The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) considers Youth as a vital partner and a critical resource to ensure the future of the telecommunication industry. Working closely with the private sector, ITU has launched a programme intended to make a difference not only to the future of young people involved in ICTs in developing countries but to the communities from which they come as well.
It is with great interest and satisfaction that ITU has observed young leaders, alumni of an ITU TELECOM dedicated fora, re-focus their careers to include the ICT sector. ITU staff who maintain contact with the alumni have observed that the Youth Fora make it possible for these future leaders to be introduced to the fundamental elements of the sector, namely: technology, policy and regulation, and finance and investment. The youth attending the Johannesburg (2001) and Hong Kong (2002) Youth Fora prepared Youth Declarations that were read out at the Closing of the TELECOM Fora. These excellent documents have been introduced as inputs to the Youth agenda for the World Summit on the Information Society
(https://www.itu.int/AFRICA2001/forum/youth/declaration.html
and https://www.itu.int/ASIA2002/forum/youth/declaration.html?menuItem=8&subMenuItem=-1&tabName=Forum
respectively), and it is very motivating to see the responsibility and task that they give themselves, that of providing skills and commitment through volunteer and community ICT initiatives.
The concerns and recommendations expressed by youth in the above-mentioned Declarations, namely those issues regarding education, technology, promotion of peace and development, investment, policy and regulation, were fundamental in defining the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)’s Youth Programme that emphasises human capacity building. The BDT feels it is necessary to consider the critical role that young men and women can play in shaping and promoting the future of telecommunication development as well as the extraordinary resource they are to improve the ICT literacy in their communities.
The first significant project initiated through the Youth Programme is “ITU - YES”, the Youth Education Scheme. The YES is an assertive stance in support of needy and deserving young people who, without assistance, would have to leave university before completing their degrees. The ITU considers it very important that young people complete their formal education so that they can better contribute to the welfare of their families and to the social and economic development of their communities. The YES project enjoys the support of generous partners
(https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/) ; and a YES Trust Fund has also been established for modest contributions from which subsequent YES projects can be initiated.
A project is being developed to mobilise the alumni of the Youth Fora and “YES” to carry out computer literacy training in their communities, remote and rural areas, etc. upon graduation. In this way, ITU plans to not only offer the young graduates some hands-on training experience, but put their ICT knowledge and enthousiasm to good use in expanding computer literacy in their countries.
The Youth Programme also includes an internship programme permitting recent young graduates from the developing world to work with the ITU Development Bureau, thus providing opportunities for these future young leaders to gain practical experience in the field of telecommunications before beginning their professional careers. These young experts are acquiring experience by working on projects, producing case studies and analysing real data, being mentored by ITU staff either at Headquarters or in the ITU Field Offices. ITU hopes to describe their successful projects in a future communiqué.
For further information on the ITU Youth Programme and initiatives, please contact
youth@itu.int
