The PROLIFIC project was designed with the aim of promoting the digital rights of vulnerable groups. To achieve its purpose, it focused its efforts on developing tools to train professionals working with these groups in organisations such as NGOs, associations and social services. This objective was materialised through the creation, validation and launch of an online platform dedicated to self-training. This educational tool improves the skills of trainers, social educators and volunteers in the field of citizens' digital rights, thus favouring a sustainable transmission of knowledge to vulnerable groups. Within the framework of the project results, a set of contents for online training was developed, as well as an evaluation tool. This tool made it possible to measure the impact of the promotion of digital rights on vulnerable groups and professionals working with them. The project was completed with the implementation of three multiplier events and a learning activity. PROLIFIC stands out for having developed innovative training tools. The purpose of these tools is to prevent and combat situations of online fraud, violation of privacy, misinformation, cyberbullying, and digital exclusion; strengthening the digital rights of vulnerable groups and increasing their awareness of these rights. The project provided software that allowed customising training plans for practitioners according to the specific characteristics of each vulnerable group. In addition, the transferability of the tools to other target groups was promoted. The PROLIFIC project mainly targeted three vulnerable groups: immigrants, older people and people with disabilities. However, the flexibility of its tools and methodologies allows them to be adapted to other groups and professionals. Moreover, the development of the contents involved the participation of experts in different areas, such as law, education and IT, as well as stakeholders such as NGOs and associations. Finally, it is important to note that the results of PROLIFIC remain available even after the end of the project. This commitment guarantees access to the developed tools and contents to all stakeholders and society at large, thus contributing to a lasting impact and sustainability of the project. In addition, the PROLIFIC platform will be permanently updated and will host new content as new organisations and professionals share new needs, problems and experiences.
PROLIFIC specific objectives were: • Empowering vulnerable groups in their digital rights by building the capacity of professionals working with them. • Increasing the awareness of vulnerable groups about their digital rights. • Providing a software that personalises a training curriculum for professionals who work with vulnerable groups, according to the characteristics of each specific group. • Delivering an evaluation tool to measure the impact of promoting digital rights among vulnerable groups. • Disseminating and transfering the software and training content.
Internet is a gateway to training, information, economic development and social expression opportunities. Without Internet, the revival of civil society and the internationalisation of SMEs would not have been possible to the extent that we enjoy today. However, Internet has also brought antisocial behaviours, virtual harassment, verbal and symbolic violence, and criminal behaviours that contributed to twitch society, legitimise undemocratic extremisms and create all kinds of wounds and fractures, without counting on external injections and organised strategies of destabilisation and information intoxication. Some population groups, such as migrants, older persons and persons with disabilities, may be particularly vulnerable to violations of their digital rights. There are important initiatives that show the growing concern for the recognition and regulation of citizenship rights in the digital environment. Responses, however, are still isolated and very incipient. Technology advances and spreads much faster than the laws that should protect citizens. In this context, and while European legislation manages to achieve the technological evolution, the best weapon is training and awareness on citizens’ rights in the digital sphere.