Title: MODEL-ITU YOUTH ORGANIZATION
Location:
Global
Categories: Technology
Peace & Conflict
Health
Status:
In Progress
Timeline:
Ongoing
Description:
MODEL-ITU Youth Organization is a youth empowerment initiative formed as a follow up project of the May 2008 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ,www.itu.int youth forum held in Cairo, EGYPT.
The initiative was born out of sharing experiences at the forum amongst young people. The initiative, as a model of ITU, seeks to assimilate the ideals and principles of the mainstream ITU with special reference to the Special Initiative Unit.
We seek to put into practice the ITU Telecom Africa 2008 Youth Declaration and Action Plan entitled ‘Youth Aspiration for A Superior Future’, the youth forum lessons, the fellowship essay and youth’s ideas for a better world.
MODEL-ITU has replicable objectives which when coupled with youth based objectives and quest for collaboration gives it potential to expand in other institutions in Kenya and beyond.
VISION
This project aims at bridging the digital divide through equipping students and youths with useful skills that will facilitate their education and also help them to find employment after their education in Kenya where the rate of unemployment is overwhelmingly alarming.
Our vision is;
To assimilate ITU in promoting the efforts channeled towards bridging the digital divide through basic ICT training , empowerment ICT awareness, social networking and promote cyber peace , internet safety and expose children and youth to ICT dynamics and opportunities at early age.
MISSION
To promote peace, youth and children empowerment, multicultural dialogue and understanding and safe internet us aimed at building a better prosperous world ; together for by and with the young people.
Model-ITU organization seeks to achieve its goals and objectives with, for and by young people, genuine partnership and active collaboration with experts. We therefore have a six pillar platform to enable us meet the expectations. These include; PILLAR ONE: Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship. This pillar focuses on programs designed to develop and impact youth’s capacity building, youth leadership, entrepreneurial and communication skills to make young people active problem solvers in their communities and country at large. PILLAR TWO: Peace and security-The pillar is designed to promote youth involvement in promotion of peace and security, ICT , cross cultural dialogues, debates , peace enhancing digital contents, video conferencing public lectures, cyber peace and e-peace and essay writing contests are some of the tools that are employed in promoting peace, tolerance and dialogue among youths. To inculcate culture of peace building at tender ages, children’s peace camp themed Promoting peace and National Cohesion; Catch It Young has been developed. In Kenyatta University for example, in collaboration with the religious leaders we have obtained sponsorship to organize a bi-annual peace camp for children aged between 5 and 12 years. During the peace camp, the children actively participate in the activities designed to promote cross cultural cohesion, peace and discipline among the children. Through the games, live performances on topical issues the participants appreciate the need for cultural tolerance with a view to promote nationalism and responsible citizenship. PILLAR THREE: Media, Internet Safety and Security among Young People The pillar is aimed at spreading awareness about internet safety and security issues in schools, social places and gatherings, and workshops to promote responsible and safe use, and safeguarding of internet with special attention to the knock-on effects of the 2009 arrival of fiber optic cables in Kenya. PILLAR FOUR: Bridging the Digital Divide and ICT Awareness: Model-ITU strongly supports the efforts aimed at bridging the digital divide in readiness for the pre and post eminent ICT renaissance in Kenya. The Model-ITU branches in tertiary institutions will carry out in-room and one-on one basic ICT training for the students who lack the skills. We will also lobby the colleges’ administrations to provide room for such activities. During vacations we will mobilize volunteers to offer training services in the digital villages in rural areas. We will also high light and provide guide lines for young people to exploit the IT enabled services like Business Process Outsourcing and Knowledge Process Outsourcing in entrepreneurial initiatives. We also seek to run RIOT (Righteous Invasion of Towns) and RIOV (Righteous Invasion of Villages) campaigns and participate in exhibitions meant to create awareness on ICT and its benefits. We will also demonstrate and assist in formation and running of digital villages and enlist organizations that can support such initiatives to the village and town youths. PILLAR FIVE: Social networking: We seek to network with similar youth organizations in different regions and countries to share ideas, challenges and trends look for internship and vacancies offline and online. Such networkings do result into volunteer and employment opportunities, partnerships and alliances for economic, social environment and peace. We will also do video conferencing and identify schools that promote early use of ICT safely and positively to change lives and give an ICT School of Cyber Peace and Internet Safety (ISCPIS) award. PILLAR SIX: ICT, Environment and e-conservation The project seeks to use ICT to create awareness on climate change and global warming with intention to involve the youths in environmental conservation and protection especially in with respect to rapidly diminishing world water towers. We also intend to carry out tree planting projects in cities, towns and country sides. In making peace with nature, we intend to mobilize youth volunteers in clean up activities meant to keep our surrounding safe to live in. To ensure synergy, we will partner with relevant organizations and youth groups and environmental clubs in different colleges in organizing the activities, workshops, trainings, awareness campaigns and re-forestation programs. The goal of MODEL-ITU in promoting the use of ICT is; every student who leaves high school should have basic ICT skills while young and that people be able to take advantage of the opportunities in ICT sector to foster peace and development in achievement of MDGs and Kenya’s Vision 2030 goals. Model-ITU will focus on discussing and putting into practice the role of young people in championing peace and security as key stakeholders and leaders of today and tomorrow.
