Digital citizenship: use of technologies by Amazonian people is the theme of an international congress in Amazonas

Marcela Leiros – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The development of citizenship practices with the use of digital technologies by indigenous people from Amazon was one of the subjects approached on the first day of the 3rd International Congress of Digital Citizenship, which happens from this Monday, 21st, until Friday, 25th, in Manaus and Parintins campuses of the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam).

The meeting brings together companies, universities, research centres, activist movements and organizations linked to the Third Sector, from countries like Italy, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal and Brazil. CENARIUM MAGAZINE also participates in the event, with dissemination of physical magazines that have as their theme the political and socioeconomic scenario of the Amazon.

The journalist and Master in Communication of the Wapichana ethnic group, Ariene Susui, one of the guests at the event, pointed out that access to technologies that collaborate in communication between the native peoples and society in general leverages the space of these citizens in the media, giving them the opportunity to present, to the world, the reality and way of life of indigenous peoples.

“When we talk about inclusion, we are talking about this. How do we include ourselves in this environment? Necessarily, that people want to bring us to these agendas, show us our faces, but also that we participate in the whole process of communication. And this is citizenship”, she said.

Also read: International Congress on Digital Citizenship brings together more than 50 researchers in AM

Epistemic Center

Sociologist and professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), Massimo di Felice emphasized that, in his analysis, Amazonia is the new epistemic centre of the world due to the challenges that are imposed on the development of the largest tropical forest on the planet.

“Today, as I see it, if we think about what is the epistemic centre of the world, for me, without a doubt, it is Amazonia, because the greatest challenge that we have today is the climatic and environmental question, the question of biodiversity, and I would say more: the question of rethinking a new idea of communication”, Massimo explained.

Di Felice also pointed out that the configuration of the Amazon region presents a new concept of citizenship, in which humans and biodiversity are integrated. “No longer the citizenship of the polis, composed only of humans. No more illuminist citizenship, among equal humans, but a type of citizenship that is able to contemplate as actors also the forests, biodiversity, a complicity that also includes algorithms through which today we have access to this diversity”, he concluded.

Read also: ‘The Amazon Ministry stopped being speculation a long time ago’, says Marilene Corrêa, quoted for the position

Public education

The rector of Ufam, Sylvio Puga, highlighted the importance of the event, hosted in the institution for the first time, and the challenges of promoting public and quality education in the Amazon. He explained that the main obstacle is to overcome the great distances in the region.

“It is happening here, at Ufam, for the first time, and in a region that has its characteristics by the very large digital exclusion. I think that the opportunity of the event is to draw attention so that we can expand public policies that broaden the population’s access to digital media”, highlighted Puga.

“The challenge is the size of the region itself, it is immense. But these challenges move us, increasingly, to move towards fulfilling the institutional mission of Ufam, which is to bring knowledge to all areas of our Amazon. Therefore, the challenge is given, and we have sought to create means for us to meet this challenge”, concluded the rector.

International Congress

The activities of the 3rd International Congress on Digital Citizenship involve seven coordinated tables and the complete program of guests can be accessed on the event website: 3rd International Congress on Digital Citizenship.

The main activities will be broadcast online – including coordinated tables, open to remote participation of those interested in presenting scientific papers -, through the Atopos International Research Center channel on YouTube.

The Congress is promoted by the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), in partnership with the International Atopos Research Center of the University of São Paulo (ECA/USP) and several Brazilian universities.