Session
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE ROLE OF YOUTH
We are living in a time when each and every aspect of our lives is going through digital transformation, from education and work to communication and entertainment. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the power and importance of digital technologies. While the physical distancing measures associated with the pandemic have closed schools across the world, disrupted people’s ability to work and forced families and friends to stay apart, the Internet has enabled many to continue their education and jobs and maintain social interaction.
However, the increase in the use of online technologies prompted by COVID-19 has exacerbated many digital policy-related issues and has starkly illustrated the widening gap between the connected and unconnected. For example, it has highlighted the importance of issues related to online security and safety, data protection and utilisation, as well as freedoms and rights on the Internet. Even before the pandemic, there was broad recognition of the need to conquer the digital divide, particularly the gender digital divide, as well as online segregation and discrimination of various marginalised groups. These problems have been around ever since the Internet entered our lives, just over 50 years ago, and the complexity and global nature of the issues require the involvement of multiple generations. The youth of today will be tomorrow’s Internet leaders and experts. The sooner we start developing the capacity of today’s youth, the sooner we can start to make progress, across the generations, and create an Internet that benefits all.
About IGF 2022 Youth Track and Global Youth Summit
Building on the demand from young people, as well as on the outputs of the last year’s Global Youth Summit and related youth engagement opportunities, the IGF 2022 youth track aims at creating a set of activities to connect youth from around the world among themselves, and also create opportunities for them to network with senior stakeholders, experts in Internet governance. As digital transformation was among the topics of interest to youth, the capacity development activities tackle specific issues nested under this broad theme.
Following hosting of the four capacity development workshops which outlined some of the most specific aspects of digital transformation and associated digital policies, the IGF 2022 Global Youth Summit will provide an opportunity for the lessons learned through the workshops to be further distilled and discussed with those holding positions of impact, decision shaping and decision making power. The next generation of experts and leaders will meet the current generation of experts and leaders to provide action-oriented insights on the following policy questions:
- Opportunities for social prosperity digital transformation provides. How domains of education, economy and peace can be advanced by going digital?
- Challenges preventing from fully benefiting from digital transformation opportunities. Looking into ways to mitigate online harms, prevent cyberattacks and protect human rights online.
- Toward a better digital future! What to do now for a better tomorrow? Action oriented insights on ways to ensure a safer, more secure and sustainable digital environment through synergies between the current and next generations of experts and leaders.
Some of the most experienced experts will engage in a dialogue with some of the most active youth from around the world.
Moderator: Ms. Anriette Esterhuysen, IGF MAG Chair 2020-2021
Speakers:
- H.E. Ms. Huria Ali Mahdi, State Minister, Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Ethiopia
- United Nations Under-Secretary-General of DESA, Mr. Li Junhua
- Youth LACIGF coordinator, Mr. Umut Velasquez
- DotAfrica Foundation, Chairman Board of Trustees, Mr. Barrack Otieno
- Youth Polish IGF coordinator, YCIG, Ms. Emilia Zalewska
- ISOC Foundation youth programme lead, Ms. Mauricia Abdol Tshilunda
- DiploFoundation, Director of Cybersecurity and E-diplomacy, Mr. Vlada Radunovic
- Youth IGF Ghana coordinator, Ms. Edinam Lily Botsyoe
- Internet Society South Africa member, Ms. Thoko Miya
- Youth IGF Russia coordinator, Mr. Roman Chukov
- Member of Parliament of Germany, Mr. Tobias Bacherle
- Youth APrIGF coordinator, Ms. Jenna Fung
- Youth Myanmar IGF coordinator, Ms. Phyo
- Office of the UN Youth Envoy, Ms. Hillary Bakrie
Rapporteurs:
- Ms. Elisabeth Schauermann, German Youth IGF, YOUthDIG (coordinates rapporteurs*)
- Ms. Ines Hfaiedh, Tunisia
- Ms. Stella Teoh, Malaysia Youth IGF
- Ms. Thoko Miya, ISOC South Africa
- Mr. Ananda Gautam, Youth Nepal IGF
- Ms. Cynthia Chepkemoi, ISOC Youth IGF Ambassador
- Ms. Phyo, Myanmar Youth IGF
- Ms. Afi Edoh, Togo IGF and West African IGF, African IGF
Communication materials available for free use and dissemination. Please download them from the links below and share the information on social media!
- Official Community-Wide Hashtag: #IGF2022
- Global Youth Summit Hashtag: use the hashtags #Youth #IGFYouth. For example, #IGF2022 Global #Youth Summit...
- Meeting Title Hashtag: #ResilientInternet
!!! Download flyers and animation!!!
- Announcement e-card generic: https://www.intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/257/23564
- Announcement e-card rapporteurs: https://www.intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/257/23562
- Animation: https://youtu.be/_SC061HW5uI