Free E-mail Service Creates Online Community in Armenia

In Armenia, where more than half the country lives below the poverty line, only the privileged have Internet connections at home. The relatively inexpensive Internet cafés (at about US $.60 cents per hour) therefore have become a place where many Armenians can meet each other and the rest of the world online. And when they log on, most get connected to the world through a Freenet account.

The Armenian Freenet (ArmFN) was created in the framework of the UNDP Armenia Internet Project in 1997 and was the first Internet Service Provider available in the Armenian language. Freenet offers free email, free web hosting and free dial-up access to individuals; non-profit organisations; education and research organisations; Government and other institutions. Needless to say, this has made Freenet a popular service with more than 20,000 subscribers and 100 new applications for service every day.

According to UNDP, Freenet is used as a vehicle for putting Armenian citizens in touch with one another, with the rest of the world, and with their own government.

"One of Freenet's first expansions was to create 'Forum.am' with a facilitator who monitored debates and commentary on issues such as human rights and on constitutional amendments. But more recently, it launched programmes designed to put citizens in touch with their government through 'e-Governance.'

In the northern town of Vanadzor, Freenet started its e-Governance programme in cooperation with Project Harmony, an agency that administers US State Department technology grants, and which had established Internet service in the northern region. While Freenet created a means for providing government-related information, Project Harmony created a way of delivering it."

Freenet also provides opportunities for cultural and artistic expression. For example, the website for the literary magazine "Bnagir" is hosted with Freenet.

"Bnagir editor Violet Grigoryan says the literary magazine switched its online publication to Freenet three years ago, saving itself the $60 per year domain fee. There is no censorship, she says, but the site does have a warning that some content may be offensive or inappropriate for minors."

“The Internet gives the feeling of democracy," says, Mr. Darbinyan, UNDP ICT for Development project coordinator. "It is very important for developing a civil society. It gives a certain level of transparency and maybe, eventually, there will be less corruption. The Internet gives that openness. Real freedom is being provided."

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