European Ministerial e-Inclusion Conference & Expo, 30 November - 2 December - Europe's Information Society Thematic Portal

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VIENNA 2008 :: the Awards village

The e-inclusion Awards

The European Commission has established the e-Inclusion Awards to raise awareness, encourage participation and recognise excellence and good practice in using ICT and digital technology to tackle social and digital exclusion across Europe.
 

The scheme ran for the first time in 2008 and was open to organisations from Europe from all sectors: government and public, business and private, non-governmental and voluntary. 469 organisations entered in total.

The finalists

35 finalists (five per each of the seven categories - see below for details) were invited to exhibit their project at the Ministerial Conference on e-Inclusion in Vienna on 30 November - 2 December 2008 and were presented with a medal for their achievements.

View pictures of the finalists at their stands, receiving their medals from Antti Peltomäki, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for the Information Society and Media, European Commission, and Gérard Comyn, Acting Director of the Directorate for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Citizens and Businesses, also of the Directorate General for Information Society and Media.

The winners

The seven Award winners (one for each category) were announced on 1 December during an evening ceremony and dinner (View pictures). They had been selected for their innovative uses of Information and Communication Technologies. Read the press release.

See the thirty-five initiatives and the seven winners, by category:

Ageing Well Award

AWARD WINNER: NeAT & WSD - London Borough of Newham (United Kingdom)

still from the video presenting Newham's projectClick on the picture to view a short film on the project - plays as windows media video (WMV)

London Borough of Newham created the NeAT and WSD programmes to improve the quality of life of older, frailer citizens, helping them to remain in their homes and active community members for longer. Over the past 18 months, London Borough of Newham has installed more than 2,500 tele-care systems which do not require any training to operate – remote wireless sensors react automatically to notify healthcare providers of any alerts or concerns. The initiative will also provide important information to evaluate the financial and societal impact of tele-care and tele-health services. To date, the NeAT and WSD programmes have helped reduce the number of admissions of elderly people into long-term residential care by more than 40%.

 

Finalists:

Marginalised Young People Award

AWARD WINNER: Shadow World project - A-Clinic Foundation (Finland)

still from the video presenting the Shadow world projectClick on the picture to view a short film on the project - plays as windows media video (WMV)  

A-Clinic Foundation has used its Shadow World project to reach out to 11-15 year old Finnish youths suffering from parental substance misuse. The organisation has created an interactive website to support a Manga-style comic book that provides vulnerable and isolated children knowledge about their options for seeking help. Through the website, children are able to create and tell their story in a written or comic book format – a creative way to express their feelings and share their experiences. An online forum also provides children with the opportunity to speak to others in the same position.

 

Finalists:

Geographic Inclusion Award

AWARD WINNER: Nopola News (Finland)

still from the video presenting the Nopola News projectClick on the picture to view a short film on the project - plays as windows media video (WMV)  

Nopola News is an online news portal that was created as a cost effective and innovative way of providing local news and information to a small, outstretched community. Through the use of civic journalism, the town of Kyyjarvi (population 1,600) can read and contribute to the news site. The simple and clever architecture and editing system has encouraged a wide range of citizens to learn how to use computers and the internet. The site has also prompted 300 of the town’s elderly residents to learn computer skills to help them play a more active part in the digital community. Young through to old use and contribute to the site. Every month 100 new articles will appear on the site and 160,000 articles will be read.

 

Finalists:

Cultural Diversity Award

AWARD WINNER: ConnectMK/Digital MK - Milton Keynes Council (United Kingdom)

still from the video presenting Milton Keynes' projectClick on the picture to view a short film on the project - plays as windows media video (WMV)  

The Connect MK / Digital MK projects were set up to help create a digitally and socially inclusive modern city. Through the initiative, the city has adopted a number of initiatives which include:

The Council has also become the first in the world to be authorised by Microsoft to provide social software licences.

 

Finalists:

Digital Literacy Award

AWARD WINNER: Window to the Future project - Association "Langas i ateiti" (Lithuania)

still from the video presenting the Window to the future projectClick on the picture to view a short film on the project - plays as windows media video (WMV) 

Window 2 Future was the outcome of public and private sectors joining forces to create a program that would promote the development of an information society for the future success of Lithuania. It started by providing public information access points and stimulating the growth of eservices nationwide, however it was the Computer Literacy Basics for a Lithuanian ECitizen initiative that delivered the greatest results. Since 2006, over 50,400 people have been coached and tutored to use computers. More than 85% of those tutored, mainly 40-59 year olds living in small regions and towns, now use their own PC at home and are sharing their knowledge with family and friends.

 

Finalists:

E-Accessibility Award

Inclusive Public Services Award