The Cabildo de Gran Canaria is funding a diagnosis to identify the resources and challenges for the development of citizen participation in the digital sphere, whose ultimate goal is to promote active cybercitizenship and digital ethics among the island’s youth population, thanks to the contributions of at least sixty professionals and representatives of the associative and educational spheres.
This project, called ‘Digital ethics and participative cybercitizenship’ and promoted by the Opciónate association, has the support of the Citizen Participation Department of the Cabildo’s Presidency Council, through the 2022 call for subsidies for the promotion of citizen participation and the strengthening of associations, aimed at foundations, associations, federations, confederations and non-profit organisations.
The central work of this project will be a study based on the experience and suggestions of people specialised in the fields of digital citizenship, education or the island’s associative world, among others. To this end, they will complete an online questionnaire and will also be invited to the face-to-face working sessions to exchange experiences, challenges, initiatives and proposals.
With all the information and results obtained, a report will be prepared and published, which will be widely disseminated on the website and social networks of the entity, and other communication channels, to reach the widest possible audience and give a boost to citizen participation and digital democracy through the use of Relationship, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In addition, a public presentation will be organised, inviting all participating individuals and organisations.
One of the main objectives of the initiative is to promote an online space focused on coexistence, with a focus on human rights, diversity, interculturality and gender equality. And all of this from a greater knowledge of rights and duties, as well as existing platforms for social influence, in addition to the prevention and elimination of cybercrime, hate speech and false information.
The project is based on the premise that the digital space offers countless opportunities for citizen participation and their contribution to the improvement of public policies. However, the young population is largely unaware of many of these possibilities that are crucial for the construction of democracy and that can also be exercised through the TRICs.
Ultimately, this action is framed within the objectives of the Gran Canaria 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, whose priorities include equality in diversity, the community approach, education for equality and against the gender gap or digital transformation, and participatory public governance, with the elements of transparency and accountability in public management.
