Fw: [hn] Young Innovators Competition -- 2011 ITU Youth Forum [1 Attachment]

Dear Fellows,

2011 is the 10th year of the ITU Youth Forums! ITU has a different style of competition for this year's YF, and I hope you help us spread the word about it. The website has been launched (but it does not have all info yet):

http://world2011.itu.int/ young-innovators 

I have also attached the competition's outline. Brief from the website as follows:

YOUNG INNOVATORS

Are you 18-25 years old?

Are you a digital entrepreneur bursting with ideas?

Do you want to use your knowledge and skills to make the world a better place?

Do you need resources so you can turn your seed idea into reality?

Come up with a seed idea, design innovative connected products. Winners will have the chance to pitch to world leaders and win seed funding.

Seed ideas should realistic, achievable and relevant to the UN's Millennium Development Goals:
 

• alleviating poverty and hunger (including smart agriculture)
• improving education for all
• addressing gender inequality
• access to health care
• environmental sustainability

....or  addressing universal accessibility challenges?

NB: The competition is actively seeking female, unemployed and disabled talent

Entries will be judged on innovation, feasibility (technically/cost) and applicant experience (ability to deliver).

To find out more, please email (itutelecom@itu.int ) with QS INNOCOMP YOUNG INNOVATORS in the subject line.

Spread the word!


Best regards,
Cathy

NEW Youth Forum Alumni Network

Dear ITU Youth Forum Alumni!

We are pleased to inform you that the online Youth Forum Alumni Network is now ready for you to use!  As a 2009 Youth Forum fellow, you requested us to redesign and refresh and update our former online network for Youth Forum Alumni. We have been working with several Youth Forum Alumni to create a brand new tool to enable you to stay in touch with one another. We invite you to register and start using the network at: http://www.ituyouthforumalumni.net/

This network provides Youth Forum Alumni a platform to connect, discuss ideas, share information about their work or studies and learn from and collaborate with one another to keep alive the spirit of the Youth Forum. The network will also serve as a bridge between Youth Forum Alumni and ITU, allowing Alumni to voice their opinions on the latest ICT issues and stay informed about ITU activities. We developed this website to enable Youth Forum Alumni to build upon their Youth Forum experience and emerge as leaders in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

This network is your network! We encourage your active membership and participation. After registering, please input your profile where you can also upload pictures, web links and other information or files that will interest your peers.  The network's content management system also includes Forums. We invite you to open Forum discussions on any topic you wish.  We simply request that you keep the level of discussion professional. Of course, only with your participation will the Network become alive.

As you may remember, ITU launched the Connect a School, Connect a Community initiative with your help during the 2009 ITU TELECOM Youth Forum. Since that time we've created a toolkit of best practices for policy makers and a repository of training materials for connected schools which is available at: www.connectaschool.org. Please visit and you will find a picture of you and the United Nations Secretary General gracing the home page! This website is designed to provide support to countries seeking to connect their schools and opening school-based community ICT centres.  In this way ICTs can be used to promote the social and economic development of the children and youth who attend these schools as well as everyone in the local community. 

ITU has also held a number of meetings with its members, to raise political awareness for the need to connect schools, and we've provided policy advice to countries in the Americas, Arab States and Africa on developing national school connectivity plans. We hope to expand this advice to a growing number of countries. We will also be organizing an Americas Regional Forum on Connect a School, Connect a Community in June.  Just log on to the Connect a School website to follow our latest activities.

Now we have a challenge for you. Some people say that today's youth only use ICTs for fun or to stay in touch with friends.  Teachers often complain that all the time students spend online detracts from their studies.  Recent events, however, have shown the power of youth and ICTs. To launch your Youth Forum Alumni Network, we invite you to share your thoughts on the initial Forum entitled:

"Youth and ICTs can . . . " 

We would also be delighted if some of you would wish to volunteer as Moderators on the Youth Forum Alumni Network to add new Forum topics.

