Film and Publication Board launches Back-2-School Campaign on Safer Internet Day, across four African Countries
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) will launch its Back-2-School campaign on 10 February 2015, in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, Department of Communications, Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Digital You, Childline SA, Google, Media Monitoring Africa, SaveTNet and UNISA Youth Research Unit, at the Ster Kinekor Head Offices in Sandton.
The campaign, which will run until 28 February 2015, will be themed, “Let’s create a better internet together,” and this is the theme for Safer Internet Day (SID), a global event organised by In Safe, held in over 100 countries annually. SID has been celebrated since 2004, and falls on the second day, of the second week, of the second month of the year. It seeks to promote safer and more responsible use of online technologies and mobile phones, especially amongst children and youth.
The launch which will see 100 learners and 10 educators from 10 schools learn about cyber safety, aims to ensure that learners and educators are informed about their choices and the dangers and risks when engaging in online activity. The day’s activities will see the partners’ present five broad mediums in the form of workshops: Film, Social Media, Mobile, Mass Media and Community. South African learners will conduct a Google Hangout with learners in Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria. They will also conduct a movie screening, where they will get to classify a movie.
“As an organization, the FPB seeks to protect children from exposure to harmful materials. To achieve this, we raise awareness of the regulatory framework, through programmes and outreach activities such as our Back-2-School Campaign. In so doing, we ensure that learners, educators, care givers, parents and ultimately South Africans, are sensitized about the risks of the cyber world, but that they are also informed about responsible digital engagement,” says FPB CEO Mr. Themba Wakashe.
The phase two of the Back-2-School campaign will roll out to KwaZulu-Natal province from the 18 - 20 February. The three day outreach programme will target 1250 learners and 300 Educators and will be run in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. It will leverage the departments Social Ills Campaign, whose slogan, “Be Part of the Change You Want to See,” encourages people to be part of the fight against social ills (drugs and substance abuse, domestic violence, alcohol, and teenage pregnancy), with phase three taking place from 25-28 February 2015 in the Eastern Cape.
“We are excited to have Safer Internet Day take place in four countries across the continent simultaneously for the first time this year which will include South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya. We hope to use Hangouts as a way to show learners how technology can be used in a positive light,” comments Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Public Policy and Government Relations Manager, Google South Africa.
"Cyberspace has no boundaries and by uniting with like-minded countries and organisations, we can promote responsible digital engagement. The youth need to realise that their value is not determined by social media platforms. We have the power to create positive content, while influencing society and the organisations that create these remarkable platforms we use," says Rianette Leibowitz from SaveTNet.
The FPB will conduct cyber safety awareness and education campaigns throughout the year, to fulfill its mandate to ensure that children are protected from viewing potentially harmful, disturbing or inappropriate material.
