About

Meet the Ambassadors

Each Safer Internet Centre within Europe typically organises youth participation activities, and many of these centres also convene a youth panel to ensure that the voice of young people is represented in their wider work. National youth panellists typically participate in various actions, including helping the Safer Internet Centre to set programme priorities, commenting on resource development, or creating youth-led campaigns and activities.

In the framework of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) project, each year, a BIK Youth Panel is organised prior to and during the Safer Internet Forum (SIF), encouraging a group of youth panellists to voice not just their personal opinions and challenges regarding safer/better internet issues, but also those of their peers whom they are representing at a European level. The BIK Youth Panellists are drawn from national youth panels, with each Safer Internet Centre typically selecting one or two youth young people to represent their country.

Following successful completion of the annual BIK Youth Panel programme, participants are invited to become BIK Youth Ambassadors to further enhance their knowledge and participation in the BIK agenda. Many former panellists have taken on this challenge, and have continued to represent BIK at high-level events such as the annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and in high-level policy discussions across several years, ensuring that the voice of youth continues to be heard across multiple activity lines.

Meet the Ambassadors from previous years below.

Ambassadors from the BIK Youth Panel 2021

Anisa (United Kingdom)

Hi! My name is Anisa. I’m 17 years old and live in the UK. From working with Childnet (part of the UK Safer Internet Centre) to now BIK Youth, my passion for making the internet a safer space has only grown. Being an advocate of internet safety, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my work so far with BIK Youth: it has helped me grow in both confidence and knowledge. As we become an online-based generation, it’s pertinent to raise awareness accordingly to guide others in the right direction, making the online world a welcoming place for everyone.

Dimitris (Cyprus)

My name is Dimitris, I’m 15 years old and I'm located in Cyprus. Starting in 2017, I began to get involved in activities regarding internet safety through my school’s participation in the Young Coaches for the Internet programme of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute (part of the Cypriot Safer Internet Centre) and the European Eduweb programme, with the aim of combatting digital exclusion. The following school year (2018-2019), I was invited to participate in the Cyprus Cyber Safety Youth Panel, of which I've been a member since. During 2020-2021, I was also a part of the Misinformation Antibodies project which aims to help people improve their critical thinking so that they can avoid –and not share – false information found on the internet. Finally, I was a participant in the BIK Youth Panel and Safer Internet Forum 2021, representing my country. As the internet keeps evolving, more dangers emerge and it’s important that kids, especially, should be protected from them. I, therefore, believe we need to make a change so that the use of the internet improves, and allows us to safely benefit from the full advantages and capabilities it has to offer.

George (Malta)

Hey there! I'm George, I’m 14 years old and I’m from Malta. I'm pretty interested in anything related to tech, especially graphic design, video/photo editing, content creation, programming, open-source software, cybersecurity, and so on. I joined the BIK Youth Panel in 2021 and, thanks to that, participated in Safer Internet Forum 2021. Both of these have been interesting experiences and have changed the way I look at the internet. I've been interested in tech ever since I was a5 years old, so I hope that my experiences can help others avoid making mistakes online!

Ilaria (Malta)

Hi there! I'm Ilaria and I'm from Malta. I'm 13 years old and I am currently in my third year of secondary school. I'm also finalising my piano studies which should be done by May 2022; music has always been an important part of my life. I took part in the BIK Youth Panel in 2021 and it was a truly interesting experience, and one I’ll never forget! I had the chance to voice my opinion on diverse topics such as social media and the impact of the internet, including on mental health. Mental health is an important topic for me since it's something we deal with every day, and the internet can pretty much affect it. I look forward to continuing to participate in BIK activities as a BIK Youth Ambassador.

Kostas (Greece)

Hey there, my name is Kostas, I’m 17 years old and I’m from Greece. I am a senior at high school and I have plenty of interests such as history, music and psychology, but my great loves are photography and politics; after all, I've won the last two school boarding elections in a row as president, and I have my own web page through which I share photos of my exquisite island with the world. I see the Safer Internet Forum (SIF) as an opportunity to exchange opinions and learn information that is going to be useful for the rest of my life, as well as broadening my mind and learning that, no matter where you are born, at the end of the day we are all the same.

Prachi (Ireland)

My name is Prachi, I'm 16 years old and I live in Ireland. I'm extremely passionate about internet safety and protecting online well-being, and a huge advocate for online transparency and better digital education. I was a BIK Youth Ambassador at the Safer Internet Forum 2021, and it was one of the best learning experiences I've had. We explored so many aspects of the internet during this period, like online society in the future, education, and data security laws. It was a brilliant opportunity to voice our thoughts, concerns and demands as young people to policy makers, corporations and educators.