Background:
ICT has been postulated as the fastest growing industry with many opportunities that can accrue from its effective application ICT, therefore has been highlighted by UN, ITU, governments, corporate world and academic institutions as the potential tool that facilitates trade, socialization, health care, peace conflict resolution. Today, social networking through email’s and blogs has promoted free flow of information in development of an informed society. Effective ICT application therefore enables children and youths to exploit their potentials, learn from one another, and promote positive cultural diversity and global understanding. It is against this background that Model International Telecommunications Union (MODEL-ITU, a Youth Digital Initiative) Youth Organization is based, simulation of ITU’s Special Initiative Unit which seeks to actively involve young people as active beneficiaries of ICT enabled services and opportunities. MODEL-ITU believes that through ICT, the world’s challenges like sporadic violence, ethnicity and racism, unemployment and informational gap can be addressed. A number of intervening factors, problems, contingent situations and historical factors have also engineered the establishment of the organization. First, many African countries like Kenya South Africa, Rwanda, Sudan, and Somalia have and /or experience war with women, children and youths as the main victims. In many of the cases, youths stand accused as the main perpetrators and executors of these atrocities. For instance, Kenya has experienced tribal related violence in the years 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007. Given that young people carried these acts, it is true that the 2007 perpetrators were children and teenagers in 1992. There is therefore need to amicably address the ethnic relations and sustainable peace by investing in youth peace and empowerment initiatives at early ages. Technically all UN members have pledged to put in place measurers geared towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 In its second chapter, the Millennium Declaration specifically mentions peace, security, disarmament and protection of the vulnerable. However the link between conflict prevention, peace-building and reaching the MDGs has not yet been seen in practices especially in developing countries and third world economies. ICT has also not been fully employed in tackling HIV/AIDs pandemic in most countries. Secondly, though youths in war torn areas stand accused as the main executors of various atrocities, several studies have shown that their active involvement as proactive partners in addressing these pertinent issues is critical for sustainable peace and security. According to NEPAD, young people play a big role in conflicts as combatants and informants but at the same time they are a critical target group in redressing conflict and reversing hostilities given that just a small percentage of them do get involved in the conflicts. In Kenya, militia gangs like Mungiki, Taliban, Sungu Sungu, Chinkororo, Baghdad Boys, Sabaot Land Defense Force, Kaya Bombo, the warriors of Rift Valley have mainly cropped due to socio-economic woes. These are the self-styled militias, vigilante groups and organized crime gangs that have sprouted up in almost every part of the country, posing an increasing challenge to an overstretched police force. The existences of youths who are unable to deal with poverty, peer influence, low esteem, and fear of hopelessness, unemployment, and lack of ethnic, national and global patriotism in the increasing commercialized society in most instances serve as the root causes of socio-economic ills that are attributable to the youths. The threats of sporadic violence in most African universities, colleges and more recently high schools have not only paralyzed leanings but also caused deaths, personal injuries, sexual assaults, wastage of time and destruction of property. At the same time , the digital divide, gap between those who have no access to internet and those who do, cyber peace and security concern and internet safety have prominently featured as the greatest challenges facing Africa today. The divide is most extreme in Africa, according to Africa Recovery, where in 2001, out of 800 million people, only 1 in 4 had a radio, 1 in 13 a television set, 1 in 40 a telephone and 1 out of 130 a computer. The digital divide widens in Africa's countryside, where a lack of roads, telephone lines and electricity separates the rural majority from their urban counterparts. Finally, during the ITU 2008 Youth Forum held in Egypt, the youth fellows decried the low level of awareness on ITU despite its immense contributions to ICT development world over. Most youths came to know of ITU during the announcement of essay writing competitions in their respective universities. Owing to ITU's global stature and immense contributions in ICT development, communication enhancement and youth empowerment a sustainable and deliberate initiative to enlighten young people on these vital contributions is necessary
Objectives:
•To create a platform for children and youth for promoting peace and cross cultural understanding and social values
• To educate on basic ICT skills to bridge the digital divide and create awareness on ICT, empowerment and entrepreneurship in pursuit of MDGs and Kenya’s VISION 2030 Goals.
