Technology for All Bridging the Digital Divide in Central and Eastern Europe

1
Technology for AllBridging the Digital Divide in
Central and Eastern Europe
ICT and Environmental Democracy WSIS/Aarhus
Convention Side Event

• Jerome Simpson
• Head, Information Programme

Wednesday 10th December 2003
Jsimpson_at_rec.org
2

• The Regional Environmental Center for Central and
  Eastern Europe Building Environmental Democracy

• Head quartered in Hungary, with 9 Programmes,
  15 country offices, established 1990, gt30 donor
  countries
• A mission driven, not-for-profit organisation
  promoting regional cooperation and local dialog
  between diverse stakeholders
• An Information Programme focused on providing
  and promoting access to information

3
REC Bridging the Digital Divide

• Collaboration with EC/DG Information Society
  showcasing ISTs for data collection/storage

• In South Eastern Europe funding national
  environmental information system development and
  e-networking of NGOs

• Founding the Aarhus Electronic Tools Task
  Force to share ICT experience on information
  access at pan-European level

• Following Kiev, transferring lessons learned
  to Turkey and the EECCA region

Jsimpson_at_rec.org
4
Technology Bridging the Digital Divide
Best practices
Tools at our disposal

Jsimpson_at_rec.org
5
The Future Bridging the Digital Divide
Key solutions
Key challenges (e-governance)

• Transferring national best practices to the
  local rural level
• Clearly defining all institutional
  responsibilities
• Updating legislation, protocols
• Education, training, staff-exchange, site visits
• Financing

• E-governance
• NGO networks
• Mobile society?
• Libraries (for environment)

Jsimpson_at_rec.org