The digital citizenship affirms our values and ideals
16 October 2013 News
“The path walked in the last 20 years is long and dynamic, marked by rich experience and numerous achievements that would not have been possible without this sense of shared enthusiasm between the member states of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.” This was said by Minister Kristian Vigenin in the opening of the conference “Francophonie and digital citizenship” with which Bulgaria marks the 20th anniversary of its full membership in OIF.
In his statement he thanked for the support that Bulgaria has always received by the International Organisation of the Francophonie /OIF/. Kristian Vigenin congratulated the organizers of the conference for the topic chosen for which OIF has contributed in recent years, including through the adoption of its digital strategy on the XIV-th Highest Level Meeting in Kinshasa in October 2012. “The digital citizenship helps for the promotion of the values and ideals that unite the Francophone countries,” the Foreign Minister said. According to him, it enriches the capacity and the prospects of the organization to work for a peaceful world, based on the culture of democracy, respect for human dignity and responsibility for the fate of the planet.
“Today, the democratic urge of the people who share the French language is already stronger, thanks to the digital revolution which took place in recent years ,” said President Zhelyu Zhelev in his statement at the opening of the conference. Internet provided an incredible opportunity for the education, communication, and the social and political mobilization. “A new generation appeared that thanks to the informatics and the digital space, finds its own ways to act and express itself,”Zhelev said. The idea of joining the Francophone family had many loyal supporters and of course, opposition, but at the end, both groups have contributed in their own ways for this great anniversary, he added.
Pierre de Cocatrix, Head of the Office of the Secretary-General of the OIF- Mr. Abdou Diouf, served his special greetings on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's full membership in the organization. In his words, the results of the conference are expected with great interest because they can be included in the Strategy for digitization of the Francophone space, prepared by the Francophonie. In his statement, Pierre de Cocatrixfocused on the main task of the organization, the guidelines in its work and its programs. He stressed on the role of the regional centers and antennas of the Francophonie in Southeast Europe, highlighting their importance for the visibility of the organization’s activity.
“The digital society enables citizens to express their views and to participate actively in political life, and this leads to progress of the democracy,” said Anick Van Calster, Ambassador of Belgium to Bulgaria. She stressed that the digital space allows for transparency in the decision-making and therefore the provision of access to digitization and virtual world for everyone is of a significant importance.
More photos
