Inforum E-Inclusion Programs

Inforum for quality of life of seniors and e-Inclusion Gabor Dombi Secretary General, Inforum www.inforum.org.hu dombi.inforum@gmail.com

About Inforum Inforum: Forum of the Hungarian Information Technology Organizations for Information Society • Umbrella organization with 19 Non Governmental Organizations in IT Field Aims • Founded by Tibor Gyuros (†) and Gabor • To advertise the use of information and Dombi in 1997. communication technologies (PC, • Speciality: Policy making non Internet) for elderly and disadvantaged governmental organization and pressure people. group for social interest and information • To awake demand society • To awake social attention • Mission: • To support marketing actions • Enforce the information society in • To develop training opportunities Hungary • To promote service clubs and movements • Eliminate digital divide • Defend user’s interest • Positive discrimination • Involve adults (senior citizens) in • To reduce negative social attitudes information society towards elderly • Reconciliation all of interests in • 1.000.000 new Internet user from the age information society group above 50

Situation • Information technologies slowly reach the age group above 50 • Public education system provides only students with computer and Internet education (Sulinet). No systematic computer and Internet adult education in Hungary, except by civil associations, community centers, telecenters. • The adults meet with computer only at their workplaces or when their children use computer at home. • Not everyone takes the opportunity to use information and communication technologies: seniors did not meet PCs in workplaces. • Low motivation to use Internet, ICT (until 2008) • Non users are taking risk of loosing their jobs and loosing social network (loneliness, psychosomatic deseases , early death) • Grandchildren are digital natives, so grandparents have to speak digital.

Problem identification In Eastern-Central Europe the issue of eInclusion is raised rather as a social, equal opportunities, life quality and civilisation issue, and it is raised from the aspects of IT and economy only secondarily. The essence of the Hungarian scope of the problem is the fact that above the age of 45-50 the period of "uncertainty of survival" arrives, since those who lose their jobs in this age group will not find a new job in spite of great efforts. The cohesive and retaining bonds of the family, small community, settlement are weak in the majority of the society. The age group above 40 did not have the chance to put aside for their elderly days (therefore the issue involves poorer generations), and although they do have some savings, these savings are not too extensive. In their lives IT offers the following: in an online manner they may obtain information cheaper, they may stay within their social networks, or they may join new ones; they may participate in such training forms with the aid of which they may further educate themselves in order to preserver their labour market competitiveness. And in the case of the cumulatively disadvantageous groups the value of this increases multifold, since for them even contact keeping with the mainstream society (no matter whether they are people living with physical disabilities or even Roma people) is burdened with biases as well. Therefore West of river Elba the subject of the eInclusion policy is an aging related, economic, ICT-development and ultimately a competitiveness issue. In East and Central Europe societal- economic development did not reach this level yet. Here the policy of eInclusion serves primarily social (equal opportunities) objectives, and it serves only secondarily quality of life and labour market purposes, and the IT, economic, state administration yield of this complex topic will be visible only after this.

Those who have dropped behind! • Who is elderly (disadvantaged) in Hungary? • Number of the population is 4.000.000 above 50 years old in Hungary! • Internet users 50-60 yrs: 21% • Internet users: 60- yrs: 3.6%. • Access to the Internet would assist this age group • to remain on the Labor market • to prevent psychosomatic diseases • to decrease solitude • to remain within social public life • to take advantage of the cheapest way of access to information, culture, entertainment and family • to keep and to advance their quality of life.

The opportunity in the grandchildren's (and families’) hands

Grandchildren-Grandparents Informatics Competition ™ • An intergenerational soulution by Inforum • Motivation program for seniors and families • The first competition took place in 2003 • 9 competitions have been organized so far: in Budapest, Kecskemét, and Miskolc • 120 families participated in each competitions (cca. 360 persons) • Some firms provide the winners with their gifts (Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Albacomp, T-Online, Pannon GSM, SzinvaNet, Xerox, and so on) • The oldest competitor 90, and a youngest was 4 years old. • Huge media participation followed the competitions. (about 120 publications) • Searching cooperations and partners to implement this project outside of Hungary

• 2003. Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of Informatics. The first competition

• 2004, Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of Informatics, Budapest, Hungary

• Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of Informatics, 2005, Budapest, Hungary

• Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of Informatics, 2006, Kecskemét, Hungary

• Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of Informatics, 2006. Miskolc, Hungary

• Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of Informatics, 2006. Budapest, Hungary

eInclusion: the edge of the sword and the age of new policies Aims of Inforum Special target groups of e- Their numerosity Motivation for all group of Inclusion Hungarian society 50+ year old people 3,990,000 persons Cooperation: NGO, goverment, politics, Handicapped people 600,000 persons companies Roma (gipsy) population 600,000 persons Minimum 1 million new People living in small and 400,000 persons users until 31, December 2010. remote arias, in small New methods and paradigm disadvantageous regions on this field Unemployed people 400,000 persons eInclusion and digital Total (reduced with their 3,500,000 persons literacy, access and higher estimated overlaps) standard of living

