Database of online media literacy initiatives in Belgium

Belgium has a fragmented landscape of initiatives related to online safety due to a lack of collaboration or dialogue. Many of the existing initiatives concerning eSafety are mostly unknown among the general public, which makes it very difficult for the Belgian citizen to find his or her way in the landscape of eSafety initiatives. Additionally, many initiatives are very small and operate on a fragmented and a local level.
 
Date 2016-08-26 Author Belgian Safer Internet Centre
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However, research shows that these small and local initiatives often succeed in having a high impact on learning (Mariën et al., 2010). That is why Child Focus, in collaboration with actors from Flanders and the French speaking community, decided to initiate an expert consortium - the Belgian Better Internet Consortium - to create a Belgian platform of collaboration between all Belgian actors and stakeholders involved in eSafety and online media literacy. Such a consortium gathers and streamlines all experts and expertise, but also encourages them to concretely work together by taking joint initiatives. In order to guarantee the quality of the consortium and to meet proven needs, the creation was preceded by a qualitative mapping of all relevant stakeholders and existing resources.
 
On the Flemish side, the Knowledge Centre for Media Literacy (IMinds.be (Mediawijs.be)), project partner of Child Focus, has established a database covering as many as 250 initiatives at national, regional and local level related to media (and ICT) literacy in Flanders. Since no official database of online media literacy existed in the other part of the country, Média Animation, project partner of Child Focus, took the responsibility to do the same for the French speaking community. The mapping had the ambition to define, situate and describe the existing practices and actors concerning online safety and online media literacy in the French and German speaking community.
 
The mapping was analysed and brought together in a single report, which provided recommendations for the establishment of the expert consortium. The report is available here. You may also consult the summary in French and Dutch.
 
Find out more about the work of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services.
 
 

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