European Safer Internet Day 2009

In the case of schools, the Seguranet (site in Portuguese) team, the Internet Segura (Safer Net) (site in Portuguese) project component operating out of the Ministry of Education, launched activities with pupils and/or parents and guardians (in Portuguese) for the week of 9th to 13th February, which contribute to critical, aware and safe Internet use. Microsoft mobilised roughly 35 voluntary monitoring staff to galvanise Internet Safety actions in different schools more or less throughout the country.

Following previous initiatives (in Portuguese), the Internet Segura (Safer Net) (site in Portuguese) project, together with the Internet Spaces Network (site in Portuguese), promotes the spreading of different awareness-raising/training actions in the roughly 1,170 Internet Spaces throughout the country, in municipalities, public libraries, social solidarity institutions, e-Inclusion centres, job and professional training centres, cultural and leisure organisations and Ciência Viva centres. The development of activities in Internet Spaces is a powerful instrument for inclusion and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) penetration.  

In addition to the awareness-raising/training actions being instituted in the Internet Spaces throughout the year with the support of the Internet Segura (Safer Net) (site in Portuguese) and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), other actions are planned for 10th February.

In particular, there will be a webcast programme on 10th February 2009 with the following schedule:

• 10:00 - 10:30 – Safety on the Internet
  Promoting body: Seguranet
• 10:45 - 12:00 – ATL Senior – Safer Internet Special (site in Portuguese)
  Promoting body: Centro de Ciência Viva – Pavilhão do Conhecimento
• 15:00 - 15:30 –Internet Safety (repeat)
  Promoting body: Seguranet
• 16:00 - 17:00 – Awareness-raising action on Internet Safety
  Promoting body: Aveiro Municipal Digital Internet Space
• 18:30 - 19:30 – Class for the Senior University on Internet Segura (Safer Internet)
  Promoting body: Loures Municipality Senior University Academy of Knowledge Internet Space.

On the Safer Internet Project

Use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has profoundly altered the way people live – how they learn, work, spend their free time and interact, both in terms of personal relationships and organisations.

As well as all the possibilities and benefits of ICT use, namely access to knowledge, collaboration between people and organisations, social inclusion and wealth creation, we must ensure, as with other means of interaction, that there are appropriate mechanisms and strategies to minimise possible abuse or illegal aspects stemming from the use of these technologies.

Actually, extending Internet use and access to the benefits it enables would benefit from better general clarification on how to use the Internet more safely.

The Internet Segura (Safer Internet) project was publicly presented in July 2007. It is the responsibility of a consortium coordinated by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) which also involves the Directorate-General for Curricular Innovation and Development at the Ministry of Education, the Foundation for National Scientific Computation (FCCN) and Microsoft Portugal.

Safer Internet project sites on the topic:

• www.InternetSegura.pt (site in Portuguese) - National portal with information on the projects, tips for safe surfing and user resources;
• www.Seguranet.pt (site in Portuguese) - Site dedicated to the topic of Internet Segura (Safer Internet) for the school community: schools, teachers, pupils and parents, guardians and relatives of pupils;
• http://LinhaAlerta.internetsegura.pt (site in Portuguese) - Internet Segura (Safer Internet) project service to report illegal content.