Session
European Schoolnet - Insafe
Sabrina Vorbau, European Schoolnet - Insafe, Civil society, Western Europe
- Manuela Marta, DG CNECT, European Commission
- David Wright, Southwest Grid for Learning/Safer Internet Centre UK, Civil Society, Western Europe
- Deborah Vassallo, Emergency Oncall/BeSmartOnline! Safer Internet Centre Malta, Inter-governmental organization, Western Europe
- Evangelia Daskalaki, FORTH/Safer Internet Centre Greece, Inter-governmental organization, Western Europe
- Sofia Rasgado, Centro Nacional de Cibersegurança/Safer Internet Centre Portugal, Governmental organization, Western Europe
- Julia Piechna and Anna Rywcynska, NASK/Safer Internet Centre Poland, Civil Society, Central Europe
Julia Piechna and Anna Rywcynska
Sabrina Vorbau
Sabrina Vorbau
Targets: The targets selected are primarily #4. Quality Education as well as #5. Gender Equality Through their work, the Insafe network and national Safer Internet Centres aim to support children and young people growing up in today’s digital world. Making them aware of all the opportunities the internet has to offer (e.g. learning, creating and communication with on another) while being mindful of potential risks and harms (e.g. cyberbullying, hate speech, sexting). By targeting certain eco-systems that young people grow-up in, such as the family household, schools and leisure environments (e.g. youth and sports clubs), SICs not only address children and young people but also actively engage parents, educators, social workers and other caregivers to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (SDG Goal #4). Furthermore, while trying to promote an inclusive internet full of opportunities, SICs are also aiming to empower vulnerable groups such as girls/women, children and young people from rural areas or lower income households as well as refugee children (SDG Goal #5).
Presentations, followed by interactive panel discussion and Q&A with the audience
English
This day 0 event will be organized by the Insafe network, the Network of European Safer Internet Centres (SIC). Safer Internet Centres focus on raising awareness and understanding of safer internet issues and emerging trends. They run campaigns to empower children, young people, parents, carers and teachers with the skills, knowledge and strategies to stay safe online and take advantage of the opportunities that internet and mobile technology provides. During the session, participants will hear about best practices, interesting resources and informative campaigns from Safer Internet Centres in Poland, Portugal, Greece, Malta and the UK. Moreover, as part of the session, the Insafe network coordinator will present the newly adopted European strategy for a Better Internet for Kids (BIK+), which aims to improve age-appropriate digital services and to ensure that every child is protected, empowered and respected online. In synergy BIK+ will encourage youth-led activities so children and young people engage positively and critically in the digital environment on topics relevant for the young generation such as cybersecurity, ethics, and sustainable development. Give its importance this session also aims to discuss the impact and implementation at a global scale. The session will conclude with a Q&A. Relevant links for this session:
- The Insafe network: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/en/policy/insafe-inhope
- The new BIK+ strategy: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/en/policy/newbikstrategy
- SIC UK: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/sic/united-kingdom
- SIC Malta: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/sic/malta
- SIC Greece: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/sic/greece
- SIC Portugal: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/sic/portugal
- SIC Poland: https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/en/sic/poland
1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees? Having a dedicated online moderator for this session who will also be physically present in the workshop room will help to ensure that on-site discussions and questions be brought to those participating online. 2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants? Regular ‘breaks’ will be made between the presentations giving the on-site and online participants time to intervene and raise any questions and comments they may have. In addition, a dedicated session hashtag will be launched for participants to tweet about the workshop online. The organizer will nominate a dedicated Twitter moderator to facilitate tweets and conversations online. 3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session. As mentioned above, Twitter will be used as an additional tool/platform for participants to engage in the session topic and conversation. For this the Safer Internet Day Twitter account (@safeinternetday) will be used, that currently has 48,5k followers and is managed by the session organizer.
Report
Joint multi-stakeholder efforts are needed to ensure a safer and better internet for all children and young people globally. Pan-European and global networks, like the Insafe-INHOPE network, are crucial to achieve this goal.
Online safety also means emotional and physical safety, hence work of national helplines and hotlines are crucial.
Youth participation and empowerment need to be put into tangible action. Young people need to be given appropriate platforms to voice their opinion when decision on online safety policies are made or new products/tools are designed.
The session presented the work of the Insafe network, the network of European Safer Internet Centres (SICs), in particular the work of the Greek, Maltese, Portuguese, Polish and UK SICs, outlining their national services and resources. Moreover, SICs are also collaborating with "like-minded" organisations in EU neighbor or third countries, mainly on the occasion of Safer Internet Day (SID) which has become a global celebration by today.
In addition, the new Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy (launched by the European Commission in May 2022) was presented building on three key pillars: youth protection, youth empowerment and youth participation. The BIK+ strategy puts active youth participation at it's core action, though the session outlined that a multi-stakeholder approach is needed to make this a reality.
Hence, this day 0 event stimulated further ideas and collaboration opportunities at a global scale.