Inforum and the EU on the Field of eInclusion

1
Inforum and the EUon the Field of eInclusion

• E-inclusion is a social movement whose goal is to
  end the digital divide, a term used to describe
  the fact that the world can be divided into
  people who do and people who don't have access to
  - and the capability to use - modern information
  technology ( IT ). According to advocates,
  e-inclusion has the power to close the gap
  between developed and less developed countries
  promote democracy and mutual understanding and
  empower disadvantaged individuals, such as the
  poor, the disabled, and the unemployed.

Gabor Dombisecretary general, Inforum dombi.infor
um_at_gmail.com
2
About Inforum

• Inforum Forum of the Hungarian Information
  Technology Organizations for Information Society
  (founded 1997)
• www.inforum.org.hu
• Umbrella organization of 19 Non Governmental
  Organizations in IT Field
• Founded by Tibor Gyuros () and Gabor Dombi
• Speciality Policy making non governmental
  organization and pressure group for social
  interest and information society
• Mission
• Eliminate digital divide
• Defend users interest
• Enforce the information society in Hungary
• Involve adults (senior citizens) in information
  society
• Reconciliation all of interests in information
  society

3
Milestones of Inforum towards eInclusion and
Information Society

• First book published in Hungary for elderly about
  Internet (Hírvilág by István Váncsa, 1999)
• First book published in Hungary about children in
  the information society (Growing up digital, by
  Don Tapscott, 2000)
• Hungarian Charter of Information Technology
  (2000), national action plan by IT professionals
• Lobby for founding the Committee of Informatics
  and Communication in Hungarian Parliament
  (2001-2006)
• Lobby for founding the Commission of Information
  Technology in Prime Minister Office (2000-2002)
• Lobby for founding the Ministry of Informatics
  and Communication (2002-2006)
• Grandchildren-Grandparents Informatics
  Competition (2003-)
• Inforum Infomediator Interest Safeguarding
  Office for Internet User Citizens in Information
  Society (2004)
• Taking part Equal (IT Mentor) and Safer Internet
  Programs (2005-2007)
• First eInclusion report in Hungary (2007)
• Create the eInclusion.hu website as a knowledge
  base (2007)
• eInclusion movement in Hungary (November, 2007)
• Declaration and cooperation all Hungarian
  Parliamentary Parties and Inforum (8, January
  2008)
• Council for eInclusion and Information Society
  (23, January, 2008)
• e-Adoption program (March, 2008)
• Digital Spring of Hungary initiative (May, 2008)
• 50 Internet Users Party,
• Internet Ship (Professional Conference on the
  River Danube),
• meeting of the Global Telecentre Alliance

4
Best practices by Inforum

• Grandchildren-Grandparents Informatics
  Competition (2003-continuos)
• Inforum Infomediator Interest Safeguarding
  Office for Internet User Citizens in Information
  Society (2004-continuos),
• free services for internet users via web
• problems with contract between providers and
  users,
• user rights,
• e-commerce questions,
• Mediatons
• Internet domain problems
• 50.Net website and movement
• Leading the eInclusion actions in Hungary
• Hungarian Parliament votes for closing digital
  divide by action of Inforum

5
eInclusion the Hungarian situation
Special target groups of e-Inclusion Their numerosity
50 year old people 3,990,000 persons
Handicapped people 600,000 persons
Roma population 600,000 persons
People living in small and remote arias, in small disadvantageous regions 400,000 persons
Unemployed people 400,000 persons
Total (reduced with their estimated overlaps) 3,500,000 persons

• Aims of Inforum
• Cooperation NGO, government, politics, companies
• 1 million new users until 31, December 2010.
• New policy needs standard of living politics
• eInclusion and digital literacy, access and
  higher standard of living

6
Lacks not use internet 54
Age Percent
15-24 20
25-34 40
35-49 53
50-69 84
Settlement Percent
Capital 44
More than 50.000 inhabitants 41
Less than 50.000 inhabitants 57
Village 69
Source TNS-NRC, 2008
7
Main Hungarian NGOs in the field of eInclusion

• Inforum (policy making, ageing, motivation, PR)
• Login Foundation (Wi-Fi for Roma communities)
• Hungarian Telecenters Association (telecenters
  and local mentoring)
• IT-Mentor Association (local mentoring)
• John von Neumann IT Association (ECDL,
  educational materials)
• Hungarian Content Industry Alliance (educational
  material, IT-Mentor)
• Cultural Centre Budapest (Click on, Grandma!
  Movement)

Source TNS-NRC, 2007
8
What NGOs can do?

