Safer Internet Day 2020, working together for a better Internet: Brussels South Charleroi Airport supports the work of Child Focus

Charleroi, 10 February 2020 – Brussels South Charleroi Airport celebrates international Safer Internet Day in support of the work of Child Focus. Organised by the European Commission to make the Internet a fun, creative, fulfilling and safe place for everybody, this day has spread way beyond the borders of Europe. Stakeholders from the world of digital media education are invited to come together to promote a safer, more responsible approach to using social media among young people. As an airport committed to developing its digital ecosystem, Brussels South Charleroi is keen to play an active role in the work of Child Focus by inviting travellers and Internet users to come together to make the Internet a better space via the link – https://togetherforabetterinternet.be/brussels-south-charleroi-airport/fr.

To coincide with international Safer Internet Day, Brussels South Charleroi Airport is keen to maintain its support for the work of Child Focus to protect young users from the potential risks encountered on the World Wide Web. To this end, awareness is being raised within the airport terminal about how to make the Internet safer.

In addition to this, a partnership agreement signed by both parties will help highlight Child Focus’s work and projects. The aim will be to bring this work to life thanks to a number of different activities and to raise everyone’s awareness (children, teenagers, parents, professionals, businesses etc.) about the activities carried out by the Child Focus Foundation.

Since 1998, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, Child Focus has been doing everything it can, in Belgium and abroad, to find missing children and teenagers, as well as fighting to prevent their sexual exploitation. The Foundation is involved in launching searches, using any means, to find missing children.

In its capacity as a partner of the Child Focus Foundation, Brussels South Charleroi Airport is committed to making its network of digital screens available to report worrying disappearances. Many people pass through the airport, and it is a gateway to a large number of destinations, so it offers a high level of visibility for missing person announcements, thanks to the speed and flexibility inherent in digital media.

In addition, BSCA will also support the annual campaigns organised by Child Focus. The goal for both parties is to bring the partnership to life by putting on events that encourage solidarity and raise awareness among the airport’s visitors, as well as its staff and all of its partners. 

Heidi DE PAUW, Chief Executive Officer de Child Focus, explains: « It is extremely important for Child Focus to be able to rely on partners like BSCA, who help us share our missing person announcements and support our prevention work on the ground. »

As far as Brussels South Charleroi Airport is concerned, Philippe VERDONCK, Chief Executive Officer, reiterates his support for the work of Child Focus: « As the country’s second-biggest airport in terms of passenger traffic, we are keen to play an active role, embracing a positive approach to improving society. As technology is developing so quickly, and because it can have certain negative consequences, it is important for us to promote awareness among as many people as possible about the risks that our children are running. We would therefore like to establish ourselves as a standard-bearer for the values that we feel are so important in order to protect young people both today and in the future. »