In 07-13 September Youth for Habitat organized “Local Agenda 21 Youth Parliament-Summer School” where 112 local youth leaders participated. The theme of the summer school was Project Development and Efficient Use of Information Technologies. The partners of the summer school are UNDP-Turkey, IULA-EMME, State Planning Organization. In the summer school trainings, presentations and workshops were held.

Coordinator of the government’s initiative entitled e-Transformation Turkey, Coordinator of the pilot city project entitled “Information City-Yalova”, Head of the Training Department of Cisco Systems, Turkish Information Society Foundation discussed information society and Turkey at different levels. Moreover, instructors from two universities will be training youth representatives on the necessity and tools of communication in the information age.

In the Summer School participants were updated about the WSIS process and they were introduced to the survey on "Youth and Information Society in Turkey". The survey will be carried out by the participants who are leading local youth councils in their respective cities.

In 02-07 September Youth for Habitat participated the CEBIT-Eurasia International Fair on ICTs which is the biggest fair on ICTs in the region in terms of its size. Youth for Habitat had a booth in the fair where WSIS process was displayed through posters.

In 16-19 May 2003 Youth for Habitat organized a national meeting entitled “Young People of Turkey Discussing Their Future”. The meeting was organized in partnership with UNDP-Turkey, IULA-EMME and Euro-Med Turkey.197 local youth leaders from 64 provinces attended the meeting. The meeting was designed to have to themes together. Turkish Youth Convention and Establishment of Local Agenda 21 National Youth Parliament. The meeting have come up with two documents which are Turkish youth input for the EU Convention and “Youth Declaration for the Future”. The declaration was composed of sections which are European Integration Process and Youth, Sustainable Development and Youth, International Agreements Related to Youth, Youth Participation and Governance, Youth Employment and Information Society and Youth. Youth declaration was presented to MPs in the Turkish Grand National Assembly in a special session of the parliament. IS and Youth Section of the declaration intended to emphasise the place of youth in using, producing and developing information technologies and to draw attention to the digital divide. Members of the Local Agenda Youth Parliament who are local youth councils/centers’ representatives and university student council’s representatives committed themselves to follow-up the youth declaration.

Information Society and Youth section in the declaration is as follows:

"Today information and information technologies are one of the powers of countries. The use of information technologies with a specific emphasis on local content provides economic, political and social advantages. Within this framework, the preparations for transition to e-state should be accelerated; pilot practices should be supported and become wide-spread for transparency and effective governance at the local level.

Youth is the major group that mostly uses, produces and develops information technologies. However inequal access to information technologies renders youth disadvantaged and lead to a tremendous divide between young people.

Meanwhile the most important problem regarding information technologies both in our country and in the world is the digital divide. It is a necessity today to communicate with the world youth rapidly, economically and effectively. The effects of digital divide should be minimized to gain benefits from such opportunities. Therefore, training and awareness raising programs should be carried out and logistical opportunities should be provided country-wide to make youth in Turkey ready for the information society."

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