“My wish as a European policy maker is that this spirit will be remembered by next generation, as the age of courage and not the age of waiting.”
Daniela Rondinelli, member of the European Parliament, Commission on Employment and Social Affairs left her contribution during the 21st Infopoverty World Conference.
Since there certainly is a disproportion on the access to know-how technology, and different stages in the ongoing digital revolution, how the digital society can be carried out with a fair and equal process?
The only way to reach a fair and equal process is to allow the sharing of the positive effects of the new digital society, everywhere and everyone, thanks to the new order of renovated rights, including the wide access to digital instruments. But since not all states can develop in the same way on the same speed, I'm firmly convinced that the European Union have no alternative but to lead the global process, which should entail multilateral governance, for a more equal society. To be driver of the change in the global scenario, European Union started to face one by one all the loopholes that break today internal integration process. The symmetric crisis generated by the pandemic pushed the 27 member states to experience a new and deeper form of cooperation, based on two principles: Nobody can be left behind, and nobody can help itself alone. On this basis, European Union, created the new generation-EU, aiming to reshape a greener and more resilient digital continent in line with the SDGs of the United Nations. This approach allows digitalization and green policy to be combined in every single policy decided at European-National level. And more importantly, allowed European institution to start a renovation of their own governance.
If the European Union will lead the global process towards a fair and equal society, what shall the Union do?
In my opinion, European Union can promote the cornerstones of the new global governance, opening the way to the workers’ right for portability and to common worldwide standards to ensure equal treatments for fair conditions. All this considered, I strongly support the idea of including in the next agreements between European Union and third countries the principle of reciprocity, to ensure the implementation of the same social and environmental standards. The new global governance should be based on a genuine buttoned-up approach, able to bring the expectations of citizens and communities in a structured dialogue, which involves all political, economic, and social actors in the framework of a fairer paradigm, characterized by shared knowledge, social justice, and equal opportunities for all.
“The quality of our vision and efforts will be measured by our capacity to ensure the right of well-being and for full political, economic, and social participation for all, both in the digital life, and in the real life”.