Fastlink launches a chain of Digital Community Centers in Jordan and Palestine during the WEF

    Dumped value of 'ID':
'60712';

Dumped value of 'images_loop':
[];

The initiative was launched at the three-day World Economic Forum, which convened under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II at the Dead Sea on Friday with the participation of around 1300 leading personalities from around the world.

The declaration came during a session on the Jordanian educational initiative and Vision 2010, which was attended by the Prime Minister, Dr. Adnan Badran and the Palestinian Premier, Ahmad Qurei in addition to a number of education ministers from Arab states. By providing intensive training sessions on the computer and availing IT and the Internet to a large sector of society, the Digital Community Centers are designed to spread and develop IT skills among the youth, teachers, job seekers, women and NGO personnel in several areas across Jordan and Palestine.

Fastlink CEO Mohammd Saqer told the session that the initiative, to be implemented in cooperation with the International Relief Agency in Jordan and the Cooperation Society in Palestine, embodies the Company's support to the economic reform process and its commitment to assist the ICT sector so as to help achieve comprehensive and sustainable development and help reduce poverty and unemployment, by enhancing human resources.

'Fastlink will continue its efforts towards the development of the communications sector in the Kingdom as a contribution to the change process, which His Majesty the King has focused on during his opening remarks at the Forum,' said Saqer, pointing that Fastlink has always either created or utilized available opportunities to make a strong impact on the Arab and International arenas.

Saqer stressed on the need to circulate the benefits of ICT among the youth, who constitute the country's real wealth and who will work towards economic growth and prosperity. 'This is what pushed Fastlink to focus its support on the educational sector and on developing human resources to lead the knowledge economy,' added Saqer.

Fastlink is the first Jordanian private sector institution to provide support to the educational initiative, launched by King Abdullah during the WEF meetings in June 2003 at Dead Sea. The 2003 initiative called for the revision and computerization of the science curriculum from Grade 1 to Tawjihi.

Saqer also pledged Fastlink's support to the Palestinian e-educational initiative through the transfer of the Jordanian experience. Also attending the session were Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Nadia Sa'eed and Palestinian Minister of Education, Dr. Na'eem Abul Hums.

The first Digital Community Center will be inaugurated in Jordan during the coming weeks and will benefit job seekers at the Camp, by offering them training on computer skills. The center will also facilitate participants' integration into the local community and help them find work opportunities by creating partnerships with local companies.

The Digital Community Centers, which will be equipped with PCs and Internet connectivity as well as other applications, are designed to upgrade the capabilities of teachers in the less privileged areas of both Jordan and Palestine by means of convening training sessions and workshops on interactive teaching methods and learning though the Internet.

The project emphasizes the importance of ICT as a driving force towards economic development and the reduction of poverty and unemployment among citizens.

Fastlink has placed its technological abilities and experience, which spans ten years in the Jordanian market, in the service of the Kingdom's information and communications sector. Its high quality services and products have greatly contributed to the advancement of local businesses.