Romania
Project start - end date (duration)
01/09/2008 – 31/08/2010 (24 months)
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The overall objective of the Romanian Programme - Saferinternet RO AN-HL-HELP - is to promote internet safety for children by establishing a Romanian combined node consisting of a Hotline, a Helpline and awareness activities. It aims to provide teachers, parents and child protection specialists with knowledge and tools to protect their children in the new technological environment. The node is created by a consortium comprising two non-governmental organisations - Save the Children Romania as a National Coordinator, Focus Romania - Hotline Coordinator and the company Positive Media, with extensive expertise in areas directly connected to children’s rights, child protection and current new information technologies.
 The awareness node is providing, in an organised and comprehensive way, useful information regarding the ways of avoiding the online risks that children are exposed to, through extensive web based awareness and PR campaigns in e-media: on-line publications, e-zones, websites for parents, educators and children, forums and blogs, adword campaigns, online banner campaigns, online clip campaigns, e-mailing campaigns and a continuous web presence.
 The involvement of parents and teachers will include, from the beginning of 2009, pilot activities to raise awareness, debates, contests and training courses about safety issues for adults and minors and about the responsible use of the internet. The node also aims to empower children and young people to play an active role and educate older generations about new media, through small projects initiated and coordinated by children.
The multi-stakeholder approach (the Advisory Board acting as a national reference point and a discussion platform) makes possible professional exchange and open dialogue among representatives of the educational community, political decision-makers, media and technical industry. Based on members' professional expertise, the Advisory Board is seen as a main promoter of the best technical and legal solutions.
Drawing on the good practices of other nodes, the Romanian awareness node will progress more effectively by stages and inform the Romanian public about the advantages of the internet and the use of mobile technology. Children and adults may benefit from these advantages provided they are aware of the risks and are able to avoid them.
The goal of the Romanian Helpline is to provide children, parents and professionals (teachers, counsellors, social workers and others involved in activities related to child welfare) with helpful and reliable information that is easily understood according to their age. It will function as a safer internet advisory service. All the counsellors (3 operators) and volunteers are provided with the necessary training, continuous support and materials on children's internet use and internet safety. Volunteers are selected within the SC Romania volunteer programme.
The Hotline is a civil contact point which provides internet users with the possibility of reporting any material of a child abusive nature (chatboxes, sites, discussion groups, e-mails) and also for reporting other types of illegal content. The information received is transmitted to the Fight against Cyber Crime Service of the Romanian Police, where it is examined. As stipulated in a protocol of collaboration signed between the Romanian Police and The Romanian Centre for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children – FOCUS, the Police Service has to confirm the reception of the information and the way with which it has been dealt by Police specialists.
The Helpline and the Hotline will be functional at the end of 2008.
The Consortium:
Contacts:
- Coordinator: George Roman
- Hotline Coordinator: Liliana Rosu
- Technical Manager: Giana Ianau
Links: http://www.sigur.info/
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