Theodora (Romania)

Hello! My name is Theodora, I'm 17 and I'm from Romania. I am part of my high school debate club and my main interests at the moment are politics, IT, human rights and volunteering. I took part in the BIK Youth Panel and Safer Internet Forum 2021 which was a great opportunity for me to learn and share my ideas on the topic of internet security and making it a better place for children. I believe that it’s very important to give young people opportunities to express their beliefs and ideas, as this is the only way things can change for the better.

Ambassadors from the BIK Youth Panel 2020

Billie (Ireland)

My name is Billie, I’m 17 years old and I live in Ireland. I’ve been involved in internet safety for the last four years now and I don’t regret a single second of it. I think my interest in it arose through seeing social media grow so much in my lifetime. I know now we all have a role to play in making sure that the virtual community is a safe one.

Alisya (Italy)

Hi! I'm Alisya, I'm 17 years old and I’m from Italy. I’m in the fourth class of high school and my interests are politics and volunteer work. I have been interested in topics such as web security for three years now, and I took part in the BIK Youth Panel and Safer Internet Forum (SIF) 2020. The experience was fantastic; it helped me to broaden my knowledge on the importance of mental health and on the conscious and safe use of the internet. But the best part is how we young people all worked together to share our message on the importance of web security.

Edgaras (Lithuania)

Hello, I'm Edgar and I'm 19 years old. I live in the capital city of Vilnius, Lithuania. This autumn, I'll be starting my studies at ISM University of Management and Economics. In addition to my hobbies of mathematics and data analysis, I’m also interested in subjects such as politics, history and geography. When BIK (Better Internet for Kids) contacted me about the possibility of representing the youth of Europe in the 2020 BIK Youth Panel, it was a no-brainer. It combined my interests and ambitions of improving the well-being of Europeans and young people as a whole. Putting the conference aside, the most fascinating thing about this project was the crowd involved in making the project a reality, especially under the difficult conditions posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Samara (Malta)

Hello! My name is Samara, I'm 15 and I'm from Malta. I'm currently in year 11/form 5 at secondary school, studying sciences. My interests are theatrical drama and music. I took part in the BIK Youth Panel 2020 and really enjoyed the experience. During the BIK youth sessions I got the chance to voice my own opinions about current situations relating to both media and mental health. To me, personally, mental health is something which I see many people around me struggle with, including myself. Not only should there be more awareness on the topic, but governments and schools should also spread light on this topic seeing that, unfortunately, so many people struggle with mental health at some point in their lives.

Yevgeny (Malta)

I’m Yevgeny from Malta. I’m 15 years old and I am currently in the last year of secondary school. I got involved in children’s rights issues when I decided to take part in a workshop during the summer of 2020, hosted by the Commissioner of Children in Malta, which tackled children’s rights in decision making. Following that, I was nominated to take part in the Safer Internet Forum (SIF) which was aimed at creating a safer and better internet for children and young people (as part of the BIK (Better Internet for Kids) project). As part of this, my working group produced a video which was used at SIF. I got involved since I believe that although the internet is a place where there is a lot of potential, children make up a big percentage of internet users and their rights have to be respected and their knowledge must be broadened on the threats that the internet can pose. I am also a member of the BIK Youth Advisory Group which has the task of creating a new protocol on the priorities the European Union must take to promote, respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights in the digital world. In Malta, I have been appointed a member of the Council of Children by the Commissioner for Children. My other interests are history and I also enjoy reading books about history and visiting museums. My other passion is the French language, and I would like to continue my studies in French.

Adrián (Spain)

Hello, my name is Adrián. I'm 16 years old and I'm from Spain. Playing the guitar, reading and playing videogames are some of my hobbies. I am also interested in other subjects such as politics, history and art, but I am particularly concerned with the participation and rights of children and teenagers. Last year (2020), I had the opportunity to participate in the Safer Internet Forum (SIF) for the first time. It was a great experience. This project makes it possible for the voices of youth to be heard in Europe, which I'm sure will change things for the better.

