To monitor and tackle the issue, the pan-European Insafe network organized on 6 February, the fourth edition of Safer Internet Day, once again held under the patronage of Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media.
More than 120 organisations in 43 countries across the world celebrated the Day with hundreds of multi-national, national and local events. Alongside the 24 European Union countries and another dozen countries that celebrated the event last year, a number of newcomers joined this year’s line-up, amongst them Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Panama and Turkey.
A worldwide blogathon was once again the international highlight of the day. The 2007 edition debated the theme “Crossing Borders” and examined more closely user rights and responsibilities on the internet. Commissioner Reding underlined the importance of this: “Starting as an initiative in 2004, Safer Internet Day became a major annual event crowning the awareness activities of Insafe, the European safer internet network. The growing network of nodes from Europe and beyond has a mission to promote media literacy and the safe, ethical and efficient use of the internet and mobile phones."
Mrs Reding launched the blog in Brussels in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and immediately passed the relay to New Zealand to start a westward journey across the world through Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe then over to South America, Canada and the USA. This year’s blog features more than a hundred projects realized by schools on the topics ePrivacy, netiquette, and the power of images.
Insafe, the European network of Safer Internet nodes that organises Safer Internet Day every year, released further findings from the international survey of young people’s behaviour when using cutting edge communication technologies on February 6. For an overview of the days' events and further survey results, see www.saferinternet.org
Further information:
European Schoolnet
Janice Richardson
Tel: +32 790 75 75
info-insafe@eun.org
Media room – press kit for journalists:
Sofia.Aslanidou@eun.org Online survey:
Alexa.Joyce@eun.org
Insafe:
www.saferinternet.org
National nodes of Insafe:
http://www.saferinternet.org/ww/en/pub/insafe/focus.htm
Safer Internet Day Blogathon:
blog.eun.org/SID2007
EU Safer Internet Programme:
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/sip/index_en.htm
eTwinning: (partner in the Safer Internet Day competition for schools)
www.eTwinningnet
About European Schoolnet:
European Schoolnet is a unique non-profit consortium of 28 ministries of education in Europe created in 1997. It provides major European education portals for teaching, learning and collaboration and leads the way in bringing about change in schooling through the use of new technology.European Schoolnet coordinates the European Safer Internet network, Insafe.
About Insafe:
European Schoolnet coordinates the European Safer Internet network, Insafe, which aims to empower citizens to use the Internet, as well as other information and communication technologies, safely, ethically and effectively. The network is funded by the European Commission’s Directorate General for the Information Society and Media. It comprises 26 national nodes which work together in close partnership in 24 countries across Europe and with three associated nodes, in Argentina, Australia and the USA.