Let's build the Youth Forum Alumni together!

Please contact the site administrators if you have any suggestions or questions.

Warm regards,
ITU Special Initiatives Team

[hn] Applications now open - Next Generation Leaders eLearning programme "Shaping the Internet - History and Futures" (English and French)

From: Dmitry Epstein <dmitry.epstein@gmail.com>
To: Human Network <humannetwork@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, 22 March, 2011 6:24:46
Subject: [hn] Applications now open - Next Generation Leaders eLearning programme "Shaping the Internet - History and Futures" (English and French)

 

FYI

(I've done this program and would definitely recommend it)

Dima

---------------------------------------------------------
Applications now open - Next Generation Leaders eLearning
programme "Shaping the Internet - History and Futures"
(English and French)
---------------------------------------------------------

Applications are now open for the Internet Society's Next Generation Leaders (NGL) eLearning programme "Shaping the Internet - History and Futures".

English: http://www.diplomacy.edu/registration-EN

French: http://www.diplomacy.edu/registration-fr/

The Internet Society is pleased to call for applications from talented individuals seeking to join the new generation of Internet leaders, who will address the critical technology, policy, business, and education challenges that lie ahead.

Following the successful launch of the programme last year, in 2011 the Internet Society is offering concurrent classes in English and French. Both classes will start in the week of 16 May 2011.

The course, "Shaping the Internet - History and Futures", is delivered by the DiploFoundation through their eLearning platform and learning methodology and features weekly online discussions of the course materials, moderated by a tutor and an expert facilitator.

The NGL programme is designed to advance the careers of individuals who have the potential to become local, regional, and international leaders within the Internet technology, policy, and governance communities. The curriculum empowers participants to share their particular expertise with colleagues while acquiring knowledge in areas outside of their specialties.

Places in the eLearning course are strictly limited, so all applications will be subject to a thorough selection process.

* The deadline for applications is 8 April 2011. *

The Programme
---------------

The programme offers 20-25 places in each class for professionals from diverse stakeholder backgrounds in the fields of Internet technology, governance, and policy. Both courses are open to individuals from around the world. The programme will be conducted entirely online.

The programme includes four thematic parts, which take place over six months during 2011 (May to October, with an exam in the first week of November):

- The History of the Internet
- Technical Background - Internet Standards and Technology
- Internet Governance and Policy
- Emerging issues - Studies in Internet Policies, Processes and Diplomacy

Learning activities take place in an online classroom and include analysis
of course materials, interactive group discussions using a variety of
communication tools, assignments, and exams. Successful participants will
receive a certificate of completion of the programme.

Languages
-----------
Course materials and moderated online discussions for each course are in
English and French, respectively.

Target Audience
----------------
The project is designed for Internet Society members from academia, the
public sector, technology industries, and civil society who are committed to
the ongoing expansion of an open, sustainable Internet.

Applications from the following categories of individuals from both
developed and developing countries are encouraged:

- officials in governmental ministries and departments dealing
with ICT-related issues (for example, telecommunications,
culture, education, foreign affairs, justice)
- officials in regulatory authorities or institutions dealing
with Information Society, Internet, and ICT-related issues
- postgraduate students and researchers (for example,
telecommunications, electrical engineering, law, economics,
development studies, sociology)
- engineers in the Internet field
- civil society activists in the Internet field
- journalists covering Internet-related issues
- business people in the Internet field (for example, those
managing ISPs or involved in software development).

Timeline
---------
- 14 March: 2011 Call for Applications begins
- 8 April: 2011 Call for Applications ends
- 28 April: Selection Results released
- 16 May: Online classes commence

Requirements
-------------

Applicants are required to have:

- met the age requirement (20-40 years old)
- a basic awareness of, and interest in, Internet-related issues
- knowledge and experience of the multi-stakeholder approach in
international affairs
- a professional background and relevant work or academic experience
in the Internet field
- member status in ISOC
- fluency in English or French
- good writing skills, ability to summarize information, and focus on
details
- regular access to the Internet (dial-up connection is sufficient)
- minimum of 8 hours commitment per week during each thematic part of
the online course (this is perhaps the single most important
requirement and should be evaluated seriously by any potential applicant)
- readiness to participate in online consultations (once a week at specified
times)

Deadline for Applications
--------------------------
The deadline for applications is 8 April 2011, by midnight UTC/GMT.

