to anywhere. The electronic availability of books and materials is reducing the costs associated with higher education. This program will help make higher education more affordable to Houston-area residents.”

About the Grant

The combined $5.9 million in funding will significantly expand the reach of WeCAN in several ways:

• Improve broadband Internet and computer access at 60 existing computer centers across 17 high-need neighborhoods.
• Create 23 new public computer centers.
• Equip the 83 new & existing computer centers with core offerings including: high-capacity wireless broadband connectivity and equipment; free network customer support; free “train the trainer” digital literacy training and workforce readiness job-skills training; and, up to ten new computer workstations per site and/or other broadband devices (i.e. Kindles, iPod Touches, web cams, etc.).
• Obtain more than 1,800 devices and/or computer workstations for the new and expanded computer centers, including more than 400 Netbooks, 200 Kindles, 400 iPod Touches, 750 Macbooks, and ten computer workstations.
• Extend first-time broadband access to 26 existing centers.
• Expand access to technology at 60 conveniently-located public computer centers including Houston Public Library locations, Houston Department of Health & Human Services health centers, Houston Parks and Recreation Department community centers, and Houston Community College library branches.

These improvements of the WeCAN program are expected to increase the number of constituents using public computers and/or receiving other WeCAN program benefits by more than 23 percent. This increase translates into an additional 296,000 Houstonians using WeCAN public computers and training programs.

The impact of the new funding includes the expected creation of more than 55 full- and part-time jobs by staffing the public computer centers with trained “Civic Connectors” who will provide workforce and digital literacy training and help customers access online resources.

The funds are part of a larger grant awarded to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for the statewide Technology Expertise, Access and Learning for All Texans (TEAL) project. The City of Houston’s portion will go toward expansion of the Digital Inclusion Initiative and training, programming or services for the community.

The overall TEAL project provides new or upgraded computer centers at more than 150 locations including 38 public libraries, community colleges, recreation centers and health facilities, as well as three mobile learning labs that will be used to provide computer training wherever it’s needed. The goal is to expand technology expertise and access so all Texans can learn, work and prosper.

For a complete list of project participants, go to http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/news/docs/2010releases/TEALgrants.pdf.

About the Partners – Roles & Information

Houston Public Library (HPL) & Houston Area Library Automated Network (HALAN) – HALAN is a consortium that provides library catalog, public access computing, and other technology services to six public libraries in the greater Houston, Texas area. Member Libraries include Bellaire City Library, Effie and Wilton Hebert Public Library (Port Neches), Houston Public Library, Marion and Ed Hughes Public Library (Nederland), Pasadena Public Library, and Port Arthur Public Library.

HPL will create new and expanded computer and broadband capacity at 47 libraries, including a consortium of libraries in surrounding HALAN partner communities. The primary core of instructors will consist of 14 Houston Public Library training staff that will be responsible for conducting train-the-trainer sessions to public computer center staff. HPL will work in partnership with other key city departments including the Information Technology Department and Department of Public Works and Engineering, as part of the Municipal Broadband Network to provide the broadband connectivity and network support.

Houston Community College System (HCC) – HCC is one of the country’s largest singularly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certificates, career and technology training and lifelong learning opportunities for 70,000 students each semester. HCC is composed of six colleges that serve the Greater Houston Area’s diverse communities by preparing individuals to live and work in today’s increasingly international and technological society. HCC has 14 well-established, fully staffed, and fully functioning libraries and electronic resource centers.

HCC’S Digital Inclusion Initiative partnership with the City of Houston will greatly enhance the accessibility of educational materials via broadband, providing digital resources, including Netbooks, iPod Touches, and Kindles, that will enable students to access e-books, e-audio-books, Open CourseWare, and streaming video. This service will bridge the digital divide and provide resources to all HCC students, especially in underserved neighborhoods. HCC has identified a total of 10 campus locations where broadband digital resources will be made accessible via campus libraries and computer centers.

Houston Department of Health & Human Services (HDHHS) – HDHHS will install new computers with broad band service at their 11 multi-service centers. In addition, HDHHS will provide one PC mentor for each site who will be trained to assist clientele with computer use and online services. The multi-service centers house many neighborhood services and agencies including WIC (Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program), Head Start, day care, after school programs and senior programs.

HDHHS provides core public health services such as air and water quality monitoring; restaurant inspections; lead paint safety; cancer screening and family planning for the uninsured; communicable disease prevention and control; disease surveillance; birth and death certificates; leadership in emergencies such as hurricanes; services to seniors; WIC programs; immunizations; and others.  HDHHS operates 11 multi-service centers, eight health centers, 16 WIC sites, the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, a regional reference laboratory, and multiple health and human service programs.

Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) – The Houston Parks and Recreation Department stewards and manages over 38,992 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston.  It operates 59 community centers across Houston and develops and implements a variety of leisure and recreational programming for citizens of all abilities. A total of 15 new broadband computer and Internet public computer centers will be established in HPARD community centers across targeted neighborhoods.

About the Digital Inclusion Initiative

The Digital Inclusion Initiative began as a part of the City of Houston’s citywide wireless project and is now being implemented by the Houston Public Library. The network build-out includes deployment of 10 neighborhood networks which include broadband connectivity, education, training, equipment, and content development in high-need neighborhoods. The current WeCAN network extends through seven super neighborhoods, with the remaining three expected to be online by December 2010. The network provides Internet access through 16 community access locations in Gulfton, Third Ward and Fifth Ward Super Neighborhoods and includes the establishment of more than 65 WiFi Zones throughout these neighborhoods and also Sunnyside, Second Ward, Magnolia Park, and OST/South Union. WeCAN serves as the public access component of the City’s shared Municipal Broadband Wireless Network which also supports public safety and public services.

Through WeCAN, the Digital Inclusion Initiative provides high-need neighborhoods with free Internet access, local content and opportunities to receive training and equipment to ensure that Houstonians can benefit from the use of technology. These offerings are available in designated community access locations (CALs) including city facilities such as multi-service centers and park community centers, as well as schools and community-based organizations. CALs are identified based on location, accessibility, and services.

WeCAN community access locations receive community broadband access, including high-capacity wireless broadband connection equipment, free network customer support from the City of Houston, and free filtered high-speed Internet service. Technology training is provided, including “train the trainer” sessions, free online digital literacy and educational software from Houston Public Library and Microsoft, and free Houston Public Library services and resources. In addition, future participating locations will have the opportunity to qualify for equipment grants and discounted equipment through established partnerships.

The WeCAN neighborhoods have been selected and prioritized working in conjunction with the Council Committee on Technology Initiatives and Human Services. The current build out for WeCAN includes funding for 10 super neighborhood networks, including up to 150 CALs and 250 WiFi zones, to be established through June 2011.
 

About the Houston Public Library

The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, three HPL Express Libraries, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, The African American Library at the Gregory School, and the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’s Museum of Houston. Serving more than 4 million customers per year, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library customers with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.

For further information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832.393.1313.

Source: http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20101008.html