ASEAn Foundation Includes ICT Programs in Its Priorities

Jakarta - The ASEAN Foundation has included Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development in its priorities, according to Dr. Makarim Wibisono, the foundation's executive director. Speaking at a meeting with delegations from Microsoft Asia Pacific and Indonesia, Info Exchange Australia, and Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa, here recently, Makarim said backbone support of a modern organization, planning and maintaining ICT infrastructure and program was very important. The gathering was to discuss the future ICT plan and program of ASEAN Foundation that support the ICT development in ASEAN region leading toward the establishment of the ASEAN Community, the ASEAN foundation said in a press statement here on Tuesday. The ASEAN Foundation as one of the regional organization that focus also on ICT development program for community is very aware the important of that matter, according to Dr. Makarim. Dr. Makarim Wibisono in his welcoming remarks highlighted the importance of developing ICT for the future of Southeast Asia. This is In-line with the mandate of ASEAN Foundation, which to help reducing poverty of ASEAN people through capacity building activities. Since 2005 the ASEAN Foundation has developed many ICT programs that benefited directly to the grass-root people of ASEAN. Activities such as conducting ICT trainings, seminars and technical research to utilize the ICT for health issues, among others, are the main programs that have been and currently being implemented by the ASEAN Foundation. All these activities cannot be done without the support given by the ASEAN Foundation network partners such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and IDRC Canada, he said. There are more than 5000 people from ASEAN member countries participated and directly benefited from the ICT program of ASEAN Foundation. However, this number is still small compare to the hundreds millions of ASEAN citizens. Taking into account this fact, the ASEAN Foundation has many other plans to develop more ICT projects in the future for several areas, such as e-learning for education, ICT for health issue and ICT to support natural disaster management that recently happened frequently in the ASEAN region, he stated.