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The Cyprus Safer Internet Centre has been active in Cyprus since 2006. The Center has been created as a part of the Cyberethics project which is co-funded by the Safer Internet Plus Programme of the European Commission. Cyprus Safer Internet Center is a consortium made of five partners which are Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute, Ministry of Education and Culture – Cyprus Pedagocial Institute, CYTA – Cyprus Telecommunication Authority, The Olive Branch Foundation and the Pancyprian Coordinating Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The Center serves as an Awareness Node along with it’s Hotline and the Helpline. The Helpline has been active since 2009 while the Hotline has been active since 2006. The centre undertakes various awareness raising activities along with the Hotline and Helpline services it provides. Through out aforementioned Cyberethics project Cyprus Safer Internet Centre, its partners, associated partners and advisory board have generated a widespread network across Europe on Internet Safety issues. Therefore, the Centre can serve as a link between the Commonwealth Initiative and the European Union for the good information flow amongst each other mainly on best practices in individual countries. Cyprus Safer Internet Centre can also willingly share the resources and experiences obtained during the course of the six years of implementing the Cyberethics project.
Mission & Objectives
“CyberEthics” concerns with the safe use of Internet in Cyprus, and serves the needs of all people that live on the island (i.e., also Turkish Cypriots and other minorities) addressing not only issues of pornography, but also racism (currently on the rise in Cyprus), gender discrimination and inappropriate use of peoples’ images. It operates as a combined Awareness Node and a Hotline.
The project also aims to engage actors from the government and the civil society, thus contributing towards the eradication of cyber crime through informed actions of European citizens and public institutions that aim to change behaviours, mentality and attitudes, giving special emphasis to rural and less developed areas of the country.
The project is co-funded by the Safer Internet plus Programme of the European Commission.
Its objective is to:
- Act as node of awareness network in Cyprus.
- Devise a cohesive, hard-hitting and targeted awareness campaign using the most appropriate media, taking into account best practice and experience in other countries.
- Establish and maintain a partnership (formal or informal) with key players (government agencies, press and media groups, ISP associations, users organisations, education stakeholders) and actions in their country relating to safer use of Internet and new media.
- Promote dialogue and exchange of information notably between stakeholders from the education and technological fields.
- Where appropriate, cooperate with work in areas related to the Safer Internet plus programme such as in the wider field of media and information literacy or consumer protection.
- Inform users about European filtering software and services and about hotlines and self-regulation schemes.
- Actively cooperate with other national nodes in the European network by exchanging information about best practices, participating in meetings and designing and implementing a European approach, adapted as necessary for national linguistic and cultural preferences.
- Provide a pool of expertise and technical assistance to start-up awareness nodes (new nodes could be ‘adopted’ by a more experienced node).
- Take an active part in European-level events and in the organisation of national, regional and local events for the Safer Internet Day.
- Cooperate with the hotline present in the country, if any, and Europe Direct.
Products of the Cyberethics project
The Cyberethics project has created numerous products, promotional materials and resources to promote its message. Some are named and linked below:
- Cyberethics toolbar
- [http://www.cyberethics.info/cyethics1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=50&lang=en Cyberethics Fairytales
- [http://www.cyberethics.info/cyethics1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76&Itemid=47&lang=en Cyberethics Videos and Animations
- Cyberethics Leaflets
- [http://www.cyberethics.info/cyethics1/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=3:awareness-tools&Itemid=142&lang=en Cyberethics Promotional Materials
- [1] and many more