N環球 
Ottawa puts $800,000 into Indigenous-led online safety for youth
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced $800,000 over five years for the National Association of Friendship Centres to run the BEACON Project, an Indigenous-led effort to protect Indigenous youth from online child sexual exploitation.
Why it matters
Online child sexual exploitation is a serious cross-community threat, and Indigenous youth need prevention resources that reflect their own culture. The BEACON Project is designed and led by Indigenous communities, putting prevention education in the hands of Friendship Centres that know those communities best.
Full report
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced in Ottawa on October 15 that the federal government will provide $800,000 over five years to the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) to run the BEACON Project (Bringing Empowerment, Awareness, Culture and Online Navigation).
The Indigenous-led initiative raises awareness of online child sexual exploitation risks among Indigenous youth and strengthens community-based prevention. Friendship Centres across Canada will deliver culturally relevant online safety education and work with youth, families, Elders, service providers and community partners to strengthen prevention, support those at risk and build safer communities.
The project will also improve data collection on Indigenous youth experiences online, so future policies and programs reflect Indigenous perspectives. The government says the funding builds on its broader effort to fight online child sexual exploitation: Canada's National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet has supported prevention, awareness, law enforcement, victim protection, research and partnerships since 2004, while recent and proposed legislation strengthens victim protections and increases accountability for social media platforms and AI chatbot services.
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