History of Inforum (www.inforum.org.hu) activities from 1997-2010 in e-Inclusion (digital inclusion) field

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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

7. 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

8. • 2003. Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of
Informatics. The first competition

9. • 2004, Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of
Informatics, Budapest, Hungary

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

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

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

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

14. • Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of
Informatics, 2008. Budapest, Hungary

15. • Grandparents –Grandchildren Competition of
Informatics, 2009. Budapest, Hungary

16. 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

17. 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)

18. 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

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

20. Inforum initiated
Spring of Digital Hungary,
May 2008

21. 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

22. 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.

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

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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

27. 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

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