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This podcast series is from Connect International, which is a Brussels based international network of organisations formed with a mission to create innovative European projects ensuring mainstreaming of digital rights and digital agenda with young people and other active citizens.
Hey you. Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening. No matter where or when you're listening to this podcast, you're listening to the first episode ever of Be Connected podcast, which is the first ever podcast from Connect International. So welcome. I am Sia Perkroga and on the most cases I am going to be hosting.
Speaker 1:And this is like a very, very special episode, because on here, we're going to discuss everything digital, everything that is connected with the YouTube, talk to interesting people. It's going to be a ride. So is really, an episode that we are committing that you learn more about us. And because I am not going to introduce this, our organization further because I have the opportunity that I asked questions to 2 amazing women who are part of Connect, who are building it, and we're going to hear today who is Connect, what is Connect, what do we do, from the president of Connect International and the general manager. So let's give it a look or a listen.
Speaker 1:What motivated you to start working in the youth sector?
Speaker 2:I think what matters the most in life is making a difference. Doing something new, bringing fresh ideas, including as many people as possible changing the world. So, in that sense, I think that this was my greatest motivation in being involved in the youth field because I believe that young people are not only the tomorrow but also the present and they are those who will build the better past for the future generations.
Speaker 3:Actually, my activism started as a young politician. And, as a young politician, I was elected in the advisory council on mute. And, this is actually where my, real, youth activism or engagement in youth sector started and when I got motivated. I believe the Council of Europe is doing a great job in the youth sector and, working with the advisory council motivated me to get more, engaged in youth issues and started an insights around Europe.
Speaker 1:What lead you to start the Connect as we know it now?
Speaker 3:Actually, Connect would be now 12 years old if we count from the moment that idea was born, in the project Lift Off Wheels Real, in the consortium that, started from, actually from, western balconies, it's called, here, in European Union. And, it's, very interesting that we started from, fighting, against hate speech online and working with the different actors to protect young people, from the hate speech, online, but also to inform them, that, they should not be, part of spreading the hate speech online. When we started working on this project, we realized that it's not only the hate speech. There is, a lot of human rights that has to be protected online. And this is how idea for Connect was, born.
Speaker 3:And, actually, it started with, a couple of organizations, around Balkan and Europe. And, actually, then, from 2,000 17 when it was officially registered, it spread around, to be what, it is now, and that's, like, one European network with, over 50 member organizations, including stakeholder members, and as well as, being present in, around 30 countries.
Speaker 1:How did you 2 meet?
Speaker 3:Actually, it's a very funny story because, I I started this, by explaining how Council of Europe was important for my, youth work today. So this was also due to the Council of Europe, more precisely to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. I was working as a trainer for the youth delegates program, and, there was this, super smart and super energetic, girl who, like, amazed me. And, she also wears the yellow dress, which appears later to to be very important to the Greek delegation. And, this is how, we met.
Speaker 3:I couldn't believe that there is, this amazing young woman that, is actually still, not fully engaged on international level. And, I mean, I snitched it.
Speaker 1:What led you to join Connect?
Speaker 2:If I think about it, I think it was the vision and mission of Connect and this little word humanity that lurks around there which shows this idea of bringing a greater impact which would affect all people, all human beings regardless of any barriers that might keep them behind As well as, this this feeling of embracing everything new, everything innovative, creating a change, accepting that the world is ever changing and we can be part of it with with this with this vision of maintaining the basic qualities, basic standards, the values, the principles that we all agree on and apart from that being part of this huge network of this community, let's say, of the connect member organizations, it was something very intriguing and very interesting for me. So I think this was what attracted me the most.
Speaker 1:Connect vision is to bring humanity to the digital life. Can you tell me more about it?
Speaker 3:Yes. Bring humanity to to digital life. Actually, become our, let's say, slogan and and the vision. And, actually, it represents the the two sides that connect covers. The one is defending the human rights, online and the rights of Internet users.
Speaker 3:And from other side, also, supporting the technology advancement, but also through protecting, the human, human rights. This is why we wanted all the technology from the human perspective and protecting humans that are using. So this is why, it's there. But, actually, came out very spontaneously. We were, under the pressure to launch the website, and we were asked to to say what would the the the popping out, the first when you open the website.
