Internet conference "Internet – Censorship – Youth"
19.03.06
Internet conference “Internet – Censorship – Youth” took place on March 20, 2006 at 16.00 in the Federation Council.
Internet development in Russia and issues relating to its legislative support have long been attracting government attention. The conference has become an opportunity for representatives of the legislative power and the Internet community to meet. The following questions were discussed:
- What exactly should be regulated in the Russian Internet?
- Do electronic mass media need censorship?
- Does the Internet affect world outlook of the young generation and must this process be controlled?
- Does the society want to know the truth?
- Is the young generation worried about limitation of freedom?
The Internet conference had the following participants: representatives of public and rights-protecting organizations, youth associations, governmental authorities, IT-companies, famous public figures. Opinions were expressed by Irina Khakhamada (party “Our choice”), Lyudmila Alexeeva (Moscow Helsinki Group), Oleg Panfilov (The Center of Extreme Journalism), Alexei Dudinov (the Russian Webmasters Union), et al. The discussion resulted in a number of specific proposals on making amendments in the current legislation, which would promote Internet development and establishment of civil society in Russia. This conference was broadcast on-line on the website of the Russian Webmasters Union www.webmastera.org. During the conference live reports from Russian regions were organized.
The conference opened the final program of the III International Festival of Noncommercial Internet Projects, which also comprised master-classes and workshops with the most famous Runet specialists. Heads of the most successful Internet companies spoke to the conference participants. A special section in the festival program was “Days of the RF regions” held on March 24 – 25 in a near-Moscow holiday hotel “Lesnye Dali”. Representatives of the regions shared their experience, developed a perspective development strategy and made a map of a regional Internet-marathon that will take place during 2006.
Festival audience for three years comprised more than 100 thousand people from 80 Russian regions and 70 countries from all the continents.
The aim of the festival is to popularize information technologies and develop independent non-commercial Internet sector. The festival gives an opportunity for many socially important Internet projects to become available for a larger audience, it helps young specialists in their professional development.
Among participants of the festival are private persons and organizations of all patterns of ownership, governmental bodies, which have non-commercial Internet projects. The competent festival jury includes representatives from IT-companies, public and governmental organizations: Anna Artamonova (Mail.ru), Jan Khan-Magomedov (Regional public center of Internet technologies), Alexei Dudinov (the Russian Webmasters Union), Andrew Yarnykh (Kaspersky Laboratory), Marius Lukoshunas (UNESCO), etc.
The festival is held with the support of the Federation Council Committee on Youth and Sports Affairs, public and commercial organizations.
The general Internet partner of the festival – the @Mail.ru Holding.