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UNESCO and the Communications Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil form a partnership to promote rights in the digital environment and combat disinformation
UNESCO in Brazil, the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil (SECOM/PR), and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE) signed on Thursday (26/10) the Technical Cooperation Project International “Promoting access to information, the exercise of rights, the fight against disinformation and the defense of democracy”. The initiative seeks to promote the protection and promotion of rights in the digital environment, focusing on media and information literacy, freedom of expression, and combating disinformation.
Our cooperation document focuses a lot on media and information literacy because just as people become literate to master the language of a certain language, they need to become literate to navigate social networks. We need to create skills that allow people to know how to use the internet, the available knowledge, quickly, with the speed at which information travels, but with due care that they do not reproduce misinformation
The Director also stated that the work to be developed with SECOM is strategic, not only for Brazil but is capable of inspiring other countries, “because what Brazil does may reverberate throughout the world”.
The project, which will be developed over three years, seeks to promote the expansion of media education, the protection of rights in the digital environment, the strengthening of the sustainability of public interest journalism, the promotion of plurality and diversity of voices, the defense and promotion of freedom of expression and combating misinformation and hate speech in the digital environment.
Furthermore, it aims to encourage popular and community communication in favelas and outskirts, in addition to promoting the well-being and rights of children and adolescents, people with disabilities, women, black people, indigenous populations, quilombolas, LGBTIQIAPN+, among other vulnerable audiences in the digital environment.
The chief minister of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil, Paulo Pimenta, highlighted that “the project intends to contribute to the protection and promotion of rights in the digital environment”, based on strategies aimed at expanding education media.
The international technical cooperation project was also signed by Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Lopes, deputy director of ABC. The event took place at Palácio do Planalto.
UNESCO supports the development of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for all to enable people to have the ability to think critically and access the internet wisely. The Organization makes efforts to enhance the capabilities of policymakers, educators, media professionals, youth organizations, and disadvantaged populations in this area, assisting Member States in the development of national MIL policies and strategies.
Images of the event
