Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day in Lithuania

The project SIC LT II is a continuation of the Safer Internet LT SIC project, which has been implemented in 2011-2012 in Lithuania. The Safer Internet consortium in Lithuania has recently increased its activities, and there are now four official partners:

• Awareness Centre - Centre of Information Technologies of Education (CITE)
• Hotline - Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (RRT)
• Helpline - NGO “Vaikų linija” (Child Line)
• Training Centre - NGO “Langas į ateitį” (Window to the Future).
• Centre of Information Technology of Education under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania (CITE) – is a project coordinator, responsible for the activities of Safer Internet Centre. CITE initiates and coordinates the work of various national and private organizations in the process of computerizing of educational and education administration agencies. It develops, accumulates, and disseminates computerized learning tools, administrates educational information systems and develops and supervises the computer networks in education.
• Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (RRT) – one of the Safer Internet project beneficiaries, responsible for the operations of the hotline. RRT is the national regulator which coordinates the work among others about consumer education and raising awareness, reduction of negative impact of network and information security incidents and illegal content. Among its tasks are also the management of network and information security incidents (CERT functions), the encouragement of the development of legal and standardization measures of networks and information security.
• Association “Langas į ateitį” (LIA) – is one of the Safer Internet project beneficiaries in Lithuania responsible for the awareness centre’s activities. Non-profit NGO “Langas į ateitį” has been initiated in Lithuania in 2002 by  socially responsible business companies which,  cooperating with local and central government integrating  private, state and EU funds, is actively involved in the development of information society in Lithuania. Its mission is to increase the accessibility of internet and e-services in Lithuania by providing computer literacy and Internet trainings, establishing public internet access points, stimulating the growth of e-services countrywide and encouraging safe usage of ICT.
• NGO; (Childline) provides the helpline functions from July 2011. Childline provides emotional support for children and adolescents in Lithuania for more than 15 years. Childline provides counselling for children and adolescents from all over of Lithuania: via phone every day 11a.m. - 9 p.m. by free-toll number 116 111 and via Internet at www.vaikulinija.lt . All new counsellors have to go through the training for about 5 months. Qualification and knowledge on “Safety on Internet” topic of the existing consultants is being continuously improved during the case study analysis, seminars, monthly meetings of counsellors and other workshops. The new program is being implemented from September 2012. Moreover, Childline implements the Anti-bullying campaign and organizes different anti-bullying events.

The objectives of the project 

The project aims to increase public awareness about harmful content and conduct on internet, promote a safer online environment and provide the public with a contact point to report illegal and harmful content and conduct. Special focus is put on child sexual abuse material, grooming and cyber bullying.

SIC LT II launched two already traditional competitions for the children and youth. The first one is "Safer internet events in my school" aimed to promote  SID 2013 in a various ways. The second is the creative comics competition of Lithuanian students' "Net etiquette".

"Net etiquette" topic reflects on SID 2013 slogan - Connect with respect!

According to the 2013 SID theme and slogan, Lithuanian Safer internet project team encourages Lithuanian students to fill out online questionnaire where they would offer proposals about "Net etiquette". Selected proposals will be offered online for Lithuanian students to vote, and the most popular proposals will be endorsed Lithuanian students during the 2013 SID national conference and youth forum.

The questionnaire you can find on internet webpage: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDkwZHVsMnZtTGdVczVQck1QU05SeEE6MA

2013 SID national conference and youth forum will be commemorated simultaneously between 4 largest cities of Lithuania: Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai, and streamed-live via internet.

The winners of those competitions will be awarded at this event.

Calendar of SID 2013 Events in Lithuania:

• February 5. Parents will be able to monitor on-line lecture about children's safety in cyberspace and the dangers of it. This lecture will be offered by the association "Langas į ateitį" and Lithuanian Helpline "Childline", and will be available to download from the Safer internet project website: www.draugiskasinternetas.lt and project partners' websites.
  
• February 5. Lithuanian teachers and social workers will be able to register to renewed online course "What teachers should know about the internet threats?". The course is proposed by the by the association "Langas į ateitį".
  
• February 5. Association "Langas į ateitį" will introduce a test for the children and youth "Are you safe online?".
  
• February 8. National TV will broadcast TV-show "Tūkstantmečio vaikai" where will be children's online safety discussed.
  
• February - March. Foster home workers will be able to participate at the training seminars about safe internet use, security of personal data, social networking, and protecting children from online threats.

Educational and awareness raising materials

One of the main awareness-raising tools in Lithuania is the National Safer Internet website, which is dedicated to disseminating all of the consortium’s safer internet awareness-raising resources and related activities. Find out more on webpage, Insafe Newsletter 74, Lithuania develops awareness-raising materials how the Safer Internet consortium in Lithuania has recently increased its activities.

Supporting and cooperating institutions and organizations 

• The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania
• The Office of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics of the Republic of Lithuania
• Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania
• The Children’s Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Lithuania
• Lithuanian Human Rights League
• UAB "Bitė Lietuva"
• UAB "Microsoft Lietuva"
• TEO LT, AB
• UAB "Omnitel" 
• The Association "Infobalt"
• Lithuanian university of educational sciences - association of Lithuanian social pedagogues
• The Information Society Development Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania 
• Lithuanian National Radio and Television

Informational sponsor of the project – Lithuanian National Radio and Television