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General News of Friday, February 1, 2019
Source: 3news.com
2019-02-01
Safer Internet Day was launched on Thursday 31 January
Child Online Africa (COA) has observed how technology is being used to facilitate kidnappings in Ghana and has therefore called for the promotion of self-awareness and vigilance among young people.
Awo Aidam Amenyah, Executive Director of Child Online Africa, who called for proactive and dedicated action to prevent abductions, reiterated the need for young people to become aware of their own safety.
She was speaking at the launch this year of Safer Internet Day in Africa, Accra.
The Safer Internet Day (SID) is seen as one of the strategic opportunities to engage with children and young people in their responsible use of the technology space.
"Internet, and from elsewhere, the online world is very large and borderless, and difficult to control. Therefore, our only best option is the education and awareness of our children and our youth, to enable them to access the online world responsibly, "said Awo Aidam Amenyah.
Below is his complete statement
Recently, the media told us that many of our young girls had been abducted. In some cases, girls have been missing for five months and still count.
According to the various accounts, it appeared that some of the kidnappings may have been technologically facilitated. This requires proactive and dedicated action to promote self-awareness and alertness, especially among young people, so that they become aware of their own safety.
The Safer Internet Day (SID) is one of the strategic opportunities we have to engage in dialogue with children and young people about their responsible use of the technology space. Internet, and from elsewhere, the online world is very large and borderless, and hard to control. Therefore, our only best option is the education and awareness of our children and youth, empowering them to access the online world responsibly.
This is one of the main reasons why Child Online Africa has decided to scale up and expand its advocacy work for online child safety beyond the borders of Ghana and in the rest of Africa.
SID is a flagship campaign conducted locally through several Safer Internet Centers (in Europe) and its Safer Internet Day Committees (beyond Europe). the European Commission). Each year in February, the day is marked by the promotion of safer and more responsible use of online technologies and mobile phones, especially among children and young people around the world.
Although the campaign started in Europe in 2004, it has grown from year to year since and has been celebrated in more than 140 countries in 2018.
With the support of some of you from government, the private sector, law enforcement, civil society, etc., we have been on this path for 5 years and in our fifth year we are expanding in other countries with the social gospel of internet security.
We named it #SIDAfrica because it has a unique culture and context for the debate on the responsible use of ICT. Therefore, it will be necessary to design an awareness forum to meet the particular needs of the continent. The content of #SIDAfrica is inspired by the office of the European Commissioner for Electronic Security in Australia and the European Commission.
It is in this spirit of the global theme of # SID2019: "Together for a Better Internet", that we encouraged all Africans to collaborate with their communities and to encourage each other in the awareness of developing in our children the Essential Skills of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, REASONING AND RESILIENCE (the 4Rs) needed to navigate the online world.
We would like to point out that in the past five years, this event would not have been possible without the tremendous support of SID Partners such as: World Vision International (WVI), Facebook, the Media Foundation for the 39 West Africa (MFWA), Plan International, Mutichoice Africa, MTN Ghana Foundation, Innovare Learning. Previously, it was Tigo, Vodafone, FirstBanC Group, National Authority of Communication. With strategic partners such as the Commission of the African Union, the National Commission on Civic Education, the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Communications, IVYLEE PR Advisory, the Department of Childhood Ministry of Gender, Youth Protection and Social Protection and the Data Protection Commission.
On the whole, Uganda Communications Commission – Uganda
Defense for Children International and the Ministry of Information and Communications – Sierra Leone.
Private Public Development Center and Initiative for the Society of Food, Environment and Health (IFEHS) – Nigeria.
ThomiAfrica – South Africa
A common future – Cameroon
National Federation of Organizations for the Defense of the Rights of the Child (FENADEB) – Burundi.
Mtoto News and CSO Forum – East Africa Region.
Brighter Initiative for Revitalization and Development (IBRD-Liberia) – Liberia.
Trace Kenya – Kenya
Federation of Disabled People – Gambia
Association of Basic Education – Ethiopia.
National Council of Childhood and Motherhood – Egypt.
In our opinion, it is difficult to hold anyone or institution responsible for protecting children and young people online. But we believe that protecting our children in the digital space is and remains a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play, so let's come together "Together for a better Internet". # SID2019 #SIDAfrica #SIDGhana www.childonlineafrica.org/sidafrica
As in previous years, this year's event will take place simultaneously in more than three hundred (300) communities and about two hundred (200) districts of the country, as part of the strategic partnership of our new partner, the National Commission for Development. NCCE civic education) and the Children's Department. We plan to directly reach more than thirty thousand (30,000) children and youth across Ghana.
We want to encourage our media partners to use and use your platforms to support this course. Help us give our kids the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe online.
# SID2019 #SIDAfrica #SIDGhana
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