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His Excellency, the Prime Minister will on Saturday 14th October at 12.00 formally open the first of 10 Macedonia Surfing event, which is organised by the USAID e-Gov Project to inform about and encourage the usage of ICT. The event will take place on the main square in Skopje.

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Road Show Introduces Macedonians to the Internet - October 14 - 31, 2006

(November 2, 2006) Macedonian citizens young and old got a crash course in how to use the Internet during a road show held by Internews Network’s e-Gov Project in ten cities of Macedonia October 14-31. In each town, visitors to the "Macedonia Surfing" road show, guided by IT students, learned how to get online on one of the many Internet-connected computers that were set up. The road show was co-sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, which also provided all the computers, and by Microsoft Corporation.

In Bitola several Roma children who had never before used a computer opened their first email accounts and sent messages to the President of the Republic.

In Skopje, the elderly "Dedo" (Grandfather) Stavre held his first computer mouse, and spoke with his adult daughter in Australia via the Skype peer-to-peer Voice over IP (VoIP) network. “This takes me back to the time when I went to first grade, learning how to write and read," he said. "I just applied for e-banking service which will help me not to stand in long lines to collect my retirement check every month.”

In his speech opening the road show in Skopje, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski emphasized the importance of the Internet and other communications technologies to Macedonia's development, saying, "We acknowledge the need to urgently and continually invest in information and communications technology to enable Macedonia and its citizens a connection with the modern information technologies in Europe and worldwide."

According to InternetWorldStats, Macedonia has an Internet penetration rate of only around 19%. The road show was intended to introduce more Macedonian citizens to information and communications technology.

“The key people in the 'Macedonia Surfing' road show are the citizens of Macedonia, who deserve to benefit from all the improvements to their daily life ICT services can bring,” said Jerker Torngren, Chief of Party of the e-Gov Project. “Through 'Macedonia Surfing' we would like to encourage everyone to use all these services."

After opening in the capital of Skopje, the road show continued on to Bitola, Ohrid, Shtip, Strumica, Veles, Kumanovo, Kavadarci, Resen and Kocani. The event was well-attended by people from a range of ages and ethnic backgrounds, including many members of Macedonia's Roma community.

At the opening of the road show in Resen, Mayor Dimitar Buzlevski, said, “The town of Resen is creating a strategy for e-Municipality that will improve the communication between the citizens and the local government office, as well as with the business community. Thanks to 'Macedonia Surfing' I know that our dream about modern Resen and modern Macedonia is coming true."

The e-Gov Project, implemented by Internews Network and funded by the US Agency for International Development, develops and implements e-government solutions in order to improve transparency and efficiency in Macedonia's public sector.

The Chief of Party, Mr. Jerker Torngren welcomes the Prime Minister, Mr. Nikola Gruevski to the first of "Macedonia Surfing" Events.

In his speech, Mr. Torngren apologized to the Prime Minister but informed him that he wasn't the key person at the event but all the citizens that deserve to benefit from the improvements to their daily life ICT services can bring.


With the Macedonia Surfing the e-Gov team would like to encourage everyone to use all these services. Individuals, so far unfamiliar with surfing on the net will be guided on a trip into the fantastic IT world, filled by information and pleasure.

 

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Skopje Mayor, Trifun Kostovski and USAID Macedonia Acting Mission Director Tim Donnay, enjoyed surfing on one of the computers connected to the internet.

The Macedonia Surfing tent had a number of computers connected to the internet for any one to surf on.


 

From right to left - Tim Donnay, Nikola Gruevski, Trifun Kostovski and Jerker Torngren simultaneously cutting the red ribbon in Skopje


"Good winds are on their way. Soo let's go surfing together" ….. Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of R.Macedonia

 

Assisted by the e-Gov Deputy Chief of Party Jovce Plastinovski, dedo* (grandfather) Stavre for the first time touched a computer mouse, and talked to his daughter, living in Australia, via Skype.



"This takes me back at the time when I went to first grade. When I learned how to write and read. Just applied for e-Banking service which will help me not to stand in long lines to collect my retirement check every month.

*dedo = Macedonian language term for grandfather



 

Ivona, Anja and Sasha explored the world of Barbie on- line.


If it is to judge from the expression on their faces we know we have three more ICT users to add. While learning how to make the on-line Barbie change her dress and put new make-up they are learning how to use the computer and at same time learn English language

 

e-Gov Project is implemented by Internews Network
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