A Recap Of Safer Internet Day Forum 2022

Each year on Safer Internet Day, millions of people join forces “Together for a better internet” to inspire positive change online, raise awareness of online safety issues, and participate in activities across the globe. This year on World Safer Internet Day Child Online Africa, Africa Telecommunications Union and ITU Regional Office for Africa with partners like Africa Digital Rights Hub, MTN Ghana, Nigerian Communications Commission among other collaborators organize a multi-stakeholder forum to mark the day. (Africa Safer Internet Day Forum #ASID2022)

The Forum started with Open Remarks from Madam Awo Aidam Amenyah from Child Online Africa. She highlighted three key activities for the celebration of the theme: Together For a Better Internet which were

• Holding country-level community Score Card to assess online safety and digital resilience of Internet users in Africa Under 12years.
• Africa Safer Internet Day Forum aimed at working with young people and hearing from them about their idea of Safer Internet.
• Promoting the digital citizenship assessment which is aimed at measuring the individual’s level of knowledge and personality as they engage online.

John Omo (Secretary-General of Africa Telecommunication Union) stated that “The importance of internet safety cannot be underestimated as mentioned and it is critical indeed that not all users feel safe but are safe.” A better and safer internet is a better Africa for us all. According to the Secretary General; the fact that the campaign to inspire positive change online and raise awareness on online safety issues attracts the involvement of more than 200 countries every year, is encouraging. Even more encouraging is the choice to focus on Digital Index Measurement with specific attention to Child Online Safety & Digital Enablement and Resilience. These are crucial areas that share both high possibilities of vulnerability and high prospects of being redefined in extremely positive ways.

Cyber Security Lead Mr Sege Valery Zongo of the International Telecommunications Union Regional Office in Africa who deputized for the Regional Director Ms.Anne-Rachel Inne delivered the keynote address on her behalf on the theme: Together for a better Internet through the COP Initiative. In the address he stated that protecting Children online must continue to be a priority with a careful balance between the effort to promote opportunities for Children online and the threats they face online and in doing so we can all ensure the right to stay safely online and create the condition under which they can participate in and create the relevant space in the digital world.

There were 3 panel discussions on with focus on :1. Education and Research could be transformational in promoting a better Internet.

The speakers were Dr Boakye Yiadom the Director- General and Senior Research Fellow at the institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) who spoke about How to improve our Pedagogy as far as teaching and learning in ICT and behavioural patterns are concerned. He also stated that one requires knowledge through learning.

Dr Evelyn Kissi who is an African tri-citizen, Black Disability and Transnational scholar of Ghana, Nigeria and Canada, mentioned that in discussing safer internet day supporting each other is important who is at what level. How can we share. How can we use advocacy? How can we use education and experience to support each other so there we can all get to where we are supposed to get to.

Dr. Hezron Zacharia Onditi is a Lecturer in Educational and Developmental Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies, and Director for Undergraduate Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam College of Education, Tanzania. He received his PhD in Human Development, Learning and Culture from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada and MA in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

The second panel of the three panel discussion focused on: Parents at the frontline in the home and Teachers at school for a better Internet. The speakers for the second panel discussion were Mr Abae Maro — a Parent from Kenya, Ms. Rose Nyawuto — Headmistress/Parent from Ghana, and Mr. Adam Aboubakar an Educator from Nigeria. A parent from Zimbabwe who seemed to be having connectivity challenges.

Abae Maro from Kenya mentioned that it’s really a challenge because access to internet has become very easy so when it comes to issues of controls? However, for we as parent we try to check for example the kind of games that our child wants to play, check the merits and see if there isn’t any violence in it.

Where we need support is the need for collaborations between parents and teachers.

Rose Nyawuto mentioned that Children in this modern day are surrounded by technology. There is a way we have to control our kids. We have to focus on the positives.

As a parent I monitor them

1. When they are online

2. I’m also friends with some of their online friends

3. Educating them not to interact with strangers

4. Reporting cyberbullying

As a teacher or administrator in Ghana, we have a code of conduct in schools that doesn’t allow children to bring mobile phones. What I want from the policymakers is to come out if to withdraw that document and allow students to use phones so we can monitor the use of phones it help us in a long way.

Adam Abubakar also mentioned that there are many advantages in which we encourage our students to use the internet by serious supervision.

The third-panel discussion with a focus on industries provision discussed: Tackling Child Online Protection and resilience building for a better Internet.

What industry’s inclusive solution to the consumers especially children and young people in achieving a better internet.

The Forum ended with concluding remarks from some participants on the question How are initiatives by service providers informed by Research use.

Madam Awo Aidam Amenyah gave the concluding remarks citing a couple of key things that came up in the Forum.

• Every intervention we are putting forward should be backed by research.
• A call for us to team up, stay committed and procreate
• There was also the need to promote parent-teacher collaboration.
• There is also the need to encourage frequent regular training and capacity building for the parent, teachers and children themselves
• We should not just monitor the Children. Let’s supervise them as well.