Speaker 3:And, we came up with this, with this vision that we thought at the first, okay. Maybe we would replace it later. But, in all these years that we're working, actually appear to be, reflecting our daily.
Speaker 1:Connect is bringing the youth perspective into the digital. But we cannot talk about this without
Speaker 3:In Connect, we focus actually on 4, topics. One, is digital rights. Of course, always with young people. The second one is digital citizenship. The third one is digital access and the 4th but not the last one and just in the order is digital innovation.
Speaker 2:So, if we take it from the start talking about digital rights our vision in Connect is to ensure that not only young people but all citizens citizens understand, recognize and know their rights in the online sphere and also know the ways to protect these rights exactly as they do in the real world. On the second level, talking about digital access, our idea is that it is very important for all people to have equal access, equal opportunities to the Internet and to all the digital chances that the new technological advancements have offered. So we are trying to ensure that all young people enjoy enough levels of digital literacy and have equal access to the internet and its opportunities. Talking about our 3rd pillar, digital citizenship, we wish to ensure that all people are able to participate in the democratic processes and exercise their rights also in the Digital sphere. This being also a way to avoid, let's say, different barriers that might otherwise exist in the real world.
Speaker 2:And, finally, in our digital innovation pillar, we try to engage in innovative practices, ideas and support this kind of initiatives to promote innovation that make a better world for us and also, help us embrace all the new technological advancements and do something better for our lives.
Speaker 1:Connect is an international
Speaker 2:We involve members not only from the EU but also from the Council of Europe and they're coming from the local, national, or regional level or even international level when we're talking about organizations but also we involve in our work other stake holders. This may be from the public sector, it could be, educational institutions, it could be private businesses, local, regional or other authorities, any entity that might fit with the values and the principles that we are carrying. So, in that sense, our effort is to build a strong pan European community meaning a community across the continent of Europe.
Speaker 1:How can you become a member of connect?
Speaker 2:According to our statute, Connect has 3 types of membership. We have our full members, which is about nonprofit organizations and networks who are enjoying all the rights and responsibilities of their membership. We have observer members, who once again it's about nonprofit organizations and networks who have not yet reached the standards for the full membership and have a bit let's say limited rights and responsibilities, within their network and we also have stakeholders membership which refers to other stakeholders including municipalities, institutions, educational institutions, universities, private entities, and everything else that does not belong to the non profit organizations or networks. If somebody wish is to engage in our work and, acquire 1 of the 3 types of membership, they can find the procedure published on our website. Let's start by sending an email to our office, at connectinternational.org email and we will guide you through it and, tell you all about the details that you need to follow for the official procedure.
Speaker 1:What keeps you going? Why do you continue the work that you do?
Speaker 3:Keeps me going? It's, really, the people that I see at events that we, that we do. I do believe in our mission. And, every time when I spend long time in office, and, I start, forgetting why we do what we do, I go, to one of the connect events. And, there is always at least several young people who, remind me with their activism, with their passion on why we, as a Connect, are providing platform for these young people to achieve the goals.
Speaker 2:If I could give it in one word, I would say it is passion. It is passion about what I'm doing. It is passion about the vision and mission of Connect. It is passion that I'm offering and I'm taking back from the people that I'm interacting. This be it our colleagues, our partners or the people that we are interacting through our activities and our initiatives and it is actually the tangible impact that I see happening in the in society, in the in the communities that we are working at and yes, passion.
Speaker 2:Maybe no more words are necessary.
Speaker 1:What are the future plans of Connect?
Speaker 2:The future plans of Connect. So if we're talking about, let's say, internal development and advancement, our dream is to have geographical representation in each and every country across Europe. So if we manage to involve more organizations, more stakeholders, more networks, more associations in our work and create a bigger and bigger and bigger community. This could be I think the the most important dream coming true, in in the connect. When it comes to society and the impact and the work I would say our plan is to always be one step ahead of every technological advancement, of every need, every challenge that modern societies are facing and as long as we manage to do this and continue to grow our impact and grow our outreach and bring bigger changes and also let's say bring important policy changes and see things actually work in a different level.
Speaker 2:This would be it.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this, first episode of Be Connected podcast. Stay tuned for more episodes coming soon.