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Thursday, December 7, 2006 – The Ministry of Social Transformation is
seeking to take the idea of community centres to another level. An initiative
which has already begun in the community of La Maz in Choiseul, the ministry
hopes, will change the community center perception to a Community Resource
Internet Center or CORIC.
Minister for Social Transformation, Local Government and Culture Honourable
Menissa Rambally said several communities are earmarked to benefit from the
initiative, which was piloted in Choiseul nearly two months ago.
The centres, the minister said, will provide an opportunity for small
communities to get involved in the information technology process.
“These centres will be equipped with computers, internet access and a range of
services to provide training opportunities for these small communities. That is
a special initiative that has been establish by the ministry. We hope that in
the next few weeks we will see a number of those information centres being
set-up at a number of our existing community facilities,” the minister said.
The Minister says communities such as La Maz are particularly targeted at first
because of the wide digital gap between them and urban communities. Bridging
that digital divide, she said, is top priority for government as it further
develops the informatics sector.
“Government's initiative is to ensure that technology is available through the
length and breadth of the island. Our ministry is playing a part to reach out to
small communities and these information centres will be used not only by
children but, as this it has proven, by the elderly as well,” she said.
Minister Rambally said her ministry intends to continue to collaborate with the
private sector to ensure the initiative is sustained and continue to introduce
new types of programmes and activities to these rural communities, so they can
keep in touch with the new technologies that are constantly being introduced to
the market.
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