BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Dipl. Media Science, studied Applied Media Sciences at the Technical University Ilmenau with a major in Media Communication; additional European studies; 2003 foreign study semester at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. 2003/2004 project assistance at Volkswagen Autoeuropa in Portugal; 2002 – 2006 academic assistant in the faculty for Empirical Media Research / Political Communication, TU Ilmenau. Since 2006 PR Officer at the Department for Media Literacy/Open Channels at the Media Authority of Rhineland-Palatinate (Landeszentrale für Medien und Kommunikation, LMK), within the German Awareness Centre klicksafe.


ABSTRACT

29 September, Wednesday, 9.45 – 10.00

Plenary session: A presentation of the Polish and German Safer Internet Centres

The EC Safer Internet Programme was set up with young internet users in mind. New media play an ever increasing role in their lives, while the virtual world blends with their everyday reality at every turn. The internet, while creating unlimited opportunities for accessing knowledge and opening new ways of communication and social contacts, also poses a range of threats that could compromise the safety of its users. This is why children, parents, caretakers and teachers need support in gaining knowledge about online threats and help in order to competently deal with e.g. cyber crime. This was the aim of the Safer Internet programme initiated in 1999 by the European Commission.

In Poland, the programme has been implemented since 2005 by the Polish Safer Internet Programme Centre run together by the Research and Academic Computer Network and the Nobody's Children Foundation. The main Partner of the Centre is the Orange Foundation. The Polish Centre organizes a number of educational events, including conferences and trainings for teachers, law enforcement representatives and other institutions involved in activities aimed at improving internet safety. Moreover the Polish Centre prepares educational materials and organizes social media campaigns. The Centre is also involved in combating illegal internet content (Dyżurnet.pl Hotline) and providing support whenever the young internet users' safety is at risk (Helpline.org.pl).

The internet is a phenomenon without boundaries, hence the importance of the international dimension of the project. The INSAFE network that gathers awareness-raising projects and the INHOPE association that unites Hotlines make possible the exchange of experience and expert knowledge, as well as a more effective battle against illegal content. One example of close international cooperation is the "Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online" conference organized together with the German klicksafe project.

klicksafe is since 2004 the German Awareness Centre within the EC’s Safer Internet Programme. Implementation of the raising awareness tasks is done by informing about various topics on the klicksafe website, by development of materials for the target groups, by train-the-trainer concepts for e.g. parents or teachers, and by a broad public campaign (e.g. with the klicksafe clip “Where is Klaus?”). Another important aspect of the work of klicksafe is cooperation with partners both on national and European level. klicksafe is implemented by the Media Authority of Rhineland-Palatinate (Landeszentrale für Medien und Kommunikation (LMK) Rheinland-Pfalz - coordination) and the Media Authority of North-Rhine Westphalia (Landesanstalt für Medien NRW (LfM).

The presentation will be aimed at outlining the key issues tackled as part of the Safer Internet programme and drawing attention to the international cooperation in fighting for a safer cyberspace.