Nepal Unites organized a two-day workshop on social media handling

On July 22–23, 2022, Nepal Unites, a chapter of Global Unites, a youth organization active in 13 countries, held a two-day workshop on social media handling. The present context has had a lot of detrimental effects on the use of social media, and many individuals have fallen victim to scammers, fraudsters, and other con artists. The team believed that the message should be delivered timely to reach out to young people to spread awareness with the message on how to use social media appropriately. The Nepal Unites thought that this was a need of the time. With the support of Global Unites, the main facilitator, Mr. Danu Innasithamby, (https://www.facebook.com/DanuInnasithamby) a media personality based in Sri Lanka, was recommended.     

The two-day workshop was indeed a success. Everyone is welcome to attend the session and engage in meaningful and active participation. Anubhuti Bhattarai, a representative of Nepal Unites, oversaw participant registration on the first day of the workshop. The national anthem was played to kick off the event. In his introductory remarks, Mohammad Jiyaul Rahaman, the President of Nepal Unites, welcomed each and every participant. Mohammad Ayatulla Rahaman, the National Director, provided information on Nepal Unites and Global Unites, as well as how to get involved in the organization. He also highlighted how many countries the Unites movement is active in. Rajan Bhandari, the Nepal Unites Program Coordinator, introduced the facilitator, the guest visitors, and the participants.

The speakers and facilitators were highly engaging and provided information for the participants. As a representative of the Nepal Police, Central Cyber Bureau, Bhotahity, Kathmandu, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pradin Tamrakar led discussions on cybercrime, cyber issues, cyber security, cyberbullying, current trends, and cyber legislation in Nepal. Mr. Danu provided instruction on how to utilize social media for local advocacy as well as to promote local customs, culture, and products on the global market. He demonstrates the power of social media in changing systems and mobilizing people even in the absence of funding. He also shared how the GOTAGOGAMA (GGG) campaign, which is the country’s largest brand, utilizes social media. He went into further detail throughout the discussion on the possibilities for peacebuilding and the new spaces that social media can help people connect, coordinate, and mobilize around peace. The presentation by Dr. Gopal Dhakal was important for understanding how social media impacts a person’s mental health. The Nepal Unites team also recognized Dr. Gopal Dhakal, a psychologist, for his invaluable commitment to community peace and well-being through the Mental Health Initiation in Nepal.

The workshop participants’ feedback was greatly acknowledged. After learning about the fraud email lottery and other cyber concerns, participant Jeevan Bhandari gave his thoughts. He also provided statistics on various social media users to raise awareness of this kind of problem. On social media, Nanu Maharjan also expressed how the lockdown’s flashbacks made her feel. According to Maharjan, many users had psychological issues as a result of their increased usage of social media, and there is lengthy material that is unattractive to the users. 

The workshop was attended by 10 females and 14 males who were selected from online applications.  The participants had been selected based on their responses to the questions on the application and also their geographical proximity. Mr. Sagar Panday a “Life Skills Coach” was invited as an observer in a two day workshop. At the end the participants received their successfully participation certificates from the main facilitator and observer.