After the success of the first phase, CyberPeace Foundation and WhatsApp today announced the launch of the second phase of its 'Cyber Ethics and Online Safety Programme' for students. The programme will be extended to Assam, Rajasthan and Gujarat and aims to reach 10,000 students on important topics related to CyberSecurity and Online Safety.
Launched in consultation with UNICEF and state police authorities, the programme will train teachers, parents and students using a co-created curriculum and equip them with tips and tricks to increase online safety for children. At the end of these training sessions, the participants will create a 'CyberPeace Club' to ensure that this knowledge is further institutionalised and manage a repository of guidance that other students can refer to for boosting online safety.
Speaking about the successful culmination of the first phase while launching the second leg of the program, Captain Vineet Kumar said, "At CyberPeace Foundation, our mission and values are aligned as we continue to establish frameworks and disciplines to minimise online harms and maximise the benefits that technology enables and equips people with. We value this important association that empowers people with education about Digital Citizenship, Cyber Ethics, Online Safety and Cyber Security."
Shivnath Thukral, Director Public Policy, WhatsApp India, "The response to the first phase of our partnership with CyberPeace Foundation has been encouraging with the immense impact it has generated around the important issue of online safety. In the last one year, particularly during the pandemic, people's time spent online increased tremendously. As a leading messaging service in the consumer-tech space, we think it is now more important than ever to champion digital citizenship and we are sincerely invested in driving awareness about online safety and cyber security."
To mark the culmination of the first phase, CyberPeace Foundation organised a National Consultation on 'Curtailing Crimes against Children in Digital Spaces' that explored the roles of various stakeholders and identified strategies to create safe digital spaces for children. Many dignitaries from various organisations including the Ministry, Academia and LEA joined the discussion and suggested wonderful ways that one can ensure to have a safe, peaceful and resilient cyberspace.