• Policy making
• Foundation of eInclusion Committee in the
  Parliament on 6, October, 2008
• The Committee will hear all governmental
  institutions, companies and NGOs what did and
  will do in field of eInclusion?
• Horizontal cooperation with NGOs and companies
• Making faster EU-Hungarian operative programs in
  the field of adult education, employability,
  digital literacy,
• Suggesting new programs eSkills, ageing well
• Activities
• Media, conferences, motivation programs, PR
• New researches on eInclusion (behavior, real
  needs, regional differences, access, standard of
  living, working)
• Concrete services, mentoring, trainings for
  adults (IT-Mentors, Telecenters, ECDL)
• Persuading ITC companies, government, media
  persons, opinion-shapers, associations, trade
  unions to open corporate social responsibility
  budget for our target groups elderly, Roma, low
  educated people for bridging digital divide.
• Generate learning and internet content

9
eInclusion in European Union

• Riga Ministerial Conference 2006
• A divided society is not sustainable
• Riga targets for 2010
• Halving internet use gaps
• Halving digital literacy gaps
• 100 of public websites accessible
• e-Inclusion is not only a social necessity. But
  it is increasingly seen as an economic
  opportunity
• for individuals, to be actively empowered in the
  economy and society, and
• for business, to deliver innovative and inclusive
  services.
• e-Inclusion is a new driver for innovation. It is
  a key element for social cohesion in the
  knowledge society.
• Problems the information society integration
  progress is too slow
• public websites not accessible
• Just 10 over 64 use internet in EU
• Rural broadband divides
• Result Communication on European e-Inclusion
  Initiative To be part of the information
  society

10
eInclusion thematic areas

• e-Accessibility - make ICT accessible to all,
  meeting a wide spectrum of people's needs, in
  particular any special needs.
• Ageing - empower older people to fully
  participate in the economy and society, continue
  independent lifestyles and enhance their quality
  of life.
• e-Competences - equip citizens with the
  knowledge, skills and lifelong learning approach
  needed to increase social inclusion,
  employability and enrich their lives.
• Socio-Cultural e-Inclusion - enable minorities,
  migrants and marginalised young people to fully
  integrate into communities and participate in
  society by using ICT.
• Geographical e-Inclusion - increase the social
  and economic well being of people in rural,
  remote and economically disadvantaged areas with
  the help of ICT.
• and Inclusive eGovernment - deliver better, more
  diverse public services for all using ICT while
  encouraging increased public participation in
  democracy.

11
eAccessibility Opening up the Information
Society

• The Information Society must share its benefits
  with the whole society, including people with a
  disability and the elderly. The European
  Commission is promoting "eAccessibility" aimed at
  removing the barriers encountered when trying to
  access and use ICT products, services and
  applications.
• Most of devices (computers, mobile phones and
  public information terminals) are designed to
  make our lives easier, for a large part of the
  population ICTs are difficult to use.
• The Commissions European i2010 initiative on
  e-Inclusion "To be part of the Information
  Society", includes an active strategy to improve
  accessibility to the Information Society for all
  potentially disadvantaged groups. In order to
  bridge the eAccessibility gap, the Communication
  calls on
• The ICT industry to work to help disabled people
  access digital TV and electronic communications
  products
• Member States to work harder to address
  eAccessibility issues in the context of existing
  EU legislation, and to agree a plan of action by
  mid-2008 to ensure public websites are fully
  accessible.
• The 2008 e-Inclusion initiative builds on the
  content of the eAccessibility Communication
• According to the Commission, policy-makers and
  the ICT industry must embrace the Design for All
  approach to ensure that new technologies take the
  needs of all potential users into account.
• In addition, efforts need to be made to promote
  the development of assistive technologies that
  are tailored to help people with special needs
  access ICTs.

