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Sustainable Internet Training Centers (SITCs)
By the millennium, more than three billion people, over half the world's
population, will live in urban areas. The sustainable economic and social
development of cities and towns has become a major global issue. As the
level of government closest to the people, local authorities are in the
best position to understand both the changing requirements of their citizens
and the opportunities presented by the new information technologies and
the Internet. As the complex problems of urban governance grow ever more
pressing, the challenges we face may be tackled more effectively through
partnerships with the private sector, governmental and non-governmental
organizations like the Internet Society, educational institutions and
citizens.
Just as the Internet transformed communication and scientific research
in the last decade, it is presently changing commerce, education and social
exchange all over the world. This transformation is having a profound
impact on corporations, large and small, government and non-governmental
organizations, businessmen, educators, and even ordinary citizens. With
an estimated 150 million users worldwide, the number of Internet subscribers
has doubled each year for the last eleven years. Electronic commerce is
now growing very rapidly and should reach between $2T and $3T by the year
2003. Internet traffic is likely to exceed the global voice telephone
traffic by the year 2002. The Internet is changing the life of citizens
throughout the world, offering an opportunity to work more closely with
people everywhere and to share experiences and learning.
In the new information age, the majority of the world's people have yet
to have access to the most basic telecommunications infrastructures and
its benefits. If they are to achieve sustainable economic growth, developing
countries must have access to technological progress. In this regard,
the Internet Society (ISOC) plays a significant role in educating institutions,
governments and individuals alike around the world, through its conferences,
tutorials, network training workshops and various programs. It conducts
Network Training Workshops for developing countries to help them implement
their Internet infrastructure and to train eminently qualified Internet
leaders in these regions. In this context, the Arab Towns Organization
(ATO) and the Internet Society have agreed to cooperate in a joint program
aimed at implementing a network of Sustainable Internet Training Centers
in the Middle East. The centers, designed to help advance the development
of the Internet and related infrastructure in the Middle East, will remain
in place year-round and be available for use by the general public. The
courses will be available to municipal and government employees as well
as ordinary citizens. Through the implementation of these centers, ISOC
and ATO want to ensure that "the Internet is for everyone" and
that all citizens have access to the benefits of the Internet. The first
centers will be launched between March and June 2000 with more to follow.
Funds are needed to allow the Internet Society to aggressively implement
SITCs and other training programs. Your support will ensure that these
programs not only continue but also expand to provide a geographical coverage
that is as broad as possible. Payment may be made by credit card, check
money order or wirte transfer in U.S. currency only. You may fax or mail
your payment to:
Internet Society
1775 Wiehle Ave., Suite 102
Reston, VA 20190-5108
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