How to Apply
--------------
For more information about the full Next Generation Leaders programme,
including details on how to apply to either eLearning course, please visit:

http://www.internetsociety.org/leaders

If you have any questions, please contact <leaders@internetsociety.org>.

The Next Generation Leaders programme is supported by Nominet Trust and
operates under the patronage of the European Commission for Information
Society and Media. Delivery of the eLearning programme in French is
sponsored by AFNIC.

--
_______________________________________________
Ngl-candidates mailing list
Ngl-candidates@elists.isoc.org
https://elists.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/ngl-candidates

__._,_.___

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ICTs blocked in Egypt

We are the ITU fellows and we should care about the internet connectivity and the ICT issues, I just want you to send a msg for the fellows on our group to inform them...that the internet is totally cut off all over EGYPT now by the governement as well as the SMS services and to ask them that should should spread the messa...ge all over the world...our slogan was connect a school connect a community, now we have a whole country that is not connected

please share

some interesting information for you

Mohamad Arif Julianto 29. Dezember 2010 um 02:33 

Assalamualaikum wr wb..
Hello my friends,,,,

I still remember that you ever told me to give you information about seminar, conference, workshop, etc. Here are some information for you:

Internship in Korea:
http://www.ists.unu.edu/news/news_view.php?IDX=30&page=1&no=1

The International Student Week in Ilmenau @German:
http://iswi.org/index.php?id=140

Cilmate Change Working Group @UK:
http://www.ccwg11.org/

Indonesian Youth Mini conference 2011:
http://www.iymc2011.co.cc/

ITU Broadband Initiatives: The New Hero(ines) in Communication Technology and Transformation of the Human Condition

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: "desire.karyabwite@itu.int" <desire.karyabwite@itu.int>
To: Youth Forum Alumni
Sent: Fri, 26 March, 2010 11:49:57
Subject: ITU Broadband Initiatives : The New Hero(ines) in Communication Technology and Transformation of the Human Condition

Dear Youth Alumni

 

In the Framework of the ITU Broadband Initiatives, we would like to  inform and invite you to: Write and/or create a mini-documentary about verifiable examples in  your country or community in the area of health, social, educational or environment of  local "heroes" and "heroines"  who have improved lives
through ICT use and innovation.

 

*       Written submissions   should be maximum 10 pages,   double spaced, font size 12 Arial
                

*       Mini-documentaries no more than 5 minutes
   
*       Top submissions would be included in book and/or DVD   (editors would reserve right to edit text and videos for consistency and flow) .

 

Please be informed that the deadline for your contribution is 30 June 2010.

 

Thank you in advance for your collaboration   

 

Désiré Karyabwite 

IP Coordinator,  TND 
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
Place des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva
Switzerland

Tel:  +41 22 730 5009
Fax: +41 22 730 5484
e-mail: desire.karyabwite@itu.int   /  www.itu.int

Call for Contributions: Youth-led Development Book

The UN has announced the International Year of Youth beginning from August 12, 2010 to August 12, 2011. With the strong belief that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow but are partners of today, Young People We Care has been working to inform, empower and involve youth in their own personal development and that of their communities. As part of their efforts to encourage youth to take action, YPWC is calling for submissions for a Youth-led Develo pment book project which will honor youth who are making a difference in their communities through various social and non-profit interventions.  

Submit your application before April 15, 2010 to inspire other young people and let others know that some youth are doing extraordinary things which, when given the needed resources, can enable them to make great impacts on their communities.