First Steps towards eInclusion, 1997-2002 First book published in Hungary for seniors 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 (200-…) 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)

Milestones of Inforum Towards eInclusion 2007-2008 Taking part in Equal (IT Mentor) and Safer Internet Programs (2005-2007) First eInclusion report in Hungary (2007) 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) Founding Council for eInclusion and Information Society (23, January, 2008) e-Adoption program (March, 2008). Proposal for IT companies to adopt a digital community center or telecottage or library Spring of Digital Hungary

Inforum & Hungarian Parties for eInclusion on Press Conference First eInclusion Report, 2007 Award for Seniors Inforum members in Parliament Inforum Press Club

Inforum initiated Spring of Digital Hungary, May 2008

The aim of the chain of events was to draw Internet users’ attention to support those on the other side of the digital gap. The chain of events included: 50+ Internet User’s Party Internet Ship (Professional Conference on the River Danube) The Global Telecentre Alliance Conference in Hungary Press Conference with National Development Agency Grandparents-Grandchildren on Spring of Digital Hungary Competition of Informatics Senior Idol Awards at Competition Newsletter about eInclusion

Spring of Digital Hungary, May 2008 50+ Internet User’s Party on Day of Information Society The aim of the event was to help to draw the attention of this population on the benefits of the Internet use, among which the opportunity to be an active member of society while staying healthy and avoiding social isolation.

Spring of Digital Hungary, May 2008 "Internet Ship" (Professional Conference Global on the River Danube) Telecentre Alliance Conference Parliamentary Commettee on the ship

Spring of Digital Hungary, May 2008 • Children under 14 and their grannies above 50 could apply for the competition. Altogether 120 competitor-pairs Grandparents- registered and solved the test Grandchildren which included common knowledge-based questions. IT The competitors were allowed Competition to search on the internet while choosing the right answers. and Award for Senior Idols • The first 3 winners have received a great value of New Initiative: Award for awards offered by the 17 Senior Idols: for the oldest supporters. It is essential to competitors and who is coming mention that the oldest from the longest distance in competitor is an 86 years old Hungary lady.

Parliament votes for closing digital divide by Inforum initiative • On 6 October 2008, the Hungarian Parliament unanimously voted two resolutions aimed at solving the eInclusion issue in the country. Deputies called for the establishment of an ‘e-Inclusion Temporary Parliamentary Committee’ and formulated recommendations for closing the digital divide. • The Hungarian Parliament has been the first Parliament of an EU Member State to adopt an eInclusion declaration to reduce the digital divide. • Rising the living standards through equal digital opportunities is a priority of common interest; • Halving the digital gap is not only the EU’s undertaking. It has to be a national aim as the digital gap in Hungary is higher than the EU average. • Background: This political move originally stems from the eInclusion initiative launched in November 2007 by Inforum, the Forum of Hungarian IT Organisations. Inforum had drawn the Parliament’s Informatics Subcommittee’s attention to the Riga Ministerial Declaration of 2006 that urges to have the digital divide in the EU countries halved by 2010. • In Inforum’s view, more had to be done by the Hungarian Government for closing the digital divide. All Parliamentary parties agreed with Inforum’s initiative. In January 2008, a Parliamentary committee made of five parties held a meeting on the occasion of which they acknowledged that rising living standards through equal digital opportunities is of common interest.

Inforum autum of eInclusion Year • 50plusz.net website and senior movement • Temporary Commettee in Hungarian Parliament on eInclusion • Decralation by Hungarian Parliament of eInclusion • Research and report on eInclusion in Hungary • E-Hungary eInclusion Conference • Digital Literacy Conference • Documentary film on IT- Ageing Well Award for Inforum Mentors by European Committee, • Documentary film of 1st of December, 2008 eInclusion Year

Best practices by Inforum • Grandparents-Grandchildren Competition of Informatics (2003- …) • Inforum – Infomediator Interest Safeguarding Office for Internet User Citizens in Information Society (2004-…)  services for internet users via web  problems with contract between providers and users,  user rights,  e-commerce questions,  Mediations  Internet domain problems  Internet Ombudsman • Leading the eInclusion movement in Hungary  Website  Promotion  Lobby  Events • 50plusz.Net website and movement • 50+ Remembrance Writing Contest (2009) • 50+ Internet User Party (2008, 2009) • Publications , studies (web & offline), eInclusion Reports • TV-Series for seniors: Computer is a Child”s Play

Links • www.inforum.org.hu • http://einclusion.hu • www.50plusz.net

Inforum E-Inclusion Programs

by Inforum Hungary on Mar 03, 2010

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