Ana (Spain)

Hi, I’m Ana, from Spain. I’m 18 years old and I’ve just started college. Since 2019, I’ve been part of the Spanish Youth Panel thanks to Cibercorresponsales. Last year, I was able to take part in Safer Internet Forum (SIF) and it was a great chance to learn and share our ideas about the internet. Technology and security are things that have always been present in my day-to-day life, so being aware and being able to participate in the future improvement of cybersecurity and having the opportunity to share experiences and opinions on this important topic as part of the BIK Youth Panel makes me so proud.

Ambassadors from the BIK Youth Panel 2019

Andreas (Cyprus)

Hello, my name is Andreas. I live in Cyprus and I am 17 years old. I go to the third class of high school and my interests are politics, theater. I was the president of my town's children parliament. I first became interested in online safety five years ago, when I joined the national Cybersafety Youth Panel. From there, I was inspired to continue helping others with the problems they face online. That is why last summer, with the youth panel, I went to summer camps to inform the children on how they can be safe online. Now, I give presentations and workshops about online violence, cyberbullying, sexting, and more. I was involved in the BIK Youth Panel after a discussion I had with my supervisor and after showing enthusiasm for a project which, in my opinion, has so many benefits to offer to young people.

Matěj (Czech Republic)

Hi! I'm Matěj from Czechia, a 16-year-old grammar school student. I invest my free time in electronics, programming, and drawing from which I've partially moved on to graphics. I started working with my national Safer Internet Centre this year. I've joined their youth panel and a conference about internet safety. After that, I was chosen to participate in the BIK Youth Panel 2019. Because I've been using computers from what I would call a really young age, I have a lot of different experiences related to using information technology. I believe that the internet is an awesome invention and I would love to contribute to helping people use it in the safest way possible.

Frida (Finland)

I'm Frida and I'm from Finland. Studying and doing volunteer work for Finnish Mannerheim League for Child Welfare is taking most of my time, but I also work on my hobbies like drawing, music, swimming, downhill skiing, et cetera et cetera. I'm interested in online safety because it's an area that can be improved, and because the online world is so omnipresent in so many people's daily lives. That's why it's important to have the possibility for everyone to be safe both off and online, and us young people are needed to help in creating that safer online world. I participated in the BIK Youth Panel because it's a great possibility to work and effect change, a way to make the voice of the youth heard. I originally participated in the BIK Youth Panel 2018, and the organisation I volunteer for offered me the possibility to participate again.

Yvette (Finland)

Hi I'm Yvette and I am 15 years old. I'm from Finland. I love playing violin and doing volunteer work. My volunteer work organisations are Plan International and Mannerheim League for Child Welfare. I think that the internet is an amazing place where you can communicate and make new friends. But it's also important to know how to behave and why you should be careful online. I'm so grateful to Mannerheim League for Child Welfare that I had this opportunity to go to Brussels.

Matas (Lithuania)

I'm Matas. Ever since third grade, when I got my first phone with internet access, I was interested in technology. In fourth grade, I started programming and I still do it to this day. Recently, I started to enjoy drawing and surfing Tor sites too. My undying hunger for new experiences hasn't stopped yet and I don't think it will any time soon. That's why I joined the BIK Youth Panel!

Sina (Luxembourg)

Hello, I'm Sina from Luxembourg. I am a high school student and I volunteer at BEE SECURE, my national Safer Internet Centre. This was the second year that I participated in the Safer Internet Forum. I have always been interested in coding and computers, so I find it important that everyone is aware of the dangers that can occur on the internet. I really enjoyed meeting the other youth panellists, getting to know so many people from across the European Union, brainstorming on current topics, and organising the panel discussion. It was so fun and interesting to discuss these issues with policy makers and people from the tech industry.

Joana (Portugal)

I'm Joana, a fifteen year-old from Portugal, and I've just started high school. Last year, I joined ‘Líderes Digitais' (‘Digital Leaders'), a project that reminded me that the internet is a great tool that we use everyday and that has become essential in our lives, but there are certain things we should do so we are safe and make the best out of it. I wanted to be part of the solution, both as an internet user and as a Digital Leader, constantly learning and advising my peers. When I received an invitation for the Safer Internet Forum from my national Safer Internet Centre, I knew I had to accept it. It was a great chance to learn and share my ideas and to get to know new people and places. I really enjoyed it!

Jorge (Spain)

Hi I'm Jorge and I'm 18 years old. I'm from Sigüenza, a Spanish village, and I study Software Engineering in ‘Universidad Politécnica de Madrid'. I love computing and all topics related to new technologies and that's the reason why I'm studying Software Engineering. I have always found it very important that all young people can face the new world known as the ‘internet', so I'm always trying to give advice, from my technological perspective, to help others. Thanks to ‘Plataforma de Infancia', ‘INCIBE' and ‘Cibercorresponsales', I could join the BIK Youth Panel, because these organisations created another youth panel called ‘La Pinza' which tries to show to other ‘cibers' all ‘internet' faces.

