Following its success in raising awareness of online safety and security issues in many Pacific island countries, Get Safe Online Pacific is now introducing a range of its popular websites in different Pacific languages.
The first local language website to be launched is in Bislama for Vanuatu
Get Safe Online Pacific is a project of the UK-based organisation Get Safe Online, which has been successfully promoting online safety in the United Kingdom for 14 years. For the past eight months, websites in English have been operating in nine Pacific Island countries who are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The service is completely free to users. On 9th March, Get Safe Online Vanuatu will launch its Bislama website. The organisation hopes that having the website in the Bislama will greatly increase its effectiveness and acceptance. Previously, the website was only available in English, although some marketing materials for the site (radio ads, social media posts and online newsletters) were produced in Bislama. The new website can be accessed using the following url: www.getsafeonline.org.vu “We’re thrilled to be launching these local language websites,” said Ms Jenny Thornton, Head of International Relations for Get Safe Online. “We see these sites as the natural evolution of our efforts to share online safety and security messages with the people of the Pacific. When we launched the local language version of the Rwanda website in Africa just before Christmas, we received an amazing response. We’re hoping for the same excitement here in the Pacific.” The Get Safe Online websites provide simple, helpful tips on a wide range of online security issues. From password protection to ensuring that financial transactions are safe, the nine Pacific island websites have been extremely popular and are visited by a wide range of users – from business owners to students and fishermen. The launch of the Bislama language site is supported by the British High Commission in Vanuatu. British High Commissioner for Vanuatu, Karen Bell said, “The UK has been proud to support the development of the Get Safe Online website. We hope the information on the site will help internet users across Vanuatu to enjoy all the benefits of social media, remittance payments online advice and entertainment while keeping themselves, their businesses and their families safe. I congratulate the Get Safe Online team and our partners in the Vanuatu government and business sector on today’s launch of the Bislama version of the website.” The regional Get Safe Online Pacific project has been funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Cybersecurity Programme. Apart from its Rwanda operation, Get Safe Online has also been operating in various Caribbean island countries for more than a year. The aim of the Pacific campaign is to raise awareness in each country of the risks and safety measures which will protect people from online security risks. These risks include phishing scams, identity theft, ransomware, malware, viruses and other online threats. “The services are fully funded and don’t require any resources from those who use them,” said Peter Davies, the Global Ambassador for Get Safe Online. “It’s an ambitious agenda, but with the benefit of our experiences and successes, we know it’s achievable.” The Get Safe Online Pacific campaign also involves in-country Ambassadors and Advocates who publicly appear on behalf of Get Safe Online to ensure that the online safety issues facing each island country are addressed. These Advocates and Ambassadors have appeared on television talk shows, on radio, through online forums, in podcasts and in public. In this way, the messages for staying safe online are tailored to the needs and situations facing each of the island countries in which Get Safe Online Pacific operates.