SEEDIG 2018 | Programme details

13, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 35, 37, 39, 53, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 74, 77, 79** (see the list of proposals)

Multiple documents adopted by international organisations (such as the UN, the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament) have recognised that the same rights that humans have offline should also be protected online. However, the interplay between rights and responsibilities on the Internet may result in contradictory needs and behaviours. This world cafe session will focus on these contradicting needs and wants, around three themes:

•     Freedom of expression online & access to information
•     Children’s rights online
•     Gender rights online

Digital rights, access to information, freedom of expression online, gender rights online, trust online, privacy, children’s rights online, consent, digital awareness, censorship

The session will focus on digital rights in SEE in the context of digital awareness, which is an indicator of the digitalisation of societies. The readiness to use the Internet and understanding the rights and risks associated with this use will be discussed, while focusing on social and legal gaps in protecting the right to freedom of expression and access to information, children rights, and women rights online.

The needs and wants of governments, companies, and end users can easily clash when it comes to digital rights. How can we further and sustain a multistakeholder dialogue while looking to balance human rights and freedoms and the legitimate interests of other stakeholders? How do we approach problems faced in SEE and neighbouring areas, including but not restricted to: child safety online and parental awareness, restrictive legislative practices and Internet access, and gender rights online.

World Café: Pick a theme and join the group to discuss. Pick the second theme and rotate.

• Freedom of expression & access to information
• Children rights
• Gender rights

As groups pick from three main topics to discuss, rapporteurs will take notes for key messages, suggestions, and best practices. Groups will rotate through the session to discuss different topics, notes from all groups will be read out to all session participants at the end of the session, aiming for a rough consensus among attendees. Messages will be incorporated into the SEEDIG 2018 report to be presented to relevant stakeholders at related forums.

Moderator: Su Sonia Herring, Youth IGF Turkey

Facilitators:

• Freedom of expression & access to information: Tanja Kerševan Smokvina, Media Governance Institute, University of Maribor, Slovenia
• Children rights: Sabrina Vorbau, European Schoolnet, Belgium
• Gender rights: Valentina Pellizzer, Association for Progressive Communications, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Online moderator: Nikoleta Krstić, University of Ljubljana, Serbia

Rapporteurs: 

• Freedom of expression & access to information: Virginija Balčiūnaitė, Young European Leadership, Lithuania
• Children rights: Charalampos Kyritsis, University of Athens, Greece
• Gender rights: Claudia Scandol, Young European Leadership, Netherlands

• The Internet has helped people discover who they really are, even gender- and sexually -wise, so it should stay open as a space for discovery and discussion.
• Internet companies need to play a more active role in fighting gender-based online violence that occurs on their platforms.
• All stakeholders should strengthen cooperation with one another and share best practices in order to ensure child safety online.  Especially youth, parents and educators must be made aware of possible risks online for children.
• Keys to safeguard freedom of expression and tackle disinformation are awareness and education: media literacy and critical thinking must be top priorities from early ages

Team leads:

• Valida Hromadžić, One World Platform, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Team members:

• Virginija Balciunaite, Young European Leadership
• Natalia Filina, Russian Federation
• Olga Kyryliuk, NGO ‘Digital Defenders Partners’, Ukraine
• Anna Romandash, Digital Communications Network, Ukraine
• Claudia Scandol, Young European Leadership
• Amali de Silva-Mitchell, United Kingdom
• Sabrina Vorbau, European Schoolnet
• Aamir Ullah Khan, Kocaeli University, Turkey

Contact points:

• Su Sonia Herring (Executive Committee member)
• Charalampos Kyritsis (intern)