GM Food: get the facts first

The EC has just allowed GM crops into Europe, ignoring the concerns of the public. I've signed a petition for independent research and a moratorium on GM crop development. With 1 million citizens' signatures, we can make an official legal request to the European Commission. Sign below and let's get to 1 million:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_health_and_biodiversity/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

Thanks!

------
Dear friends,

The European Commission has just approved growing genetically modified crops in the European Union for the first time in 12 years!

Caving to the GM lobby, the commission has ignored 60% of Europeans who feel we have to get the facts first before growing foods that could pose a threat to our health and environment.

A new initiative allows 1 million EU citizens to make official legal requests of the European Commission. Let's build a million voices for a ban on GM foods until the research is done; they will be delivered to the President Barroso of the European Commission. Sign the petition and forward this email to friends and family:

Petition

Consumers, public health, environmental and farmers groups have long rallied against a few international GM companies having such significant influence over European agriculture. Concerns about growing GM crops include: contamination of organic crops and the environment; their impact on climate due to the excessive need for pesticides; the destruction of biodiversity and local agriculture; and the effects of GM food on public health.

EU member states have voiced strong opposition to last week's decision to authorise BASF's potato and Monsanto's maize -- Italy and Austria are opposed, and France said it would ask for further scientific research.

There is still no consensus on the long-term effects of GM crops. And it is the GM industry, pursuing profits not public well being, that is funding the science and driving the regulatory environment. That is why European citizens are calling for more independent research, testing and precaution before crops are unleashed onto our land.

Now, the "European Citizens' Initiative" gives 1 million EU citizens the opportunity to submit policy proposals to the European Commission and offers us a unique chance to drown out lobbyists' influence.

Let's raise 1 million voices to put a moratorium on the introduction of GM crops into Europe and set up an independent, ethical and scientific body to research and determine the strong regulation of GM crops. Sign the petition now and then forward it widely:


Stop GM Foods

With determination,

Alice, Benjamin, Ricken, Luis, Graziela and the entire Avaaz team.

More information:

Last Eurobarometer Survey 2008 'Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment', page 66:
http://bit.ly/aMkeVJ

The Independent, Fury as Brussels authorises GM potatoes:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/fury-as-eu-approves-gm-potato-1915833.html

Reuters, France blasts GM crop approvals by EU agency:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6241ZQ20100305

New Report: GMOs Causing Massive Pesticide Pollution:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-kimbrell/new-report-gmos-causing-m_b_362888.html

Summary of the International Assessment on Agricultural Science and Technology for Development, including critics of GMOs use in agriculture:
http://globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/international-trade-and-development-1-57/genetically-modified-organisms.html#key

--------------

A Flickr Slideshow of the ITU Telecom World 2009

A Flickr Slideshow of the ITU Telecom World 2009:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/itupictures/sets/72157622376345165/show/

Geneva take 2 (in London) - The One Young World Summit 2010

Over a month since parting ways and judging by the Facebook comments we are all eager to meet again, to undertake another life-changing and maybe even world-changing experience. I think I may have chanced upon the perfect opportunity for us to join forces once-more and by airing our views contribute something to global politics. So here it is, take a look:

One Young World

On February 8-10 2010, there will be the first OneYoungWorld Summit in London. This is an event at hich 1,500 young pioneers from every country in the world and a range of backgrounds to come together to help create a global resource of leadership and ideas. In short it is a "Davos" for young people! Delegates

How will it work?

As the inaugural summit, there is nothing really to go by other than what The Website outlines. In short:

• Delegates will discuss the biggest challenges the world faces and propose new ways forward. 
• The number of delegates for each country will be proportionate of its percentage of the world’s population (min. 2 delegates per country + rest proportionate to population). 
• If you were born after 1984, you can apply to attend!

Because of proportionate representation, probably only two of my Irish countrymen will be able to attend (a population 4million in the greater scheme of things - China, India, Vietnam, etc. - is a little bit small). Big countries will clearly have many more delegates and represent the majority and quantity. Hopefully I will prove to be representative of the quality Ireland has to offer. The summit should be an interesting micro version of what the world has to offer in the upcoming generation!

