ࡱ > ~ Y l/ bjbjWW -b = = l+ ] $ QO Public Internet Access Points Everyone Has the Right to Information
Artis inka, director for Internet Programs, Soros Foundation Latvia, Baltic IT Review 1 '2000
Is it right to prohibit someone from accessing information just because the person lives and works outside of a countrys major cities, because the person has no skills in using modern information technologies, or simply because the person cannot afford an Internet connection? The Soros Foundation Latvia is convinced that everyone needs information, and everyone has the right to access it in order to learn good ideas, to learn and to achieve things. In order to help people in Latvias regions to receive Internet connections and to use them skillfully in order to receive and send information and to engage in communications, the Soros Foundation Latvia has launched a project aimed at establishing public Internet access facilities.
The Internet does it really promote discrimination?!As information technologies develop, peoples lives are moving into a new dimension. No area of human activity can be imagined anymore without modern information and communications technologies. You might think that as new technologies enter our everyday lives, societies are becoming democratic more rapidly, but that is not happening at all. New and ever new forms of discrimination are appearing, and this time it is very difficult to fight against them. It may seem at first glance that there is no reason for picket lines and manifestations, that there is nothing to protest against. Much of society is unaware of any danger at all. Those who face discrimination dont realize that theyre being kept from growing and developing and that their futures are very insignificant. In many cases, they will end up on the unemployment rolls sooner or later.Perhaps you think that Im exaggerating? Well, in that case it is quite possible that you have the privilege of being informed and having access to information. Could you imagine yourself without such access? Youve probably become used to the ability to seek out answers to questions and solutions to problems on the Internet. The information network in Latvia is developing very quickly, but only some 4% of Latvias residents have the ability to use the Internet every day. There is a real threat that society may break into two those people who have access to information and those who, for various reasons, do not. People in the first group will achieve more and more. People in the second group will inevitably slide backward. It must be said, however, that it is by no means true that this problem is developing unobserved.
The SFL project to develop the Information Society in LatviaThe Soros Foundation Latvia has launched a project that is aimed at developing the Information Society, reducing social injustices in the area of information access, and making information technologies available to as many people as possible, especially in rural regions. How is the SFL planning to achieve this? In the first phase of the project, public Internet access facilities are being established in public places in all parts of the country libraries, for instance. Computers with Internet connections are being installed, and these are available for free or for a small charge to anyone who wants to work with them. The project provides financing for the computer equipment, as well as for the services of a qualified consultant.The competition to receive SFL financing for the installation of one of these facilities took place in two phases. 137 project applications were filed, and after an initial evaluation which concluded in September 1999, 30 of the applications were approved for further consideration. The authors of these applications had to submit more detailed project information.
The basic principles of the programThe main focus in this program is to ensure that local residents are widely involved in all aspects of the process. None of these centers must become exclusively a place of entertainment for young people. In rural areas, where personal computers remain rare, we must focus on training and on publicity for the project. In those areas where people are still not using the opportunities of the Internet for various reasons, Internet services must initially be offered for a minimal fee.When planning the Internet access facilities, we must take into consideration the issue of whether there is a school with a computer facility in the respective territory. It is not hard to predict that most computer users will be schoolchildren and students who have an easier time in learning about new technologies. This will make it difficult for adults to access the computers, so we must plan well in advance the way in which we will involve adults in these Internet access facilities.We must give serious thought to advertising and its form. If we mess up the advertising campaign, we can create an incorrect impression of the services which the Internet access facilities will provide. People may get the idea that the Internet is meant only for the entertainment of young people. Naturally, this is not true.If we develop a carefully targeted program of advertising and publicity, we will attract increasing numbers of people to our centers. The facilities must be put in separate rooms, or at least behind a wall or barrier so that they do not disturb the everyday work of the institutions which are hosting them. The workplaces must be set up so as to ensure a certain amount of confidentiality. People should not be sitting right next to one another, nor should there be a situation in which while one person is working, others are standing behind his or her shoulder. In order to avoid this, we should specify that only one person can use a computer at a time. This will not always be possible however; older people may well ask younger relatives to help them.The centers will require additional materials such as computer literature, magazines and newspapers. Books will have to be placed on easily reached shelves near the computers so as to encourage existing and future computer users to read them.Each facility will employ a consultant who will provide consultations, training and encouragement for visitors to use the services of the centers more actively. The consultant must know all about traditional information search methods, of course, but he or she must also be aware of more "exotic" services such as direct link database access, Internet banking, E-business, etc.The facilities will also offer various value added services such as graphic design opportunities, as well as opportunities to use printers, scanners and copying equipment.
The significance of the facilitiesThis project cannot be evaluated too highly, because the establishment of the public Internet access facilities will allow people in various Latvian regions to access information, and it will promote the spread of the Internet and various information technologies throughout the country. Society will be unified in its readiness to greet the future in the labor market, as well as in simple, everyday life.The goals of the project are closely associated with the operational goals and strategies of the SFL to promote the establishment of a civil society, which can happen only in an environment where information is freely available and where its openness is ensured. This initiative will promote lifelong education in the broadest sense of the word. The SFL is convinced that you are never too old to learn, and the availability of new technologies to residents in various age groups will be a step toward this goal.
From project to access facilityFinancing under the auspices of the project was awarded for the purchase of computer equipment, the installation of an Internet connection, and the operations of the facility for the first year. We very much anticipated the help of various companies in the implementation of this project. Companies that are active in this field in Latvia understand how important this project is in terms of allowing the country to become part of the global Information Society. Thanks to support from such companies as Microsoft, IBM, the DT Media Group, Tilde, Fortech, LATNET and DELFI, we found additional resources for equipping the facilities, purchasing the computer equipment, licensing the software an obtaining the necessary literature. This allowed the SFL to use its own money for more extensive training courses.Each Internet access facility must have an administrator who ensures technical supervision and a consultant who trains users on effective Internet use, so there had to be training courses for the administrators and consultants alike. At those courses they learned the basic skills that are necessary in their work.Some of the Internet access facilities have already opened their doors.
Publicity for the idea of the access facilitiesThe goal of this project is not just to supply computer equipment and Internet connections. Of great significance in the project is involving local residents in all of the activities of the access centers, as well as to inform local governments about the work of the centers and, of course, to publicize the very idea of the project in society.There is great interest in the project. Many of the winners in the projects competition tell us that as soon as people found out that an Internet access facility was to be set up, they began to demonstrate immense interest. Some people never stopped asking when the facilities would be on line and not all of them were young people. Pensioners, too, have been convinced that they will find lots of interesting things on the Internet. We assume that there will be no shortage of visitors at the facilities.
PRIVATEPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Sinka1.BMP (314454 bytes)"Further plansIn the second phase of the project, we are planning to establish information servers (Web and E-mail) at the Internet access facilities and to provide the relevant additional training for the staff of the centers. This will allow people not only to use Internet services, but also to begin establishing information systems within parishes and towns.The centers will also be of key importance in economic development in the various regions. The services of the facilities will be used by local businesses, and the centers will serve as a hub for other Internet connections for companies and business centers. Those regions that are involved in the project will also have additional opportunities to develop tourism. The Internet access facilities will be charged with collecting, processing and disseminating the information which tourists require.This means that many people in Latvia are now being given an opportunity not only to access the world of information and ideas, but also to make an investment in the development of the Information Society.More information about the project can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.sfl.lv/sipp"www.sfl.lv/sipp.
g l + 1 X ] !" &" E" K" &