GOW 2011 in Latvia was organized and coordinated by LIKTA (Latvian Information and communication Technology Association) in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment and Regional Development of Latvia. The aim of Latvia’s Get Online Week was to raise awareness of the importance of e-skills for citizens and SME’s and involve the people who have never used computer and Internet and introduce citizens and entrepreneurs to new e-services.

The results were impressive: More than 41.000 people – including 2.900 who used computer and internet for the first time in their lives – took part in cities and rural regions all over Latvia.  More than 200 partners were involved in the organization: ministries, ICT companies, municipalities, schools and libraries. There were 709 special events organized, for all kind of audiences. Live interactive internet broadcasting seminars and discussions were organized on February 28, March 1, March 3 and March 4.

Mara Jakobsone, Vice-President of LIKTA said: “My organization provides continuing support to people to start or continue their journey into the digital world and help to learn about new e-services. Integration into the information society saves time and money for citizens and SMEs, but it also potentially saves their respective governments millions of Euros. In Latvia the 200.000 people who used the online census during Get Online Week rather than the paper census will have saved my government millions of Euros. The support of online government services is an important role that telecentres can play for their citizens and governments.”

» Download the complete report of Get Online Week 2011 in Latvia