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Ahaan

WHO WE ARE?

Project RESPONSIBLE NETISM is the brain child of AHAAN FOUNDATION, a trust registered in 2012. Responsible Netism (RN) is a non-profit initiative committed to the cause of child online protection within Maharashtra. The movement advocates for cyber – wellness to ensure mental well-being in cyber space. Having successfully educated over 10 lakh children and adults since inception, the organization educates and empowers children youth and adults about responsible online behaviour thereby equipping them to combat online distress. Responsible Netism also acts as a referral organization that connects and provides legal and psychological support to children and adults facing online distress. The team aspires to collectively make India cyber safe for children.

WHAT WE DO? Conduct the following education programmes on online safety

• Being Responsible Netizens – is a customized one-time education module on online safety for students, teachers and parents within educational institutions
• Building Digital Guardians: Workshops on empowering parents to protect children online, thereby becoming effective cyber care givers and digital guardians
• Digital Stree Shakti – an intensive 4 layered education module for financial inclusion and digital empowerment of women across the state
• Vittiya Saksharta – a module on Digital Financial Empowerment
• Joy of Internet / Internet ka Safar– short user-friendly modules on digital literacy for community mobilization and empowerment, also catering to senior citizens
• Train the trainers as cyber ambassadors

ADVOCACY:

• Advocating for making online safety a right of the child and adult
• Created iSafe - a National Alliance to work as a collective to protect children and adults from cyber threats
• Provide recommendations to the state and central ministries on interventions required for protection
• Provide recommendations on online safety curriculum to be introduced in the academia
• We are part of various state and central government bodies like MSCERT, NCPCR, MSCW to represent our cause

RESEARCH:

We have conducted 4 extensive studies on internet usage trends of children and adults to authenticate our work and the need for intervention. Our recommendations have also been based on the findings of these studies.

• On AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE AMONG CHILDREN AS A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF ONLINE GAMING addiction targeting 700 children within Mumbai and Thane. 2016-17
• A study to UNDERSTAND ONLINE USER TRENDS OF 2500 CHILDREN and adults within Thane
• A study on 1200 school children in 2018 on the IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMME RESPONSIBLE NETISM on them and the need to introduce cyber safety into academic curriculum
• Study on INTERNET TRENDS OF 1150 CHILDREN across Maharashtra on internet usage trends and their exposure to cyber-crimes to 2019-20

EVENTS:

We have successfully hosted 5 UNIQUE NATIONAL CYBER PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCES since 2017 as our annual events within and outside Maharashtra to promote cyber wellness and educate cyber care givers to follow cyber hygiene.

RATIONALE:

The highly imaginative virtual world proves an irresistible temptation for youngsters; sadly, it adversely impacts their physical and mental wellbeing in the process. It is essential to empower children, youth and adults to protect them from internet abuse or threats and thus promote cyber safety and security. Addiction to online gaming, pornography, digital devices has led to severe sleep deprivation and social disconnect in children. Irresponsible usage of gaming and social media has also given rise to tremendous psychological distress in children and adults. Crimes ranging from cyber bullying, stalking, morphing to creating, sharing child sexual abusive material and threatening children are on a tremendous rise. Setting guidelines to ensure every child is safe online is a responsibility we undertake with pride. Online distress often has very long term and deep impact on their emotional wellbeing of children. Equipping them with cyber hygiene practices and cyber resilience is a necessity today.

HOW DO WE DO WHAT WE DO:

Since academia plays a crucial role in impacting and developing children and youth, the movement RESPONSIBLE NETISM with the support of Thane and Mumbai Cyber cell, educate children, youth and parents within educational institutions about cyber wellness. We typically conduct customized interactive sessions titled “BEING RESPONSIBLE NETIZENS” for students of STD V and above. The sessions focus on highlighting psychological impacts and legal implications of irresponsible online behavior and provide technical tips to secure gadgets to enable constructive use of technology, promote online safety and responsible online behavior. Post the awareness sessions, cases that are reported to us are referred to the law enforcement for legal aid or for psychological support and guidance.

IMPACTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• We have received acknowledgement and approval from the Ministry of Higher Education of Maharashtra to run the programme across the state.
• We have been awarded the best E- NGO 2014 by Manthan South West India, standing tall against 180 participants from 12 states.
• We have successfully sensitized over 10 Lakh students teachers and parents within over 1000 educational institutions since 2012.
• We have initiated and launched the 1st DIGITAL DISTRESS HELPLINE with the support of Vandrevala Foundation to provide technical, legal and psychological assistance on online distress

We strongly believe, Child online protection is every child’s right and every parent’s responsibility.

We pledge to protect children from digital distress and aspire to collectively build a digitally smart

cyber safe city and promote responsible living.