Grant hopes to help bridge digital divide<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A globalized world also means a globalized learning ground.
\nPeople learn lessons of life not only from those around them but
\nthrough the information spewed out constantly by television,
\nradio and increasingly through the Internet.<\/p>\n
For those of us not yet on that bandwagon, Samsung Electronics
\nhas offered a US$600,000 grant for organizations in eight Asia-
\nPacific countries that support the use of technology to improve
\nthe lives of youth and to help bridge the digital divide.<\/p>\n
The grant will be the Korea-based electronics company's single
\nlargest social program outside of Korea, and is targeted at
\nyouths in Australia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the
\nPhilippines, Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"Ensuring that all young people have equal access to
\ninformation technology is an increasingly important issue for the
\nfuture development of the Asia-Pacific region,\" the executive
\nsecretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission
\nfor Asia and the Pacific, Kim Hak-Su, said in his address at the
\nlaunch of the grant program.<\/p>\n
Kim will also be the chairman of the regional judging
\ncommittee for the program, called Samsung DigitAll Hope 2003.<\/p>\n
Youths in the eight countries are being targeted because they
\nhave \"given the company such great success and the youth here,
\nwith so many ambitions, dreams and aspirations, should be given
\nthe chance to achieve greatness\", president and CEO of Samsung
\nAsia, and a member of the regional judging committee, Kwang-Soo
\nKim said.<\/p>\n
Those eligible to apply for the grant are registered
\ncharities, non-governmental organizations, development institutes
\nand educational institutions.<\/p>\n
Projects should be innovative, sustainable and have a
\nsignificant impact on youths and communities.<\/p>\n
Applications should address the use of technology to either
\nimprove the lives of youth, improve or expand the provision of
\nservices such as education, or broaden the horizons of youth, Lee
\nKang Hyun, Samsung Electronic Indonesia's sales and marketing
\ndirector, said.<\/p>\n
He also said ongoing and newly founded youth projects would be
\nconsidered for grants.<\/p>\n
Submitted project proposals will be evaluated by independent
\njudging committees in each of the eight countries. Ten of the
\nprojects will be submitted to the regional judging committee for
\nfinal evaluation, and eight will be eligible for monetary and
\nproduct awards.<\/p>\n
On the regional judging committee, besides Kim Hak-Su and
\nKwang-Soo Kim, are Pairash Thajchayapong, president of Thailand's
\nNational Science and Technology Development Agency; John Rimmer,
\nCEO of Australia's National Office for Information Economy; and
\nVerghese Kurien, chairman of AMUL, India.<\/p>\n
Also sitting on the committee are Estrella Fagela Alabastro,
\nsecretary for the Philippine's Department of Science and
\nTechnology; Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Lim Kok Wing, president of
\nMalaysian Design Technology Center and the president of
\nLimkokwing University College of Creative Technology; Nguyen Ngoc
\nGiao, chairman of the Alliance of Association of Technique and
\nScience for Hochiminh City, Vietnam; and Leo Wee Hin Tan,
\ndirector of the National Institute of Education, Nanyang
\nTechnological University, Singapore.<\/p>\n
Projects proposals should be submitted before July 11, 2003,
\nto the Samsung Electronics office of each country. In Indonesia
\nthe office is located at Plaza Dua Mutiara, 16th Floor, Jl. Jend.
\nSudirman Kav. 25, Jakarta 12920. Grant recipients will be
\nannounced in early August 2003.<\/p>\n
i-box:<\/p>\n
For more information on Samsung DigitAll Hope visit
\nwww.samsung.com.sg\/hope.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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