Jessica (UK)

The internet is a world full of endless and ever-changing possibilities, a place where people, young and old, can be themselves, which is why I wanted to be a part of the BIK Youth Panel 2019. After working with Childnet to inform young people on how the online world can be a positive and amazing place, I was invited to the Safer Internet Forum to be a Youth Panellist for BIK. Of course, the conference itself was incredible, but I think the most life-changing part about it all was how the internet has brought this group of young people together to make a change and share our message with the world!

Ambassadors from the BIK Youth Panel 2018

Simona (Bulgaria)

Hi everyone! My name is Simona, I'm 17 years old and I come from Bulgaria. Since one year ago I participate in Youth Panel in Bulgaria which is connected with the Safer Internet Center. In 2018 I had the incredible chance to be a youth representative from Bulgaria to the Safer Internet Forum. It was pleasure for me to show that young people's opinion really matters and that we care about the future of the digital environment. The way we protect ourselves in the real world should be also the way we protect in the internet! I believe that more and more young people will follow our example and will try their best to make the internet a better place to spend our time!

Antonis (Cyprus)

My name is Antonis and I am a 17-year-old student from Cyprus. Internet safety has always been one of my main interests. In the past, I have participated in the EduWeb project, which was an European project aiming at helping digitally illiterate people learn how to use the internet safely. I also participated in the Safer Internet Day events in Cyprus for the last 2 years.

Dalia (Estonia)

My name is Dalia and I'm a 16-year-old student from Estonia. I'm very passionate about child rights, participation and the overall goal of creating a better space for children to grow up in. I have been part of the Estonian Union for Child Welfare youth council for the past 4 years and the Safer Internet project for 6 years. I have also been part of the Eurochild's Children's Council for over a year now. This has given me an opportunity to take part in many conferences and projects aiming to improve children's rights on the internet and in real life. I look forward to sharing my experience and new knowledge with my friends in the youth council and the ECC.

Frida (Finland)

I'm Frida, a 15 year old junior high school student from Finland. I work as a support student at school, I belong to the Youth Council of our town and I work as a volunteer at Mannerheim's Child Welfare Association. I am very interested in the online safety of youth and kids, and the wider public. I was very happy to have this opportunity to go to Brussels and be part of the BIK Youth Panel 2018. Altthough I work with young people, this was my first time to take part this this kind of event as representative of Mannerheim's Welfare Association. I'm so glad and proud to do this and with this passion of mine to work this way won't be let down.

Lea (Germany)

My name is Lea and I'm from Germany. I've been a part of the "Medienscouts-Club" at my school for 4 years, because I've always liked to know how the internet is developing. Apart from that, I'm really into music.

Christina (Greece)

My name is Christina and I'm a 16-year-old student from Greece. I became part of Greece's Safer Internet Youth Panel three years ago, when I realised by my own experience that safety in the digital world is just as important as it is in reality. We, as the new generation, should constantly try to improve the quality of the internet by not only expressing our opinion but also by attending events like the Safer Internet Forum, held in Brussels on November 2018. I had the opportunity to participate in this amazing event and meet even more amazing people. I had no idea that it would be so easy to get along with so many children from all around Europe. The 18 of us made a great team and achieved the impossible. In a very short period of time we came up with the idea of our hashtag (#MyDigitalSelfandI) and developed it, as we created a video related to this. Our deep dive session also included a number of 10-minutes discussions on a variety of topics such as Article 13, GDPR, fake news, influencers, and so on. Everything went better than planned and there is nothing I would change about this unforgettable experience. Throughout this trip, not only I acquired knowledge, but I also made some incredible friends that I'll meet again in the near future.

Marina (Greece)

My name is Marina and I am a 15-year-old student from Greece! I joined the Greek Safer Internet Youth Panel 2 years ago and internet safety has been one of my main interests ever since. I am particularly fond of children's rights on the internet, as well as young people's safety in it. Having the opportunity to actually be a part of the BIK Youth Panel 2018 was a huge thing for me, since it provided me with the chance to have a voice and an impact on the world. I cannot even begin to describe to what extent this event has influenced me.