There is a nice YouTube Video promotion for the event which is worth looking at.

Did you see the last speaker? Yes it was Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General. He will be one of the counsellors for the summit, along with many other amazing people. So you can meet Ban Ki-moon's predecessor, i.e. then have met two UN Secretary Generals.

As you may have gathered I am a candidate. If you think I’d be a good delegate, I invite you to vote for me here: Patrick Beggan - One Young World candidate.
 

Slogan Discussion

Though it's early days yet, I suspect a few of us might already be setting our sights on 2011 and the 40th anniversary of Telecom World. If the Youth Forum for 2009 was anything to go by the 2011 Anniversary will be something incredible. How great it would be if we could leave a mark, play a role, make an impact on this event with our words guiding the event, offering a vision, providing purpose a fundamental intent which underlies the event. What am I talking about? The Slogan.

It was mention near the close of the Youth Forum that the Alumni might suggest a slogan for the 2011 Telecom World 40th Anniversary.

In light of this and to develop exactly that, a discussion has been opened on "The Official ITU Portal of the Young Leaders in ICT" and can be found under the following link:  

http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/youth/YLinICTs/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1237

All contributions are welcomed... 

---

Youth Forum Declaration

 
I will keep it short and sweet. The 2009 Youth Forum Declaration is online and available for all the world to see. It is available in the 6 United Nations languages.


This document has been posted on the following website: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/sis/Youth/YF2009/index.html

It expresses a vision from the Fellows who attended the ITU Telecom World 2009 Youth Forum. Whether it becomes an aspiration fulfilled depends on all the partners in society, be that industry, governments, NGOs or individuals for it to become a reality. It seeks to express the goal, the place where we want to go, the route that is to be taken is free to be chosen.


Have a read of it - it's actually pretty impressive (isn't it nice to know the future leaders of this world are so modest)!

Entertainment at the Stade de la Praille

October 8th of the year 2009

Entertainment at the Stade de la Praille

 On Wednesday night, after a day of productive work we, the Youth Forum Fellows, were invited to a reception at the Télévision suisse romande offered by The State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.

As we entered the building we were welcomed by TV cameras, which symbolizes our role as the stars that were to enjoy that night at the studio. Once everyone had arrived Mr. Robert Hensler, Chancellier d’Etat, with his words helped us to understand how important we are as the following generation which, for better or for worst, will have the task of making the decisions that will trace the path the world will walk in the future.

After Mr.Hensler’s speech, the curtains opened revealing the stage of what was going to be the best party I have ever attended. After some time, we were surprised by the unexpected visit of Dr. Touré, who reminded us of how he thinks of us as his children and as such we deserve the best in order to do the most we can to make the world a better place.

 The dinner was a success and the music fitted perfectly in the stage that was set up for us, with images which recreated key moments in the history of cinema and television.

Our gratitude goes out to Mr. Hensler, Dr. Toure  and the city of Geneva.

Federico Galano, Youth Forum Fellow, Argentina 

Entretenimiento en el Estadio de la Praille

  En la noche del miércoles, después de un productivo día de trabajo, los miembros del Foro de la Juventud fuimos invitados a una recepción en la Télévision Suisse Romande ofrecidos por el Consejo de Estado de la República y Cantón de Ginebra.

Al entrar en el edificio fuimos recibidos por cámaras de televisión, las cuales simbolizan nuestro papel como las estrellas que disfrutarían de esa noche en el estudio. Una vez que todos habíamos llegado, el Sr. Robert Hensler, Canciller de Estado, con sus palabras nos ayudó a entender lo importante que somos como la siguiente generación, que, para mejor o para peor, tendrá la tarea de tomar las decisiones que trazarán que el mundo habrá de caminar en el futuro.

