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Report 2 (of 5): Internet
Oasis - Jordan
Introduction
The Kingdom of Jordan is pioneering information technology
centres to bridge the digital divide and bring technology
within reach of women and men who are poor, young
and old, to the most remote areas of Jordan. These
centres have brought affordable access to vital information
and training, enabling all of Jordan's communities
to use information and communication technologies
(ICTs) for self-development.
See The
Digital Revolution - Information and Communication
Technologies for an overview on the global picture
on ICTs.
Jordan has one of the fastest growing economies in
the Middle East, driven by the capital city, Amman.
But without the oil reserves of neighbouring countries,
it remains one of the poorest countries in the region.
It is a small country of 5 million people, with many
communities living in isolated rural areas, including
the desert to the east of Amman. Currently, only one
out of every 500 people has access to the internet.
"At first, it might seem that Bedouins would
have no need for the internet, especially compared
with more basic concerns like food and shelter. But
the Internet can help local residents get better medical
care and education and it may even help bring money
into the community. ... One of the things we designed
the community centre for was to help the local women
find markets in other parts of the world for their
products. ... That would keep those traditions alive
in their community" (Osner, United Nations Volunteers)
A network of 75 Jordan IT Community Centres, or what
are now termed Knowledge Stations (KS), have been
established throughout the Kingdom of Jordan, with
plans to open a further 25 to facilitate access to
information, spreading awareness of new technologies
and the benefits that their use can bring for community
development. The centres effectively serve as community
centres delivering two primary roles, first as training
centres in information technology and educational
programmes, and second as walk-in centres providing
services such as internet, fax machines and photocopiers.
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Over 60 per cent of the people
trained were women |
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Women and men, including students, teachers, labourers
and farmers are being targeted, particularly in rural
areas. The idea is to show different sectors of the
community how to access information and develop skills
that can help them, such as family care and parenting.
Connecting Communities
His Majesty King Abdullah II, through
the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, has supported
the establishment of the Knowledge Stations and enabled
the first centre to officially open in the remote
desert township of Safawi in September 2000.
The overall project is executed by
the National Information Centre[1] and implemented through different agencies including
grassroots organisations, government institutions
and civil society organisations. The original implementation
plan is outlined below:
| Objective 1 |
Sites and partners
are selected to set up the first 17 centres
throughout Jordan. |
| Objective 2 |
Fully functional
KS's are established in all Governorates and
Badia by the end 2001. |
| Objective 3 |
Community information
and sustainable livelihood needs are identified
(if required) in order to direct the training
and development priorities of each centre. |
| Objective 4 |
Public awareness
is raised (by the partner organisations and
the Ministry of Education) in the selected communities
and surrounding areas to ensure maximum benefits
to the local communities. |
| Objective 5 |
Technical capacities
are strengthened to facilitate access to and
use of information technology. |
| Objective 6 |
Government initiatives
are to provide communications with access to
government information and services, which will
be part of any
e-government-related initiatives. |
| Objective 7 |
Community Centre
programme and training content are to be developed,
in addition to the introduction and implementation
of the International Computer Driving License
(ICDL) programme in Jordan. |
| Objective 8 |
A fully-fledged
strategy for the KSs throughout Jordan (second
phase) are to be formulated. |
(Source: KS website)
NetCorps Jordan
NetCorps Jordan is a pioneering programme aimed
to actively involve Jordan's youth in socio-economic
development of the country through ICTs. It
was launched as part of the national drive to
ensure that all Jordanians have the necessary
skills to participate in the information society.
The NetCorps Jordan programme focuses on
projects at the community level that drive
sustainability. Jordanian youth are being
recruited and trained in technology and business
management. 'Ambassadors' are placed in local
organisations such as the KS's, small and
medium sized businesses, and schools from
across the kingdom. These ambassadors train
community members in computer literacy, explore
community demand for fee-based ICT services,
and provide support in order to build ICT
capacities of these organisations and assist
Jordanians in integrating ICTs into their
daily lives.
The programme started with a pilot group
of interns in December 2002. Fifteen interns
were trained and placed in the middle region
of the country. In the next phase 26 interns
were trained in the north, and placed in schools
and KS's. Interns for the south started their
training in May 2003.
NetCorps' goal is to train and place 550
interns, who in turn will train up to 25,000
Jordanians across the kingdom over three years.
The long-term plans are to expand the programme
throughout the Middle East.
The NetCorps Jordan programme builds on the
NetCorps Canada International programme, a
proven and successful model that has sent
over 1000 technically skilled youth volunteers
to more than 70 countries.
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The Royal Commission is responsible
for approving site selection and providing funds.
A Project Management Unit (PMU) has been created
in order to undertake all project operations and to
implement tasks at the ground level. Significantly,
the PMU has taken strategic action to ensure that
KS's are located within accredited local facilities
such as municipalities, recognised non-governmental
organisations, and other non-governmental bodies in
Jordan such as youth clubs. Links are made to schools
and educational systems and the centres are managed
and operated by local communities.
Each centre has between 10 and 14
computers. Qualified young trainers who have a computer
background are recruited from local communities, and
then undergo required training courses to build their
technical capacities. Such courses are conducted
by the PMU on various subjects, such as communication
skills. Currently, there are more than 75 qualified
trainers working in the KS's. These trainers
conduct courses in their respective communities, which
are previously selected by the PMU according to local
interests and needs. The PMU monitors, supports,
and oversees the implementation of the selected courses
in KS's.