Lorcan (Ireland)

I'm Lorcan and I'm a 17-year-old student from Ireland. I first became interested in online safety through my own experiences online and I signed up to become a Safer Internet Day (SID) Ambassador with the Irish Safer Internet Centre. I organised online safety events in my school for Safer Internet Day and I became a member of the Irish Youth Panel. Through this role, I have taken part in open policy debates and panel discussions focusing on the challenges and benefits of technology. These include an Open Policy Debate organised by the Irish Government in March this year which lead to the first Online Safety Strategy, and the EMEA Child Safety Summit hosted by Google and Facebook in April of this year. I'm also a member of Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg, where we actively promote positive use of technology and being aware of online safety.

Algirdas (Lithuania)

Hey! My name is Algirdas, a 19-year-old currently studying Political Science and International Relations in Vilnius, Lithuania. I have been involved with digital safety education and BIK for about 5 years now. During these years I have been fortunate enough to participate in many national and international events. This allowed me to create educational material for young people across the Europe, raise awareness for concerning issues and most importantly represent Lithuania at a European level. I believe that well-funded quality education and a sustainable government can make our lives a lot better and our futures a lot brighter.

Sina (Luxembourg)

Hello world! I'm Sina from Luxembourg. I am 15 years old and a student of the Lycée de Garçons de Luxembourg. I also panel review for BEE SECURE, focusing on technology and safety for kids. The Safer Internet Forum was my first conference, so at the beginning I was very nervous, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences that I have ever had. I really enjoyed working with all the other youth panellists, getting to know so many people from across the European Union, brainstorming on current topics (such as internet creators, data protection, Article 13, … ), and organising our deep dive session. I am really proud of our work, #MyDigitalSelfandI. ps. The food was delicious!

Catarina (Portugal)

I'm Catarina, a 16 years old girl from Portugal. As the cyber world plays a big part of my life, I'm interested in all the things related to it. Because of this, I have been involved in the "Digital Leaders" initiative of the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, since 2015. Throughout the years, I've had the opportunity to work with children, peers, parents, teachers, and others in regional events, by sharing experiences and thoughts about this important topic. This year, I participated in some activities at a national level, by being the "youth's voice which adults also need to hear", such as the panel on "Ethics… odd word applied to cyber. Why and where should we fit it", in the C-Days Conference and in the "1st conference – INCoDe.2030". More recently, I took part in BIK Youth Panel, Safer Internet Forum and BIK Advisory Board in Brussels. All these events were an excellent opportunity to get to know different people, different realities and different experiences, which I want to share with others. My final goal is to make a contribution to improve children and youngster's rights and knowledge in the internet and new technologies!

Ambassadors from the European Youth Panel 2017

Henkka (Finland)

Henkka, an 19-year-old YouTuber from Finland, has been sharing his life to thousands of people on social media for 5 years. His content is also published by the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle's program and content entity for teens on multiple platforms and on social media. Henkka took part in the 2017 edition of YEP and is working with Save the Children Finland.

Olivia (Denmark)

My name is Olivia, I'm a 18-year-old student from Denmark. I'm extremely passionate about the safer internet agenda and the overall goal of creating a better internet. I have been volunteering for Save the Children Denmark for the past five years, during which I have attended both international and national Internet Governance Forums (IGFs). I have been involved in projects aiming to improve children's and young people's rights and knowledge on the internet. I am looking forward to continuing the work with my national Safer Internet Centre (SIC) and as a part of the European Youth Panel.

Laura (Romania)

My name is Ionela-Laura, I am 20 years old and I'm from Romania. I am a student at the "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture in Bucharest and I have been part of the Safer Internet Centre (SIC) (Save the Children Romania) since 2014. I have participated in trainings, gaining knowledge about the safe use of the internet and new online technologies, and I have acquired skills for working with children. I have held informative sessions in schools for children, which helped the Romanian SIC to raise awareness about the dangers as well as the benefits of the online environment. My motto: " be the change you want to see in the world".

Viktorija (Lithuania)

Hi, I'm Viktorija, I'm 18 and I come from Lithuania. I have been a part of Safer Internet Centre (SIC) in Lithuania for the past three years. I was a Youth Panellist in both the 2015 and 2017 editions of the European Youth Panel (YEP). My biggest passions are the arts and IT. I am ready to bring my contribution to the best future we all can have!

Noah (Luxembourg)

Hi, I'm Noah, I'm 18 years old and I'm from Luxembourg. I'm still in high school and I am currently involved in a range of activities with the national Safer Internet Centre (SIC), BEE-SECURE in my leisure time. Occasionally I contribute to the SIC's activities as a youth journalist.

