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Title: WSIS Youth Nigeria
Location:
Categories: Technology & Innovation
Status:
Completed
Timeline:
Ongoing
Description:
The Nigerian Youth Coalition on Information and communication Technologies (NYC-ICTs) conducted a nationwide (representative) study on the thoughts of young Nigerians with respect to the ongoing World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the global Information Society in October 2003. The process was tagged the WSIS Nigeria Policy Train and it served the purpose of delivering a Nigerian Youth Statement on the WSIS, along with the opportunity of creating awareness on the process among Nigerian youth. This was done in preparation for the Phase 1 of the WSIS, which took place in December 2003 at Geneva.
The United Nations designed the World Summit on the Information Society as a political process in two phases. We are now in the second phase, leading to a major event in Tunis, Tunisia in November 2005. WSIS brings together world political, business and civil society leaders to create a shared vision for the information society, and implement an Action Plan to ensure equitable access to technology, and harness ICTs for development - in areas such as education, the environment, health, and sustainable livelihoods.
The Policy Train started a process that we envisage would continue, especially as we proceed within the second phase of the WSIS process. As stated in the Decision of the first preparatory committee meeting in the second phase (PrepCom 1), the output of the Tunis Phase should be a final document or documents, comprising a concise political part and an operational part, both of which reflect the areas of focus of the Tunis phase and reaffirm and enhance the commitments undertaken in the Geneva phase. The African Regional preparatory meeting which held in Accra in February 2005 and the African Regional Preparatory Conference for the World Telecommunications Development Conference which held in Nigeria was a great opportunity for young people from different African countries to showcase what they have been able to build within the WSIS framework; share best practices / challenges; and discuss proactive steps towards the inclusion of their respective nations in the Information Society.
The need to secure the future of Nigeria through appropriate and strategic positioning within the sphere of the Information Society has informed the need to host a decentralized (but appropriately networked) WSIS Youth Consultations in different states of the federation, led by youth who are champions of ICT for Development (ICT4D) efforts. These youth leaders will be updated on present developments, informed of the process.
While the “National Information Society Youth Campaigns” in Phase I was highly successful, there was a lack of effective engagement with rural young people – especially rural young women and indigenous youth. Some identified causes for this lack of rural representation include non-inclusion in the formal sector, lack of specific events and outreach into rural communities, and the absence of recognition by decision-makers of their potential as agents of positive social change. In response, the Youth Caucus has decided that in the second phase, the National Youth Campaigns will specifically revolve around rural young people and their inclusion in the Information Society. Therefore the Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) and the KnowledgeHouseAfrica (KHA) has been given the responsibility by the Global Facilitation Team of the WSIS Youth Caucus to organize a Rural Youth National Campaign on the Information Society (RYNICs) in Nigeria which is being held in various strategic regional location in Nigeria
Objectives:
We expect that the major outcomes of this WSIS-Nigeria process will be:
- A Nigerian Youth Declaration on the WSIS with input also from the Rural youths.
- A progress report on a planned Rural Youth National Campaign on the Information Society(RYNICS) across Nigeria's regions, featuring feedback from different regions.
- A mapping and research exercise on rural youth-led and rural youth-oriented ICT for Development initiatives in Nigeria.
- A multimedia presentation highlighting the views and role of young Nigerians in the emerging global Information Society
- Better cooperation between youth who are involved in information society issues, especially for those who live/work in the same region
- Major publicity for what young people are doing at the WSIS and what they will do after that. We are not just restless, we rest less to care an enviable tomorrow!
Needs:
- Partners (civil society, governments, private sector, academia, youth-led efforts, etc, etc)
- Funding
- Logistics support
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