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UN Meets Web 2.0
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

GAID Panel

The United Nations hosted a conference called UN Meets Web 2.0 at their headquarters in New York. http://www.un-gaid.org/en/node/1347

I was invited to speak on a panel session titled ‘Networking youth: How ICT can help to connect’.

- I was pleased that our session was highlighted as one of the most dynamic and engaging at the conference by Mr. Sarbuland Khan, Executive Coordinator, UNDESA-GAID.
- I very much enjoyed connecting with each of my fellow panel members including: Ms. Patience Stephens (Focal Point on Youth, UN Programme on Youth, UNDESA), Mr. Armen Orujyan (Chairman and President, ATHGO), Mr. Johan Khairuddin (ASTROplc, Malaysia) Ms. Manar Al-Hashash, (DOT Design, Kuwait)
- Our session Moderator (Ms. Erica Hill, CNN Anchor) asked great questions and allowed for each panel participant to build upon ideas and points raised.
- Themes discussed during our session: importance of localization and multilingualism (role of English vs. Local languages online), discussion about the empowerment of women (and access to ICTs in certain regions), issue of freedom of expression and filtering/censorship online, concept of integration (example of TIG pulling in blogs via RSS, twitter posts, flickr photos, google maps etc), need for greater involvement of youth in decision-making processes (highlighted WSIS process and power of youth networks online helping to strengthen policy influence)
- The absolute BEST part of the session was when a women from the audience talked about how she is a member of TakingITGlobal and sees herself as a mentor in the community for youth. She works in the non-profit sector and receives many messages from our members asking for help on their projects. She talked about how TakingITGlobal is very different than other online social networks because we attract youth who trying to create change and that we are the best platform for those who want to offer mentorship and support in a global context. It was really REALLY wonderful to have this shared with the room - and on a personal level it is moments like this that remind me of why I do what I do - and how beautiful it is to reach people and attract people in this way.

March 27, 2008 | 10:37 AM Comments  0 comments



aids2031
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

AIDS_2031_GroupPhoto

Here is a photo with all of us who attended the aids2031 Young Leaders Summit in San Francisco at the Google Campus. The event is an initiative of UNAIDS and described as a unique gathering is bringing together approximately 40 young leaders in politics, business, media, the arts and civil society, including but not limited to those who have worked on AIDS. A main goal of the meeting is to understand how AIDS will affect each of us in profound, even unexpected ways.
Increasingly, breakthroughs will require new perspectives, approaches, and leadership that cut across sector and geographic boundaries and are rooted in social justice.

Some of the comments/themes highlighted at the meeting:

- No one deserves HIV
- Drivers: inequality, racism, poverty, homophobia, women's rights, unemployment, fragmentation, discrimination, stigma, culture, lack of ownership around AIDS by elected officials, individuals and communities, there is a perception that the risk of infection is low ('I am not the face of AIDS'), commercial sex, abuse, dependency, power disparities, lack of access to resources, lack of awareness/knowledge/education, religious fundamentalism, denial
- Blame and shame hinders acceptance (you have too much to lose if you say you're infected)
- To speak out openly about your status allows the weight to unload and increases ability to move forward
- Stories of many marginalized communities are excluded - for example indigenous communities
- Sometimes short-term views prohibit achieving longer-term objectives
- Without hope for your future - you don't plan your life and you are exposed to many risks


March 13, 2008 | 10:33 AM Comments  0 comments



Egypt - Project Launch and Conference Insights
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

alex-blog1

My most recent trip to Egypt (February 27 – March 5, 2008) has been incredibly rewarding! As it was my fifth time in the country I found myself feeling very comfortable and ‘at home’ in the environment which was lovely. I also know that the effectiveness of the many meetings that took place was a result of having both Tala Nabulsi (our Arabic Engagement Coordinator who came from Jordan) along with Maged Hassan (our Arabic Translations Coordinator who is based in Alexandria) join me in at the conferences. Our Global Gallery Co-Founder Vittoria La Neve also joined the trip and supported us in preparing for meetings, helping with our Open Forum along with networking and being the inspiration for our EUROMED partnership with the Ana Lindh Foundation. Almost all of our time during this trip was spent at the Library of Alexandria (a.k.a. BA - Bibliotheca Alexandrina) in meetings with participants at both the Third Arab Youth Forum along with the Fifth Arab Reform Forum. Beyond meeting with conference participants we also spent time with many active TIG members and volunteers including Waleed Sorour (who coordinated our Adobe Youth Voices workshops), Hayk (our Discussion Forum Moderator), Ahmed (who is the GYCA Focal Point), and ‘alumni’ such as Moustafa Hussein (our former Arabic Translations Coordinator) and others! It was really amazing to have so many active TIG members share their ideas on how to continue to improve TIG. We also spent time meeting with many organizations to discuss current and future partnerships.

alexandria08 135 Our main aim and outcome for the trip was to finalize details for a new initiative that TakingITGlobal is launching in partnership with the Library of Alexandria called Youth for Change! The Youth for Change program aims to help youth from the Arab world to become inspired, informed and involved in issues that affect them. The project will be implemented through a partnership between Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt and TakingITGlobal in Canada and will engage youth from these two distinct regions in cross-cultural dialogue as well as support youth-led development through local projects. The pilot project will commence in March 2008 in Egypt and will focus on 10 priority countries.

