No two kids are alike, and the different age groups are very different. The issues are all unique, with special considerations and outlooks. This is a breeding ground for a difficult national cooperation.

While planning for the Safer Internet Day 2006, Norwegian awareness node 'NoNo' wanted to utilise the entire existing national network. It consists of a large number of organisations, agencies, corporations and NGOs. Naturally, the network represents different views and special areas of interest. Each group feeld whatever they work on is the most important. One way to get around this is to find the common, overlapping themes. In the planning for the day, a considerable amount of time was spent on identifying these connection points between our areas.

The issue of privacy rather quickly emerged as the pillar everything else could lean on. Problems with youngsters publishing explicit pictures of themselves? Privacy. Concerned about technical network security issues? Privacy. Even sexually predatory behaviour can be closely linked to privacy issues.

The roadmap for cooperation therefore centred on this one issue. With everyone contributing their best while firmly keeping this focus, the day succeeded on the two basic fronts: Give the public one, understandable message, while still allowing every contributor to expand into their own areas of expertise.

The level of cooperation was raised significantly by identifying this ‘centre of gravity’ for the awareness effort. And the kids? Well, just to be sure, we had a couple of celebrities as well.  Should one wear both a belt and braces? Of course.