Funding is now open to to improve digital inclusion of Aotearoa New Zealand’s ethnic communities. The Fund aims to ensure ethnic communities can fully participate in Aotearoa New Zealand by increasing their confidence using digital technologies.
Anusha Guler, Executive Director of the Office of Ethnic Communities, says that the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown brought to light the already significant impact of digital exclusion for our ethnic communities – those who identify as African, Asian, Continental European, Latin American and Middle Eastern.
The priorities of the Fund are to ensure that our communities:
- have the skills and digital know-how to use digital technology and the internet in ways that are appropriate and beneficial;
- are motivated to understand how digital technology and the internet can help them connect, learn or access opportunities; and
- trust the Internet and online services, and have the confidence and digital literacy to manage personal information; and
- understand and avoid scams, harmful content and misleading information.
The Fund is worth a total of $200,000 and applications are open until 28 April 2021.
More information is available at https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/our-programmes/ethnic-communities-digital-inclusion-fund/
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