The project aims to achieve its objectives through the following project components:
• The project will facilitate ongoing cross-cultural dialogue through the use of online community tools and spaces provided by TakingITGlobal and InfoMall.
• Facilitation of local Youth for Change Open Forum events where approximately 30 youth will come together in a library, community centre, school or NGO in order to identify key challenges facing youth and how they can be addressed by youth. These sessions will also showcase related guides and online tools to support youth action.
• Two online live chat events will take place to encourage discussion among participants in the priority countries on the following themes: 'Utilizing new media to promote dialogue across cultures’ and ‘Strengthening youth as community Agents of Change’
• Supporting youth-led action projects through Mini-Grant Awards and online training workshops that will leverage the TakingITGlobal Guide to Action and feature case studies of youth who have had experience in implementing community action projects on topics such as youth employment, health and education.
• Selected award winners will receive scholarships to attend the World Youth Congress in Quebec City in order to receive additional support, training and access to international networks focused on supporting youth-led development

Third Arab Youth Forum

alex2-blog

We attended a very interesting session about the role of the media during the Third Arab Youth Forum. Since all of the sessions were in Arabic and there was no formal translations, it was somewhat difficult to understand the full range of comments made (thanks for the summary translations Tala/Maged!). What I did find very interesting during the session was how the topic of identity was expressed and how Arab youth face many challenges related to their identity.

Much of the conflict emerges from the perception and portrayal of Arab identity in the media, especially since 9/11. One of the youth at the conference stated ‘we are not terrorists and we are getting tired of always trying to defend ourselves’. Another youth commented on the lack of confidence that exists among youth and the need to have greater awareness of their own culture and history in order to better explain things to others. The concept of ‘the other’ was raised several times throughout the discussions which left me feeling incredibly compelled to raise my hand and comment on TakingITGlobal. I was given the floor to speak (after a bit of controversy) and nervously expressed my gratitude for being part of the forum and for how welcoming of an experience I have had in my travels to Arab countries (including Egypt, UAE and Jordan so far). I commented on perceptions of the ‘other’ change when you have shared experiences and a space to get to know, understand and appreciate each other. This is when I led into highlighting TakingITGlobal as an opportunity for Arab youth to change the negative perceptions and stereotypes by utilizing our tools (and new media in general) to both express and engage with others in the process of understanding. It felt really great to be able to share the value of TIG in the context of the challenges raised by Arab youth at this forum.

Fifth Arab Reform Forum

arab reform

I took part in the Opening Plenary of the Arab Reform Forum. The theme of the conference and our session was Media, Democracy and Social Responsibility. The format was ‘Davos-Style’ which involved Questions from the moderator (Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria) rather than prepared presentations. My remarks focused on highlighting the perception of new media among youth - ‘old media’ is about consumption and ‘new media’ is about co-creation. I was fortunate to have a glowing introduction of TakingITGlobal by Dr. Serageldin and talked about the observations made and points raised during my participation in the Arab Youth Forum. After the session many of the youth participants expressed appreciation for my comments.

On Monday, Maged Hassan gave a presentation on Electronic Media. For some reason, none of the other panellists were present so his 15 minute presentation was extended in length! Maged shared examples of different websites and social networking tools (including TIG) and talked about how e-media provides unlimited ways of utilization and that it can’t really be censored. He talked about the responsibility involved in disseminating information and in seeking sources for information. They also discussed the impact of blogging and freedom of expression.

alexandria08 126 TakingITGlobal Open Forum

We had a really great turnout and enjoyed the facilities of the Library of Alexandria’s multipurpose room. The issues/challenges identified by participants include: Employment, Education, Stereotypes and Perceptions, Immigration, Drugs and Illness. The participants identified these topics based on the Open Space methodology and had small break-out groups to discuss solutions.


Personal Insights and Lessons Learned

Overcoming jet lag by convincing yourself that you have already adjusted
Importance of a nutritional breakfast to last over a long day
Extreme living conditions
Managing time and prioritizing constantly
Music as a form of relaxation in awkward or demanding moments
Enjoying Egyptian food, Sheesha, mint tea, strawberry juice, Belly dancing
Expanding vocabulary in Arabic (10 words)!
Receiving many gifts and words of affection can be overwhelming
Utilizing eye contact and body language as a major form of communication in order to overcome language barriers
Choosing your moments to speak up and voice opinions
Breathing deeply to center self
Laugher and humour as a way to manage anxieties and build friendship across cultures
Mind over Matter - How to sustain yourself on less than 3 hours of sleep and little time to eat
Don’t argue just to be right – seek to understand more than to be understood
Don’t dwell on the past – reflect, analyze, learn and move forward
Value of documentation and capturing experiences in order to remember and preserve sacred moments and experiences
Don’t let past fears hinder or direct your current actions
Don’t expect others to react to a situation in the same way that you would. ‘They are not you’
Changing conditions of environment to stimulate creativity, reduce stress, learn
Trusting in powers beyond yourself, call to prayer as an invitation to give thanks
Understanding boundaries
Making the most time out of limited time
Performing at your personal best and overcoming challenges
Avoid depending on a single source of strength
Focus on what you CAN control – which is how you react and respond to your circumstances

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