Jordan

The Government of Jordan is taking steps to integrate the use of ICT in national development programmes. Within this context a national network of Jordanian Information Technology Community Centers (JITCC) is being set up, covering the entire country. UNDP is the principal partner of the Jordanian Government in this programme. which will involve private sector and civil society as well.

Volunteers affiliated with UNITeS have collaborated in this far-reaching programme from its earliest phases:

• A international UNITeS UNV specialist working in a similar initiative in Egypt (Technology Access Community Centers, or TACCs) undertook two missions to Jordan in September and November of 2000. His main tasks were (1) to share experience from the Egypt project in the design of the telecenter network in Jordan, introducing potential roles of volunteers in telecenters; (2) to explore with Jordanian authorities and UNDP Amman possibilities of support from Volunteers that are part of UNITeS to the national development plans.
• Two national UNITeS UNV specialists were recruited to support the first telecenter in Jordan, located in the viillage of Safawi, in the isolated Bedouin-populated area of the Northern Badia. One is an ICT specialist, and will support the ICT infrastructure of the center. The other is a Gender specialist, and will (1) work with women in the community for them to benefit from the telecenters and (2) provide outreach to the community in general.