Antigua, Guatemala, November 20, 2024 – Between November 20 and 21, the Spanish Cooperation Training Center (CFCE) will serve as the venue for a “train-the-trainer” workshop on digital citizen engagement in Central America in the framework of the Digital Alliance between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and the Global Gateway Strategy.

Organized by the European Commission and the Presidential Commission for Open and Electronic Government (GAE) of Guatemala and facilitated by the e-Governance Academy (eGA), The workshop aims to establish a local network of trainers and stakeholders who will be equipped to support vulnerable communities in developing digital awareness and enhancing their digital skills and capacities.

In doing so, the activity aims to address the digital divide, which in many communities is characterized by limited access to technology, resulting in significant exclusion from digital services, as well as from political decision-making processes and social life. Also, crucial aspects such as digital awareness, skills, and competencies are often overlooked. As a result, the activity focuses on the most vulnerable communities, where the lack of digital skills and knowledge presents a major barrier to economic, social and political inclusion.

To address these challenges, more than 45 representatives of government institutions, civil society and academia from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, the Dominican Republic and the Central American Integration System (SICA) will gather to develop a methodology for training and action plans. They will also present and discuss the results of a mapping exercise previously carried out in the context of the activity. The mapping facilitated the analysis of each country’s specific situation in the region, including the identification of vulnerable groups, key barriers and needs, as well as local trainers and existing digital participation initiatives. To ensure the sustainability of the activity, and based on the results obtained, an online training will be organized with didactic materials adapted to the local context and aimed at trainers.

The workshop is part of the Policy Dialogues, a project that is being implemented in the context of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance. The digital governance activities are actively co-led by Guatemala and Costa Rica on the LAC side and Estonia on the EU side, in the purest Team Europe spirit.

More information on the Digital Alliance:

The EU-LAC Digital Alliance was launched in March 2023 in Bogota in the framework of the Global Gateway strategy and represents the political determination of the participating countries to collaborate closely on key digital issues through joint initiatives, fostering a people-centered digital transformation in both regions. The Policy Dialogues represent an important component of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, providing a platform for structured dialogue between the two regions on priority issues for digital cooperation.

For more information on the Policy Dialogues EU-LAC Digital Alliance Policy Dialogues (d4dhub.eu) and the EU-LAC Digital Alliance EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Digital Alliance | EEAS (europa.eu).

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European Union, 2024