Indonesia’s JaWAra Internet Sehat Wins Top Prize at WSIS+20 Forum

Geneva, INTI – Indonesian Minister of Communication and Informatics, Budi Arie Setiadi, extended his congratulations and appreciation to JaWAra Internet Sehat for winning the top prize in the C4 – Capacity Building category at the WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2024. The award ceremony took place on May 28, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland.

JaWAra Internet Sehat, a digital literacy program initiated by ICT Watch in collaboration with WhatsApp Indonesia, received support from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), UNICEF Indonesia, the National Digital Literacy Movement (GNLD) Siberkreasi, and Relawan TIK. The program involves 160 young people from across Indonesia, promoting digital literacy through a localized approach, making it more accessible and acceptable to the community.

Minister Budi Arie, who attended the award ceremony, expressed his high appreciation for the initiative. “Digital literacy is a priority agenda that requires collective effort from all stakeholders. Therefore, I highly appreciate ICT Watch's initiative through the JaWAra Internet Sehat program. This program has made a tangible contribution to improving digital literacy in Indonesia,” he stated. He also congratulated ICT Watch, WhatsApp Indonesia, and all JaWAra Internet Sehat participants on the award received from the UN. “I hope this initiative from Indonesia can inspire the world and, of course, continue to have a positive impact on Indonesian society,” he added.

The award was presented by the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, to the Executive Director of ICT Watch, Indriyatno Banyumurti, the initiator of JaWAra Internet Sehat. Minister Budi Arie's presence at the award ceremony was also supported by the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to Geneva.

The WSIS Prizes competition features 18 categories of programs and initiatives, each with one main Winner and four Champions. Winners are determined through an initial verification process, online voting, and final assessment by a panel of experts appointed by the ITU – UN.

This achievement marks another milestone for Indonesia at the WSIS Prizes. As the Winner, JaWAra Internet Sehat has demonstrated outstanding work and performance, surpassing 360 other nominated programs in the WSIS Prizes 2024.