Brussels, Regione Umbria Brussels Office – December 9, 2024 – ALL DIGITAL convened a significant event to inaugurate their policy paper, Challenges and Proposals for an Engaged Digital Citizenship. As the document, this gathering spotlighted the critical issue of digital competencies in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. 

The event unfolded in two parts. The first one provided an overview of the policy paper, its objectives, and its scope. The second one featured an engaging policy panel discussion with experts, including: 

• Thibaut Kleiner, Director for Policy, Strategy, and Outreach at the European Commission’s DG Connect; 
• Vania Neto, EMEA Skilling Lead at Microsoft; 
• Christoph Kaletka, Deputy Director of the Social Research Center at the Technical University of Dortmund; 
• Janine Patricia Santos, Policy Advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi).

The discussion focused on four thematic streams aimed at promoting digital citizenship:

– Fostering a Digital Society: Prioritizing inclusion, accessibility, and equity while minimizing the environmental impact of technological development; promoting empathy in digital environments as a central theme. 

– Educating in Media, Data, and AI Education: Equipping citizens with critical thinking skills to navigate information, make informed decisions, and bridge digital skill gaps; emphasized the need to make more digital resources accessible, in parallel with reducing inequality.

– Defending EU Digital Rights: Ensuring online safety, privacy, and digital well-being while addressing challenges such as data protection and censorship. 

– Promoting Digital Social Innovation: Leveraging technology to address societal challenges and empower civil society. 

Key Takeaways from the Panel Discussions:  

Thibaut Kleiner opened the session by presenting the EU Vision for Digital Transformation (2022) document summary, which emphasizes a human-centered, secure, and sustainable digital environment. Kleiner highlighted five guiding principles: inclusion, solidarity, freedom of choice, safety, and sustainability. Underlining the ongoing digital divide, the speaker called for equitable access to connectivity and devices, and introduced the concept of a Digital Citizenship Wallet. 

Vania Neto addressed the importance of lifelong learning, media literacy, and understanding AI’s role in society. The expert highlighted sustainability issues related to powering devices and combating digital crimes like phishing and fraudm and shared a 5-hour-free training initiative, AI Skills 4 All Initiative, a free course that makes learning AI simple, practical, and accessible for everyone, no tech expertise required.

Janine Patricia Santos delved into civil society’s participation in digital policy-making. The author spotlighted issues like the “GDPR vs. AI dilemma” and the challenges faced by marginalised communities. She also emphazised the necessity of fostering critical thinking, empathy, and safeguarding online safety without exclusionary practices, and digital education for younger people related to online maturity on social media platforms. 

Christoph Kaletka explored innovative practices for addressing complex societal challenges. Kaletka discussed the transformative power of digitalisation, the importance of knowledge-sharing ecosystems, and the evolving role of AI as a new dimension of human interaction. 

The moderator, Altheo Valentini, President of ALL DIGITAL, summarised the key policy recommendations for 2025, with a focus on ethical principles and human-centric technological development. He underlined the need for solidarity, inclusion, sustainability, and civic participation as pillars of digital policy frameworks. 

After the panel discussion, the Q&A session brought critical issues to light, such as gender inclusion in tech fields and biases in education systems. Panelists called for systemic changes to encourage women to pursue careers in technology and advocated for integrating AI and robotics into education to enhance digital maturity across all societal levels. 

The event concluded with remarks from David Mekkaoui, who will assume the role of CEO at ALL DIGITAL starting from January 1, 2025. He reiterated the organisation’s commitment to building a digitally inclusive future for all. 

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📲 The full photo album is available HERE under CC BY-NC-SA License.🔎 Info:creativecommons.org

📢 Report & Pics: Michele Pasquale & Apolline Sparre / EfVET

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