DCN SEE Hub, Digital Communication Network and World Learning are organizing, via Zoom, the webinar “Bridging the Gap: The Digital Divide in Times of COVID-19”, which will take place in the 13th of October at 17:15 (Athens Time).
COVID-19 has brought with it a myriad of challenges spanning across borders, fields, and generations, impacting virtually every aspect of life. Within the digital realm, the pandemic has increased the digital divide—the uneven distribution in the access to and use of digital technologies whether based on age, geographical or geopolitical factors, social factors, or economic factors.
During the pandemic, the impact of the digital divide is evident on both macro levels as school systems struggle to ensure all students have equitable digital access and opportunities for virtual schooling and micro levels where grandchildren are teaching their grandparents how to use Zoom and Facetime to stay in touch during quarantine. The digital divide is not a new issue but is one that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
To address these concerns and the opportunities for innovation in this area, speakers from across the world will discuss the digital divide and ways to bridge this gap. A Q&A portion will follow the speaker’s presentations to allow the audience an opportunity to engage.
The webinar will address the following questions:
- What actions can we take to pursue digital inclusion and equity? What is the relationship between the digital
divide and mental health, emotional health, and overall quality of life, especially during the pandemic? - What is the role of digital and media literacy in decreasing the digital divide? How can we increase both digital
literacy and digital access of specific groups, including older adults, persons with disabilities, and
underprivileged groups? - What is the role of social media in politics and voting, specifically as it relates to the generational digital divide
and the spread of disinformation?
Speakers:
- Osama Manzar—Founder and Director of the Digital Empowerment Foundation, New Delhi, India
- Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE—Founder of Learning with Grandma, Wales, UK
- Joan Katambi—Team Lead of the Digital Literacy Initiative, Kampala, Uganda
- Michael J. Oghia—Advocacy and Engagement Manager of the Global Forum for Media Development, Belgrade, Serbia
- Pierre Poulin, Wilfrid- Bastien School Contact for ApprentissAge (Learn With Elders), Montreal, Canada
- Maiko Nakagaki, Senior Partnerships Manager, Alliance for Affordable Internet, Washington, D.C, USA
This event is co-organized by Digital Communication Network SouthEast Europe Hub (DCN SEE) and World Learning and is part of DCNSEE’s Ideas in Action – Digital Engagement, a series of virtual events launched in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. DCNSEE is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Citizen Exchanges.
Digital Communication Network Global is an interdisciplinary alliance of non-profits, public and private organizations and social influencers, making a difference in the new information space through social impact campaigns, technology, and innovation.