Communities @One in line for Major European Award
Communities @One has been short-listed as a finalist in the European e-Inclusion Awards, a European Commission initiative. The Welsh Assembly Government’s digital inclusion initiative, administered by the Wales Co-operative Centre, is a candidate in the awards’ Geographic Inclusion category which recognises the achievements of projects that have brought together communities of interest over a very large region or which have overcome disadvantages of living in remote areas. The European e-Inclusion Awards 2008 are designed for initiatives and projects that have used ICT and digital technology to impact positively on socially disadvantaged or digitally excluded groups.
Thirty-five initiatives from public, private, charitable and community organisations across Europe have been short listed as finalists for the 2008 European e-Inclusion Awards, a European Commission initiative. Selected for their innovative uses of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to help digitally and socially excluded Europeans, they are already improving the quality of life of many people and should help inspire others to do more.
Europe has made good progress in e-Inclusion in recent years but, with 30-40% of Europeans still at risk of being excluded from the information society, much more needs to be done. Nevertheless, the 469 entries to the awards, with participation from every European Union country, are a clear indication of the commitment to creating a more inclusive Europe through ICT.
The medallists of the European e-Inclusion Awards are:
Ageing Well Award
• Inforum (Hungary)
• Kommunförbundet (Sweden)
• London Borough of NEWHAM (United Kingdom)
• Seniormedia Marketing (Austria)
• Seniornett Norge (Norway)
Marginalised Young People
• A-Clinic Foundation (Finland)
• CSV TEN (United Kingdom)
• Cyberhus (Denmark)
• Fundación Tomillo (Spain)
• KPN (Netherlands)
Geographic Inclusion Award
• Kyyjärven kunta (Finland)
• Ministry of Communications and IT – PMU Knowledge Economy (Romania)
• Welsh Assembly Government (United Kingdom)
• Youth Association for Habitat (Turkey)
• South Witham Broadband (United Kingdom)
Cultural Diversity Award
• Erudis,o.p.s (Czech Republic)
• Focus-5 TV (Switzerland)
• ITpreneurs (Netherlands)
• Milton Keynes Council (United Kingdom)
• Municipality of the Hague Public Library (Netherlands)
Digital Literacy Award
• Association ‘Langas i ateiti’ (Lithunia)
• Les Ateliers du Bocage (AdB) on behalf of TechSoup Europe (France)
• Sonovista (Austria)
• Swedish Disability Federation (Sweden)
• Tampere City Library, Sampola Library, Netsquare (Finland)
e-Accessibility Award
• Apex (Czech Republic)
• Enable Ireland (Ireland)
• IAM-Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Spain)
• Medicton Group (Czech Republic)
• Synscenter Refsnæs (Denmark)
Inclusive Public Services Award
• Centre of Registers and Information Systems (Estonia)
• Sotiria Hospital (Greece)
• eHungary Project (Hungary)
• Mid-West Regional Authority (Ireland)
• Significan’t (United Kingdom)
The winners in each of the seven categories will be announced at the European e-Inclusion Awards Ceremony on 1st December in Vienna, as part of the 2008 e-Inclusion Ministerial Conference and Exhibition (30th November to 2nd December, 2008), the largest event on e-Inclusion ever organised in Europe.
Visit www.citizensonline.org.uk/e-inclusionawards_eu/medallists
The "e-Inclusion: be part of it!" campaign is organised by the European Commission. More information on this action is available at http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/einclusion. The European Commission bears no responsibility for, nor is it involved in, the events, documents or other manifestations associated or claiming to be associated with the campaign, unless indicated otherwise.