Paulina (Lithuania)

I am a 19-year-old student from Vilnius, Lithuania. Last year, I took part in the #TogetherForRespect campaign launched in Brussels during the Safer Internet Forum (SIF). I am a creative, hardworking perfectionist committed to bringing my contribution to BIK Youth initiatives in which I have a lot of faith – together with my colleagues, we can achieve a lot!

Lili (Austria)

Since 2015 I have been involved in online safety issues. I started attending the Safer Internet Forum back then as a youth representative for Austria and participated in disucussion at our local Safer Internet Centre. Since then, I got even more involved and became one of the many Youth Ambassadors. I was able to develope a game about cyberbullying with which I took second place at the Safer Internet Awards. Since 2018 I have been studying law at the University of Vienna and I work at the Safer Internet Centre Austria with a focus on youth participation.

Fanni (Hungary)

I'm Fanni from Hungary. I'm a member of the Hungarian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) Youth Panel. I am studying programming in Budapest and I have a longstanding interest in the continuously changing online world. We can't change the whole world in one day, but we should pay attention to our surroundings every day and make small changes.

Sophie (United Kingdom)

I'm Sophie Hextall, a youth representative for Childnet from England. As a member of the cyber generation, I have a great interest in the cyber world and the ways in which it affects young people.

Chiara (Belgium)

My name's Chiara and I'm from Belgium ! I'm 18 and I have been volunteering for the Belgian Safer Internet Centre for 2 years. In 2017 I participated in the European Youth Panel and Safer Internet Forum in Brussels. It was really interesting and with the other youths we launched a campaign named : #togetherforrespect. We wanted something simple, which can be used by everyone on social media - many of my friends for instance have been asking about it and I'm happy to explain our project, how we launched it and what it is for. I think our campaign is really important because cyber-bullying is something that we cannot let happen.

Longstanding Ambassadors

Kathrin (Germany)

I started working in the field of safer internet seven years ago when I was still in school. I was a youth panelist for the National Awareness Centre, Klicksafe. For the past three years I have been studying law and have developed an interest in digital law and politics. I have already taken part in a number of Insafe events such as the summer school in Romania, and the Safer Internet Forum, Safer Internet Day celebrations in Brussels, EuroDIG and IGF-D.

I was also involved in the launch of the Youth Manifesto initiative, which was an amazing opportunity for young people to have their say on priorities for creating a better internet for the future. I think it is essential to show everyone – and I really mean everyone: young children, youth, parents and grandparents – that the internet is not a place where only bad things happen, as we often hear on the news. I believe the internet gives great opportunities but we all need to learn how to use it in the right way.

The idea of peer education and the fact that youth from every country in the EU meet up to discuss themes around online safety is one of the greatest things I can imagine. I'm really lucky that I can take part in such great programs and meet such great people!

Charalampos (Greece)

Charalampos is a young former YEP youth panellist. Currently a student at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of National and Kapodistian University of Athens, he is an active participant in international conferences on internet governance such as SEEDIG, IGF, EuroDIG, YouthDIG and the Better Internet for Kids Youth Panel.

In his spare time he is a passionate hiker, cyclist and sailor.

João Pedro (Portugal)

João is a young Computer Engineering student at the University of Coimbra. He has been a Youth Ambassador for about six years.
Born in Portugal, he was one of the first members from outside Lisbon to join the youth panel of his national Safer Internet Centre (SIC). After attending a Safer Internet Forum (SIF) in Luxembourg in 2011 representing his country, he was invited to be a Youth Ambassador. Since then he has attended some seminars – including one in Paris at Vivendi headquarters, and another one in Cachan. He also attended the European Parliament for the launch of the WebWeWant handbook, and participated in two more editions of Safer Internet Forum, one of which took place in Brussels. Throughout the years, he has had the opportunity to both raise awareness among his peers and learn about online safety issues. All these events have also been extraordinary occasions to meet many interesting people from all around the world.
Young people's opinions are very important for Joao and he believes that they should be taken into account by both politicians and industry. That is why he is involved in several projects, most of them connected to youth participation in debates and decision making processes. More recently, he has worked alongside his national SIC to organise lectures in local schools and regional events, and has been involved in internet governance events, both at national (Incode2030 and Portuguese IGF – 2016/17) and international (Global IGF – Mexico 2016) levels.