Jordan Times
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Premier inaugurates Digital
Community Centre in Wihdat
AMMAN (JT) — Prime Minister Faisal Fayez on Tuesday paid a visit to the Wihdat
Youth Club where he opened an IT centre and discussed issues of national concern
with notables from the Wihdat refugee camp.
The premier focused on the benefits Jordan reaped
from hosting the World Economic Forum meeting at the Dead Sea, saying that such
an event held in a small country like Jordan puts the Kingdom “on the world
map.”
The IT centre inaugurated by Fayez was the early fruit of an association between
the leading technology solution provider, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Relief
International — Schools Online (RI-SOL) that yesterday launched their first
joint initiative for the creation of digital communities in Jordan.
Under the initiative, Digital Community Centres (DCC) will be opened in several
locations across the country. These DCCs are the cornerstones of a programme
that aims to provide local communities with greater accessibility to the
Internet and information technologies, as a means to learn, work and benefit
from the most appropriate technological advances, according to a joint statement
released by HP and RI-SOL.
At the Wihdat DCC, 30 computers serve the core training and service programmes
and additional 40 computers are installed in four schools in the neighbourhoods
surrounding the club: Two government-run and two UNRWA schools.
In addition to the computer equipment, the programme provides printers,
scanners, a digital camera and other equipment that will be utilised in a
variety of education and community development projects benefiting youth and
adults. The project is also designed to open up job opportunities for local
women.
At the launch ceremony, Minister of Education Khalid Touqan said his ministry
“has been working with both HP and RI-SOL for many years and it is deep
impacting programmes like these, which target Jordan's community youth as well
as working adults that will contribute to the country's economic growth.”
In addition to the equipment, HP and RI-SOL are providing the Wihdat DCC with
human capital including system administrators, technical support and training
staff. The centre and the satellite schools are connected to the Internet
through leased lines, ensuring 24-hour access.
In his remarks at the launch ceremony, Joseph Hanania, managing director for HP
Middle East, said HP “works with communities to build a team of partners.”
Together, these partners “will bring the infrastructure, the tools, equipment
and content for learning, developing and contributing in the digital economy to
these communities that need them most.”
In Jordan, he said, “His Majesty King Abdullah has set a clear vision of how ICT
can help catalyse economic and social growth.”
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this programme has been HP's focus on
community involvement. It is not often that we see corporate philanthropy, as
well as word seeking community governance,” said RI-SOL CEO Farshad Rastegar.
“This centre [in Wihdat] serves a population of 250,000 and will be a leading
resource,” he added.
HP introduces itself as the largest IT company in the Middle East employing
about 500 professionals in the region. HP has been present in the Middle East
since 1968, and opened its first regional office in 1994.
RI-SOL says that its mission is to help students gain access and use the
communication and information resources of the Internet for learning and
cross-cultural dialogue. Since 1996, over 5,700 underserved schools in the US
and over 400 schools in 35 other countries have received equipment and support
necessary to get online, the statement said.