Issues Paper: Youth and ICT as Agents of Change

This paper presents a review of information in key areas of youth development pertinent to the Forum.

Unlike previous generations of youth who lived in ideological, cultural and social isolation, the youth of today are far more attuned to the global challenges and issues due to the proliferation of ICTs and the new global media culture. They are simultaneously living lives at multiple levels, i.e., global, regional and local, because they are adept at using technology to harness it to their specific needs. Even in areas of low ICT penetration, the youth have managed to adapt to their circumstances by combining both traditional and innovative means of communication to gain access to knowledge and information beyond their physical borders. As such, they are consummate consumers as well as initiators of information, and "have a key role to play as entrepreneurs to build innovative solutions based on state-of-the-art technologies."

It is important to state at the outset that this paper views the role of youth as participants, actors, promoters, influencers, and in some cases, leaders of ICT-led development in areas of particular importance, relevance and interest to their group. The premise for this assertion stems from several factors: the total number of youth - globally - is about 50% of the world's population ; they make up a significant number among the target group for reaching the MDGs; they are avid users of new technology, and successful in adapting to and understanding the potential for ICTs; and developing policies, programmes and initiatives that directly or indirectly impact their lives must acknowledge that the youth of today are far more cognizant of their own environment and are therefore well able to share their experiences, concerns and ideas in order to make the programmes and policies relevant and current. And last, but not least, the youth make up a substantial market for the technology industry, as demonstrated by the proliferation of low-cost technology that is being developed today.

Given the inherent difficulty of addressing the range of diverse issues of interest to today's youth, this paper will only attempt to focus on the following four areas, corresponding to GAID's areas of focus, which have a direct bearing on the achievement of the MDGs: education, health, entrepreneurship and governance.