Are we aware of the magnitude of the digital transformation and its impact in our society?
The Congress on Digital Skills "Driving inclusive digital transformation" will take place in Villanueva de la Serena (Extremadura) on 30th October 2018, with the aim of setting up a new framework that allows citizenship to fully benefit from the opportunities of digital transformation. The congress will address not only the improvement of living standards of all individuals, but also the challenges brought by this new paradigm to territories and communities, focusing on the digital skills needed for the socio-economic inclusion and empowerment of disadvantaged groups.
From European institutions to those who work directly with citizens, all actors must make a greater effort in order to redefine each others’ responsibilities and design attractive, creative and innovative collaboration strategies. Our common goal must be to enable communities of engaged, critical and competent citizens, so that digital transformation is based on equal opportunities, confidence and safety.
The Congress will anticipate a changing scenario where people are the main characters of a story guided by the quick digitalisation of economy, society, education, culture and communication. The territorial context of the congress is defined by a rural reality, where new ways of interacting, the IoE, hyperconnectivity, technology democratization or media skills become particularly challenging, due to the local and global perspective, highlighting the role of digital competence centres as reference for digital, information and media literacy.
On the other hand, disinformation, ciberbullying, hate speech, radicalization,… call for more information and media literacy, in order to enable citizens to benefit from the practical possibilities that a connected society and ever flowing information can provide, engaging more creatively, critically and effectively in them. Moreover, these actions are in line with the Sustainable Development Objectives that refer to the creation of inclusive, safe and resilient communities and the empowerment of disadvantaged groups, key elements for the inclusive approach of the Congress.
With the guidance of keynote speakers, the expertise shared during interactive sessions and the exchange of innovative experiences, the Congress will address a wide range of topics - from global issues related to European trends and policy, to regional and local projects that foster entrepreneurship, citizenship participation and confidence in digital technologies. The Congress aims at the creation of an inspiring framework for the design of collaboration strategies among different organisations and stakeholders, in order to translate digital opportunities into real opportunities for employment and social inclusion.
