The Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) 2023, organised by the JAAGO Foundation, took place on 17-19 February 2023 to empower young leaders in Bangladesh to understand and utilise their strengths and knowledge to work towards a better future. The summit aimed to inspire, educate, and engage youth leaders through interactive sessions and workshops.
BE CYBER COOL: অনলাইনে সঠিক আর ভুল
One of the highlight sessions of the summit was the exclusive session named “BE CYBER COOL: অনলাইনে সঠিক আর ভুল” jointly arranged by TikTok and JAAGO Foundation. The session aimed to educate youth leaders on the internet safety and responsible use of social media through interactive activities and discussions.
500 youth leaders from around the country who were members of the Volunteer for Bangladesh (VBD) program attended the session. The session was facilitated by Mr Abdul Quayyam, Head of Communications, UNDP, who provided a thorough knowledge of safety in the digital domain. Famous Social Media Influencer and TV Show Host Mr Rafsan Sabab shared the stage with him to share real-life experiences on the topic.
The session was structured as a back-and-forth conversation between the expert and the influencer, allowing the participants to gain knowledge of internet safety and be exposed to practical examples and understand the thought process of a successful content creator.Honourable Director General of Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Brig. Gen. Md. Nasim Parvez sent a video message to the youth participants with his valuable insight on the internet safety and responsible use of social media. The video was shown during the session. He said, “Neither the government nor the platform can ensure online safety alone. We all have to work together. I would like to highlight that TikTok has a Safety Center. From this safety centre, you’ll learn how to create content, what should be in content, and how to maintain guidelines in both Bengali and English.“
Partnership Objectives and Joint Initiatives
Officials from TikTok and JAAGO Foundation took the stage to share the objectives and goals of the partnership. They also shared their joint initiatives to promote internet safety and the responsible use of social media. In addition, they announced the extension of Shabdhane Online phase 2.
Content Creation Competition
A content creation competition was launched during the session with the theme “Why is online safety important to you, and which safety tool would you like to use?” The competition was open to all participants in the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) 2023, and the top 15 were announced as winners. The top videos were displayed on the screen, and the winners were awarded.
Promoting Internet Safety Among Youth
Overall, the “BE CYBER COOL: অনলাইনে সঠিক আর ভুল” session at the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) 2023 was an excellent success in raising awareness and promoting internet safety and responsible use of social media among the youth participants. The session provided valuable insights and practical examples, empowering the future leaders of Bangladesh to create a safer and better online community.
