17 Oct Challenges and proposals for an engaged digital citizenship

17 Oct, 2024

The “Summit of Engaged Digital Citizenship” was a unique event that combined the ALL DIGITAL Summit of the pan-European association ALL DIGITAL with the Digital Rights Forum organised by Fundación Esplai and the Red Conecta Platform. This joint Summit fostered the shared mission of connecting citizens and stakeholders around key themes of digital transformation, inclusion, and ethics. It served as a platform to explore advancements in digital rights and skills while fostering the development of a conscious and engaged digital society.

The rapid evolution of technology and the increasing digitalization of our lives call for spaces dedicated to dialogue and collaboration. These forums provide opportunities to share knowledge, discuss digital rights, and propose innovative solutions. By addressing the digital divide, they strengthen civic engagement and social cohesion, empowering citizens to become more active, skilled, and prepared to face the challenges of the digital age.

We are dedicated to bringing awareness and skills to citizens.

The Summit addressed a wide range of topics, including digital social innovation, well-being, digital rights, cybersecurity, ethics, sustainability, the environment, media, artificial intelligence, and computer literacy. Its goal was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors, conditions, and enablers that allow individuals to navigate and thrive in the digital world.

As part of the Summit, the Ibero-American Forum “Doing Politics Together” was also held. This forum focused on promoting essential 21st-century skills among youth, leveraging sports and technology as effective tools for improving employability, access to education, and overall well-being. It also aimed to enhance their participation as active citizens in society.

Based on the contributions of hundreds of individuals and organisations from over 50 countries, structured across four thematic streams, we have identified the following challenges and propose the corresponding solutions:

1. Fostering the Digital Society. It involves analysing the social and environmental impact of technological development, and how this is achieved by guaranteeing the social inclusion of all people, under criteria of diversity, accessibility and equity. The digital society, like the rest of the communities, must be governed by ethical principles, where educational standards and empathetic relationships that favour constructive spaces are followed. We propose:

• To assess the environmental impact of technology: develop strategies that measure and minimize the environmental impact of technological development.
• To promote empathy in the digital environment: foster digital interactions based on respect in online coexistence spaces.

2. Educating in Media Literacy, Data and Artificial Intelligence. It means equipping people with the skills to engage critically in the digital world. By empowering people, they can better cope with the complexities of the digital age, make informed decisions and contribute positively to society. We propose:

• To develop critical thinking about information: design workshops on disinformation and train citizens to identify fake news.
• To reduce digital skills inequalities: facilitate access to digital resources and train people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.

3. Defending Digital Rights, Online Safety and Digital Wellbeing. Digital Rights focus on ensuring respect and freedom for people in the digital sphere. Online security involves the creation of a safe digital environment where citizens are protected from cyber threats and educated on responsible habits. Well-being in the digital context refers to the impact of digital technologies on people’s psychological health. We propose:

• To ensure data protection and online privacy: create stricter regulations to protect people’s privacy from cyber threats.
• To promote digital well-being and respect in the digital environment: train for the healthy and balanced use of technologies developed with criteria of respect for people, based on the design of activities that teach how to interact safely and respectfully in digital environments.

4. Promoting Digital Social Innovation. Social innovation comes from people and involves harnessing digital technologies to address societal challenges and improve the well-being of communities. This includes all sectors of society to leverage digital social innovation for improved competitiveness, efficiency and effectiveness. We propose:

• To develop technologies for social good: foster the creation of technological solutions that address specific social problems and accompany citizens in their use.
• To foster citizen empowerment through technology: develop digital platforms that enable people to actively participate in the co-creation of solutions for their communities.

Shared challenges

Providing digital skills to all individuals and groups, without exception, is crucial for fostering empowered citizens. These citizens must be aware of the opportunities and possibilities presented by digital transformation, self-aware of their needs and rights, and capable of actively engaging in adapting to rapid technological changes. This is essential to ensure their full inclusion in society.

For this reason, we call for:

• To incorporate ethical principles and pursue inclusive use in technological development: promote the creation of technologies with universal design criteria that respect diversity and accessibility, ensuring that they are inclusive and equitable for all groups.
• To promote the ethical and inclusive use of Artificial Intelligence: seek a more decentralised and inclusive vision of AI that reflects the needs and desires of the educational community.
• To bridge the digital divide: implement policies that ensure equitable access to digital resources for disadvantaged groups and the improvement of their skills.
• To foster digital well-being: ensure that digital technologies improve people’s quality of life without compromising their physical or mental health.

FULL DOCUMENT

Madrid, October 17, 2024

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Press release Map the Digital Gap: Are you a clumsy creator? ALL DIGITAL Policy Statement on Media Literacy and Digital Skills for Active Citizenship Digital skills acquired through non-formal education boost youth employability (Telecentre-Europe’s’s policy position) Enabling European E-Participation (Telecentre-Europe’s policy position)