The PMU has welcomed 70 interns from
Netcorps (see box) in the KS's across Jordan. The
volunteers assist in the KS's in the following manner:
- Provide specialised programmes
and services which will address the information
and development needs of the local community, specifically
women and (unemployed) youth, through access to
personal computers, internet, software, and other
information technology tools on a walk-in basis
- To familiarise community members
with ICT and their use for various development applications
(health, education, support to SMEs, agriculture,
etc.)
- Disseminate information to rural
areas through the provision of easy access to data
and information within the framework of the National
Information System.
The official trainers within each
station, however, guide people in how to set up computers,
use them, and provide other, more advanced training.
Training courses are curtailed towards specific group
needs, and it has also been proposed to hold "train
the trainer" sessions. The main goals of this activity
are to:
- instruct how to continue and sustain
community services and development
- educate how to lessen the digital
divide between the city and rural community
- empower rural areas with IT know-how
- facilitate access of information
to rural areas
- facilitate democratisation of remote
societies
- increase knowledge and awareness
in the National Information System (NIS)
- improve professional skills
- increase the use of Internet and
its application for worthwhile causes
Certificates are awarded to enable
people to use these skills in the marketplace. Over
2000 training courses have been conducted so far.
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Photographs courtesy of and copyright to National
Information Centre |
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Every centre is connected to the National
Information Centre's nation-wide network so as to provide
a means for local communities to exchange information
and share their experiences in areas such as health,
education, environment and livelihood.
Support is provided by an array of stakeholders in
the public and private sectors, including donor agencies
and technology companies which form a major cross-sectoral
initiative. UNDP assistance includes training and
outreach to the communities, as well as establishing
business plans to ensure socio-economic sustainability
of the centres.
Financial sustainability was identified as paramount
to the continuity of the Knowledge Stations. The
King Abdullah II Fund for Development commissioned
a study to be conducted on each Knowledge Station
community in 2003 to determine the needs of each community
where a Knowledge Station is located and investigate
models of financial sustainability. It is recognised
that due to the poor environment in which they operate,
certain stations will have to be subsidised to ensure
a balanced return in the context of Jordan's transformation
into a knowledge-based economy.
Bridging the Digital Divide
| There are multiple accounts
of how the centres have had a direct and positive
impact on people's lives.
In Moquar, an unemployed member of the community
established his own business by providing
internet services after receiving training
at one of the centres.
In the Jerash Refugee Camp centre, one of
the mobility-challenged trainees received
guidance in how to use a PC and Windows software.
This enabled him to continue his academic
studies and secure a diploma.
A community in Al Mouquar were able to contact
international organisations who assisted the
local peoples to solve an irrigation problem.
These organisations provided techniques and
financial support for their farming activities.
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In the first year, 75 KS's opened.
They trained approximately 38,500 people and ran more
than 3250 different courses. This success meant that
more centres could be opened at other sites, with
the aim of establishing IT centres in every town and
village, providing those communities with the tools
to gain access to and acquire knowledge.
The centres have played a major role
in developing people's technology skills in many of
Jordan's underprivileged areas. They have impacted
positively on people's lives, enabling women to become
computer teachers, communities to e-mail doctors who
are expensive and time-consuming to visit, helping
people keep up-to-date with farming methods and prices,
which provide vital information to farmers to support
their livelihoods.
The continued expansion and success
of the Knowledge Stations will undoubtedly have a
profound impact on enhancing the awareness and cooperation
of all segments of the Jordanian society towards developing
and modernizing the national economy, diminishing
poverty, and working together towards creating a country
prominent with the unique combination of cultural
heritage and technological advancement and progress.
Further Information
National Information Centre
The National Information Centre is one of the centres
of the Higher Council of Science and Technology. It
was established in 1993 to take responsibility for
developing and managing a national information system.
Jordan Information Technology Community Centres
(Knowledge Station)
http://www.ks.gov.jo/
National Project Coordinator & PMU Manager : Mr.
Nasser Khalaf
E-mail: nkhalaf@nic.gov.jo
Media Articles on the Knowledge
Stations
Computer World
http://www.jitcc.gov.jo/magazine/issue-1/cover.htm
Jordan Times
http://www.jordanembassyus.org/07112001003.htm
UNDP
http://www.undp.org/dpa/choices/supplements/wssd/
p10-11.pdf
http://www.undp.org/dpa/choices/2001/june/j14e.pdf
AME Info
http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/26527.html
King Abdullah II Fund for Development:
The King Abdullah II Fund for Development was established
by a Royal Decree in 2001 as a non-governmental organisation.
The Fund seeks to provide all segments of the Jordanian
community, particularly the less developed and the
underprivileged, with new and innovative economic
opportunities aimed at alleviating their socio-economic
burdens. For more information, please visit:
http://www.mop.gov.jo/page.php?menu_id=40
Ministry of Information and Communications
Technology
Established in April 2002, the Ministry of Information
and Communications Technology (MoICT) is the governmental
entity responsible for articulating policy in the
areas of information technology, telecommunications,
and post in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Ministry of Information & Communications Technology
8th Circle
Bayader Wadi Al Seer
P.O. Box 9903
Amman 11191
Jordan
Tel: +962 6 5859001
Fax: +962 6 5861059
[1]The National Information Centre is one of the
centres of the Higher Council of Science and Technology.
It was established in 1993 to take responsibility for
developing and managing a national information system.
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