Appendix 1: Digital Citizenship Stakeholder Meeting: Findings from the Digital Citizenship and Participation Mapping Exercise (Brussels, February 2023)

Digital technologies have revolutionised the way citizens engage in different fields and directions. Through the adoption of digital tools and platforms, individuals can now actively contribute and collaborate in a faster and more efficient manner. Whether it be civic participation, political activism, social causes, or professional collaborations, the possibilities for digital engagement are vast.

The Digital Citizenship stakeholder meeting organised in February 2023 served as a platform to delve deeper into this vital aspect of the digital age, with a particular emphasis on mapping the models and pillars that underpin digital participation.

During the meeting, stakeholders placed special emphasis on exploring the key pillars that facilitate effective digital participation. These pillars serve as guiding principles to explain, promote, invite, support, empower, connect, and mobilise citizens in the digital realm. By further exploring these pillars, individuals can harness the full potential of digital technologies to participate more efficiently in various domains, thereby shaping the future of our digital society.

A crucial finding from the meeting is that digital participation empowers citizens to engage more efficiently and effectively across diverse domains, fostering an elevated level of involvement. An important question that lingers is whether digital participation empowers individuals more or fosters greater group participation.

Some of the mapped examples include:

1. Access to Information in the Digital Era

Considering a human rights approach and the imperative of protecting rights, access to information becomes paramount. Digital technologies play a pivotal role in facilitating swift access to various types of information, including comprehensive documents as well as brief explanations on various matters spanning a multitude of fields and originating from diverse corners of the world. Consequently, digital technologies have substantially enhanced accessibility, empowering individuals with a wealth of information.

Furthermore, this development has significantly bolstered the transparency of governmental and institutional operations. Various levels of authorities now routinely release information through their digital platforms, enabling citizens to access it at their convenience, regardless of their location. Nonetheless, while transparency has been enhanced, there still exists a critical challenge in ensuring accessibility and user-friendliness, particularly in terms of language barriers. For instance, platforms like NETFU documentaries serve as examples of this accessibility.

Moreover, the digital landscape has witnessed the emergence of novel platforms, profiles, and tools dedicated to facilitating user-friendly understanding of diverse information, while also emphasising its quality and reliability. While it is true that misinformation and disinformation proliferate across various topics, there are also platforms dedicated to offering trustworthy and critical perspectives on information.  Additionally, numerous fact-checking platforms have emerged to counter falsehoods by providing factual and reliable information to the public. For instance, KRITIČKI.ME serves as an example of such a youth-led platform.