ASEAN FOUNDATION IN COLLABORATION WITH GOOGLE.ORG LAUNCHES DIGITAL LITERACY E-LEARNING PLATFORM AT REGIONAL FORUM

DigitalClassASEAN.org is unveiled on Global Media and Information Literacy Week and is part of ongoing efforts to empower communities including those in Singapore
Regional Impact Forum also celebrates the achievements and impact of its two-year ASEAN-wide programme.

BALI – The ASEAN Digital Literacy Programme (DLP),
a collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org, Google’s
philanthropic arm, unveiled its e-learning platform DigitalClassASEAN.org, at
its Impact Forum today.

The platform,
part of the ASEAN DLP’s commitment to advancing digital literacy across the
region, focuses on inclusivity and accessibility, providing essential tools to
support individuals with disabilities on their learning journey.

The ASEAN DLP Impact
Forum, which was hosted in Bali from 14 to 16 November 2023 on Global Media and
Information Literacy Week was themed “Navigating Digital Resilience:
Empowering ASEAN Communities through Digital Literacy”.

It spotlighted the achievements as well as the impact of the two-year
programme in ten ASEAN member states, which included Singapore, while bringing
together local partners and stakeholders with representatives of the ASEAN
Secretariat and the ASEAN Foundation as well as Google.org to discuss various key
digital literacy topics.

The aim of the
forum was to raise awareness about digital literacy, foster collaboration among
stakeholders, and equip participants with the necessary tools and strategies to
promote digital inclusion and address digital challenges in the ASEAN region.

Over the course
of two years, the ASEAN DLP, in partnership with 15 local implementing
organisations, conducted 61 Training of Trainers sessions, involving 1,451
Master Trainers across the region. Through this, the programme has reached
193,955 individuals through 2,647 digital literacy workshops, exceeding its
initial goal of reaching 100,000 people within two years.

Additionally, the
ASEAN Youth Advisory Group (YAG), which operates under the ASEAN DLP and
comprises selected youth from ten ASEAN countries, has conducted 12 impactful
online and on-site digital literacy campaigns across the region. This has
directly benefited 3,881 individuals and achieved a combined social media reach
of over 930,000 people.

Executive
Director of the ASEAN Foundation, Dr Piti Srisangnam said, “We are delighted
with the inroads we have made in Singapore through DoubleCheck, our
campaign with ASEAN Youth Advisory Group (YAG), to educate pre-teens and
teens. Over the past two years, the work through our
implementation partner, Bamboo Builders, has
also empowered a new generation of Master Trainers to train new communities and
future agents of change.”

“The achievement
of ASEAN DLP is a collective accomplishment involving the active participation
and dedication of all stakeholders. Having a shared purpose of creating a safer
digital space has brought us one step closer to the vision of developing a
digitally inclusive Southeast Asia,” he adds.

In Singapore, the
programme has trained 50 Master Trainers and 3,098 participants, working
alongside Bamboo Builders as a local implementing partner to record significant
awareness and active participation among Singaporean youth in the fight against
misinformation and disinformation.

Founder of Bamboo
Builders Gabriel Tan said, “We are proud to be part of ASEAN DLP in
building safer digital spaces. In just a few months, we have trained more than
2,500 beneficiaries, including in-mates from Singapore prison, persons with
disabilities, domestic and migrant workers, with digital literacy skills. They
will be the agents of change, amplifying digital literacy awareness in their
community.”

Along with
capacity building, the DoubleCheck campaign aimed to enhance digital literacy
among tweens and teens on misinformation and disinformation using a fun
edutainment approach. It was spearheaded by Singaporean ASEAN YAG members,
Joanne Tan and Esther David.

Lead for
Google.org APAC, Marija Ralic said, “The ASEAN Foundation’s Digital Literacy
Programme has achieved remarkable results and also touched lives, sparking
positive change across Southeast Asia. The commitment, dedication, and passion
demonstrated by all participants, trainers, and organisations is truly
inspiring and we are proud to support this initiative through Google.org. As we
continue on our journey toward a safer internet, let us draw inspiration from
these stories of transformation and empowerment,”.

Google.org is
supporting the ASEAN Foundation with a US$1.5 million grant to aid the
implementation of the ASEAN DLP from 2022 to 2024.

Meanwhile the
platform DigitalClassASEAN.org, which was unveiled at the forum, has five core
modules covering key aspects of digital literacy -digital citizenship, media,
and information literacy, addressing misinformation and disinformation,
promoting positive online behaviour, as well as tackling special topics like
social media etiquette, digital parenting, and online scam prevention.

These modules
were developed through collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation and the Break
the Fake Movement, a fact-checking organisation based in the Philippines. They
are available in eight ASEAN local languages: Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa
Indonesia, Khmer, Tagalog, Thai, Lao, Burmese, and Vietnamese. Upon completing
all modules, learners will receive a downloadable certificate of achievement.

ASEAN DLP’s
mission in combating misinformation and disinformation through digital literacy
is in alignment with UNESCO’s theme for this year’s Global Media and
Information Literacy Week, “Media and Information Literacy in Digital
Spaces: A Collective Global Agenda.”