12
Ageing - Helping older people to access the
Information Society

• Europeans are living longer than ever thanks to
  economic growth and advances in health care.
  Average life expectancy is now over 80, and by
  2020 around 25 of the population will be over
  65. The Information Society offers older people
  the chance to live independently and continue to
  enjoy a high quality of life. A number of
  barriers close the older generation from
  Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
  
• More can be done to integrate older people into
  the Information Society. Improvements in policy
  and legislative conditions can help Europes ICT
  industry to cash in on the economic opportunities
  created by this growing market.
• Europes over 65s are estimated to be worth over
  3000 billion and the smart homes market is
  expected to triple between 2005 and 2020. New
  markets such as tele-health could help older
  people to get out of hospital and back home more
  quickly, thereby improving the sense of
  well-being and reducing societys health costs.
• In its European i2010 initiative on e-inclusion,
  the Commission sets out a number of actions to
  improve eAccessibility for older people.
• Ageing Well in the Information Society Action
  Plan, which was adopted in June 2007.
• The Commission will also continue to fund
  research and development into ICT solutions for
  older people. For example, the Ageing Well action
  plan sets out a new 600 million programme to
  stimulate developments in ambient assisted
  living, which cover technologies designed to help
  older people to continue to live at home. Other
  Commission-backed research into old age and ICTs
  is supported by the EUs Seventh
• Three programs
• Ageing Well At Work Staying active and
  productive for longer, Better quality of work
  and work-life balance
• Ageing Well In the Community Overcoming
  isolation loneliness, Keeping up social
  networks
• Ageing Well At Home Better quality of life for
  longer, Independence, autonomy and dignity.

13
eCompetences - Equipping people with ICT skills

• Bridging the eCompetency gap
• The Commissions European i2010 Initiative on
  e-Inclusion, which was adopted in November 2007,
  states that Education and training systems are
  key to building digital competence.
• The Commission is therefore calling on public
  sector bodies, industry and social organisations
  to help bridge the digital competencies gap. It
  wants stakeholders to promote eSkills and basic
  digital literacy training, especially for those
  who are most at risk of missing out on the
  benefits of the Information Society such as
  elderly and disabled people.
• Life long learning
• Titan Program (Microsoft IVSZ)

14
Socio-Cultural e-Inclusion - Supporting cultural
diversity and social inclusion

• Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
  have been designed to make it easier to access
  public and commercial goods and services.
• Marginalised and vulnerable people , immigrants,
  disabled people, older generations, the
  unemployed and those who live in remote or
  economically disadvantaged areas.
• Living in disadvantaged or remote areas are
  likely to feel even more excluded in the future
  if they cannot fully participate in the
  Information Society because they lack access to
  infrastructure like broadband.
• The Commission is determined to tackle problems
  such as these. In its European i2010 initiative
  on e-Inclusion, which was adopted in November
  2007, the Commission calls on policy-makers at
  all levels to ensure ICT issues are addressed in
  social and economic policies as a means of
  tackling social exclusion issues.

15
Geographical exclusion

• The European Union is committed to ensuring that
  the continents more remote and economically
  disadvantaged regions get the support they need
  to share in the benefits of economic growth.
  Digital technologies such as broadband internet
  access can play their part in narrowing
  disparities between regions and help to promote
  social and economic cohesion. The European
  Commission supports actions to develop an
  inclusive Information Society which embraces
  those who live in geographically less accessible
  areas.
• At the moment, whilst overall broadband
  penetration in Europe is around 90, only 71 of
  households in rural areas are covered by
  broadband services.
• The Riga Declaration calls for action to reduce
  this disparity and has set a target that requires
  broadband coverage for at least 90 of Europeans
  by 2010. Funding through the EUs Structural
  Funds will be used to achieve this goal.

16
Inclusive eGovernment ensuring equal access to
public services

• Public authorities at all levels are increasingly
  turning to Information and Communication
  Technologies (ICTs) to organise and deliver
  services. It is vital that eGovernment meets the
  needs of all citizens, including those from
  vulnerable and disadvantaged groups such as
  disabled people, the elderly and those who live
  in economically deprived and remote areas.
• Good eGovernment services can make life easier
  from paying council bills via the internet to
  buying car parking tickets through the use of
  mobile phones, the possible applications of ICTs
  in public life are seemingly endless, providing
  that potential users have the means and ability
  to access such services.
• Inclusive eGovernment is about using digital
  technologies to provide public services which
  improve peoples lives, encourage participation
  in the local community, strengthen democracy and
  help those at risk of exclusion from society.
• The European i2010 Initiative on e-Inclusion and
  the September 2007 Lisbon Ministerial Declaration
  on eGovernment both call on Europes public
  bodies to significantly reinforce their inclusive
  eGovernment and eParticipation policies.

17
Web links

• http//ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities
  /einclusion/policy/index_en.htm
• Einclusion.hu