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Youth & Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
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Young people today live in a world characterised by dramatic cultural, economic, social and educational differences; individual circumstances depend largely on where a person is born and raised. A major portion still lacks basic literacy skills; at the other end of the spectrum, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is skyrocketing.

Young people are the future workforce and leading creators and earliest adopters of ICTs. Developmental organisations and governments must focus especially on young people who have not yet been able to benefit fully from the opportunities provided by ICTs, and to ensure that the development of ICT applications and operation of services respects the rights of youth as well as their protection and well-being. Youth should be encouraged to be more active in civic engagement and this is important for a sustainable development.

Option for Action:

• Young people see great potential for improving development efforts and providing meaningful livelihood opportunities through the establishment of info-centres in both rural and urban areas. These info-centres provide livelihood opportunities for many young people.

• Young people use ICTs to seek information about education and livelihood opportunities available to them.

• Young people appreciate the increased consultations on information technology policy and priorities.

• Young people play a critical role in the development of locally appropriate content. Many work to repackage information between old and new media types and to interpret it for local, national, and international audiences.

• ICTs enable young people to explore and define their cultures within the context of rapid globalization.

• ICT training provides a context for skill development, socialization, and community building for out-of-school or otherwise marginalized youth.

• Local e-commerce may open more significant livelihood opportunities for young people than international e-commerce. Smaller scale e-commerce networks and ICT enabled small and medium enterprises provide young people with the opportunity to develop professionally without having to relocate large distances from their families and support networks.

Worldwide ICT-expansion has been possible due in part to the volunteer efforts and internship work of young professionals. Many have postponed or foregone potentially lucrative private sector jobs to train others in ICT use. These opportunities have further strengthened the skills of the young people as well as their commitment to socially-conscious uses of ICTs.

However, youth are a large untapped resource for creating digital opportunities. Many youth are already using technology for innovative social causes, often expanding access to information beyond those with personal access to technology. Yet, youth actions to bridge the digital divide often suffer from critical deficiencies, such as:

• Lack of mainstream support: youth-led ICT programs are rarely afforded the funding or recognition required to implement or replicate in a substantial or sustained manner.
• Lack of participation in decision-making: youth are rarely involved in national, regional and international ICT policy development, meaning youth lack the framework, support and legitimacy required for sustained action, and policy implementation lacks buy-in from this key grassroots constituency.
• Lack of communication: youth effort on ICTs is fragmented, often uninformed by others practice, unconnected to a bigger picture, unable to leverage resources, and find moral and inspirational support.
• Lack of access: many youth in rural areas in developing countries cannot be empowered in ICT as the infrastructure and facilities are largely limited to urban areas.



February 27, 2008 | 9:21 AM Comments  0 comments

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