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"Towards Media and Information Literacy in Ecuador"
Within the framework of the panel discussion "Towards Media and Information Literacy in Ecuador," recommendations and a proposal for public policy on Media and Information Literacy were presented.
On March 20, in the city of Quito, the event "Towards Media and Information Literacy in Ecuador" took place, organized by the Technical University of Loja (UTPL), UNESCO, Fundamedios, and the coalition Ecuador Verifies, with the support of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society (MINTEL) and the Ministry of Education. Authorities and counterparts linked to UNESCO's substantive work on Education for Global Digital Citizenship also participated in this event, including Jeannine Cruz, President of the Communication Council (Consejo de Comunicaci贸n); Sandro Celi, Acting Secretary of the Ecuadorian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility; and Ricardo Rivas, President of the Mechanism for the Prevention and Protection of Journalistic Work in Ecuador.
Lucy Andrade, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Education, and Humanities at UTPL, extended a welcome to the event and mentioned that in 2023, UTPL collaborated with UNESCO on two projects of special importance to advance towards a MIL ecosystem in Ecuador: national policy and development of MIL strategies, curricular adaptation in Ecuador and revitalization of indigenous languages through MIL resources. She also highlighted that the communication, education, and technology research group at UTPL has been working on research and teacher training in the country for 15 years on media competence topics, which now is a relevant space of knowledge and skills in light of technology.
Saadia S谩nchez Vegas, Acting Representative of UNESCO in Ecuador, referred to UNESCO's fundamental principle of "Building peace in the minds of men and women," and pointed out that "the culture of peace, promoted by UNESCO, which aims at the aspiration of sustainable and lasting peace, rooted in communication and coexistence practices, entails a long-term educational response anchored in the values and practices of global digital citizenship." In the same vein, she highlighted the central role of MIL in this educational response with the aspiration to build a sense of citizenship through shared responsibility: "Digital citizens can positively influence societies through digital participation to constructively counter hate speech through their own online interaction."
During his speech, Sandro Celi, Acting Secretary of the National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, recounted the work that the country has done in the field of Media and Information Literacy and pointed out that Ecuador has participated in UNESCO initiatives in this area, such as the Main Conference and Forum of the Youth Agenda of the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2023, which served as a prelude to the proposal for public policy on MIL in the scope of Ecuador.
Indira Salazar Mart铆nez, Program Officer for the Communication and Information Sector at the UNESCO Office in Quito and Representation for Ecuador, presented a reflection on the connections between critical thinking, Global Citizenship, and priorities on the public agenda, following the central argument of the educational response.
Catherine Medranda, Undersecretary for the Promotion of the Information Society and Digital Economy, presented the country's progress concerning Media and Information Literacy within the framework of actions to promote Ecuador's digital development led by MINTEL and the Digital Transformation Public Policy Proposal, which includes the MIL as a main axis. She also informed that this policy was created with the participation of MINTEL, Fundamedios, and UTPL, and is currently in the approval stage by government authorities.
Carolina Solano de la Sala, National Director of Continuing Training for Teachers at the Ministry of Education, focused on the pedagogical resources with a MIL approach that the Ministry has promoted and made available through its digital platforms, aiming to foster an education on competencies for life, relationships, and work in the 21st century.
The representation of UTPL, UNESCO, and Fundamedios delivered the proposal for public policy on Media and Information Literacy to delegations from the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society and the Ministry of Education, both having competencies and mandates in digital development and MIL competencies.
The central keynote of the event "Media and Information Literacy for Peace: A Response from Social Innovation to Build Agreements and Solutions. Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Colombia" was delivered by Tom谩s Dur谩n Becerra, Director General of Research at the Social Innovation Science Park of the Minuto de Dios University Corporation, known as UNIMINUTO. Director Dur谩n shared a dissertation on how Media and Information Literacy can become a resource for addressing development issues through social innovation. These responses are anchored in a collaborative experience that not only refers to the national level but also aims at territorialization by bridging the gap between the local and social innovation spaces.
The occasion is opportune to emphasize the necessary education for the era: "Media and Information Literacy is crucial for any level of education, as it provides tools for critical access and consumption and responsible production of information and content in the media. Additionally, it leverages skills for information protection, recognition of vulnerability conditions, false information, or harmful behaviors, among others, and reinforces the understanding that the representation achieved by media does not necessarily mean the publication of free information." It is also evident that social innovations are reshaped by continuous learning and social dialogue.