• To build of network young people aimed at enhancing social networking, informational exchange and addressing global socio-economic problems including HIV/AIDS, drug abuse
• To advance internet safety with a view to challenge the youth and children to value and uphold the internet importance.
• To promote use of ICTs in environmental protection and sustenance through the input of young people
•To create global awareness on ITU among students, administrators and other organizations
Milestones:
••We took part in the Global Giving (globalgiving.com)Workshop held on March 10, 2009 , Shalom House , Ngong Road. The workshop was based on use f social media by organizations for strategic communication and resource mobilization. The workshop was conducted by two Global Giving members from Washington, Mr. MARX and Mr. Michael Nolan.
Children Peace camp II themed ' Promoting Peace and National Cohesion; Catch It Young' sponsored by the KU Catholic Church Chaplaincy was organized On FEBRUARY, 28 2009 in collaboration with the KUTT, VIDES Kenya and the religious communities within the university. Its aim was to use drama, music, plays, games and competitions to inculcate the culture of peace building, discipline, tolerance, cross cultural dialogues and respect at early ages.There were 61 children participants. Each was given a book mark gifts with peace messages , their faces painted with national colors , while winners in various competition categories awarded.
MODEL-ITU formally registered by the government’s social services department as a youth organization
•MODEL-ITU branch , a youth digital initiative officially registered in Kenyatta University as a students’ Association with an experienced member of academic staff as a patron
• MODEL ITU organized a fun based and interactive childre's peace camp on 11th October 2008 themed ' Promoting Peace and National Cohesion; Catch It Young' sponsored by the KU Catholic Church Chaplaincy was organised in collaboration with the KUTT and the religious communities within the university. Its aim was to use drama, music, plays, games and competitions to inculcate the culture of peace building, discipline, tolerance, cross cultural dialogues and respect at early ages.
The camp attracted 79(double the number expected) children aged between 4 and 13 years.
• ICT Workshop on entrepreneurship and youth empowerment
The ICT Workshop on entrepreneurship and youth empowerment on Kenya’s ICT sector was held 12th February 2009, Kenyatta University AVU MAIN HALL, 210 partcipants .The guest speaker was Mr. Jonah Owitti Chairman of ISACA-Kenya. (CISA, CISM) and Chief information systems auditor of Chevron [East and southern Africa Region].
• We participated in 2008 Kenyatta University annual culture week
• In collaboration with Kenyatta University e-learning, our members have volunteered as basic ICT instructors to teach ICT skills and Moodle to students who join university from rural schools with no computer lessons. The joint project being done in Science Complex Lab 5 with full intern connection officially kicked off on February 3, 2009 with 14 registered MODEL ITU volunteer trainers and over 150 trainees. The initiative revolves around free training on basic ICT skills, assistance in online research and opening of e-mail addresses etc.
Budget:
Website costs (design , maintenance and hosting)
Stationery (typesetting and trainers guide)
equipment and supplies, 600,000, Furniture and fittings,
Computer and laptops
Digital camera and flash disks Power point facilities Printer/scanner
,USB Modem (3G Network) and cables ,
Training facilities
Travel and communication
Rental charges( office)
Publicity and Awareness campaigns (peace and ICT)
,Workshops and ISCPIS programs Peace and ICT caravans (RIOV and RIOT)
Prizes (awards and trophies),100,000,Research on e-safety and dissemination of information
Needs:
lap tops,
printer/ fax,financial assistance,partnership/sponsorship,training and trainings facilities,
video cameras,stationery
Contact Name: MODEL-ITU
Contact Email Address: model2008itu@gmail.com
Contact Phone Number: +254724511702
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