Después del discurso del Sr.Hensler, se abrieron las cortinas que formaban el fondo del estrado revelando el escenario de lo que sería la mejor fiesta a la que he asistido. Después de algún tiempo, nos vimos sorprendidos por la inesperada visita del Dr. Touré, quien nos recordó que así como nos ve como a sus hijos merecemos lo mejor de modo que hagamos lo mejor que podamos para hacer del mundo un mejor lugar.

  La cena fue un éxito y la música encajaba perfectamente en el escenario creado para nosotros con imágenes que recrean momentos claves en la historia del cine y la televisión.

Nuestra gratitud va a el Sr. Hensler, el Dr. Touré y a la ciudad de Ginebra.
Federico Galano, Youth Forum Fellow, Argentina 

Closing Statement

How hollow stings the bitterness of departure, the time together passed, the moments shared now left to memory. We could not believe that we should have been so fortunate as to be selected, now we cannot believe it has ended. As our paths diverge, to lead their respective ways many will gaze-out and seek recall these special days - this we do with a new shade to our vision. This new tint to our sight is not an impediment, rather a facilitator offering a greater appreciation and understanding for that which passes as "everyday life". The change experienced is both as result and part of the unique and valued experience had. The cause of this change has not necessarily been the insights received into new and innovative technologies seen at the exposition, nor the speeches made, nor subjects discussed. Though valuable their contribution may be and the accumulative benefit is great, something far more fundamental can be said of that which occurred in Geneva. The real change and true wonder has come through the incredible people we have met.

In Geneva there came together a gathering of smart, energetic, open, eager and talented individuals - a week later a network of friends parted ways in the hope and promise that they would someday come together again. It was the people who made ITU World 2009 Youth Forum a uniquely unforgettable event and this was even recognized in the closing statement of Dr. Hamadoun Touré (our ITU "Father") in which he said: "In the end it is all about the people. We are working together to connect all the worlds people". If this is the start of it then well-done for it holds great promise.

So now to my closing statements and hopes. My hope is that this is but the beginning, may it never end, for what is truly great will last forever. Till next we meet my fellow ITU Youth Forum Alumni, do not let what we have taken from this great experience fade to memory. You have the ability to make it a living reality. They believe in us, now we must believe in ourselves.

The internet for development: Using web 2.0 and cutting connectivity costs

So the fifth gathering (forum) heralded our first workshop. This time the topic for discussion was something that all in the room had undoubtedly come into contact with - us on the internet. The meeting was chaired by Michael Best from the Georgia Institute of Technology (the man who had earlier overseen the initiation of the YF`s own Web 2.0 generated features). The panel consisted of Tad Deriso (President and CEO of Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative), Samuel Morgan (Alumni YF Fellow) and Katie Mulloy (UNICEF). The main points raised by the panel were:

Tad Deriso
The idea of OAFONs (Open Access Fibre Optic Networks) is a great one and his company has continued to connect schools and communities through four means: the Fibre Optic Networks, Aerially hung fibres, Local Access Points and Wireless Towers. Tad mentioned the troubles experienced in receiving permission to actually provide these services (laying Fibres in particular) which was often resolved by offering municipal bodies with “free Fibre” (2 or 3 strands for their purposes).

Michael Best
A short overview of Web 2.0 features and utilities describing them as Rich (large images, documents, videos, etc.), Interactive (voice, audio chat) and most importantly user based (done by us). A prerequisite for the use Web 2.0 is for this reason access to broadband networks. Another important point raised by Michael was the need to build literacy and awareness in terms of privacy and security. He posed the question if mobile technology might be the solution to the issue of lack of broadband when using 2.0 technology.

Katie Mulloy
A new dimension was added to the attending YF representatives understanding of UNICEFs activities by describing the technical developments and activities which they have and continue to undertake. The example which she provided was that of the BEE: an open-source system in all its software, hardware and design - which can be replicated using off-the-shelf components.

Samuel Morgan
A speech all about “you” – that is that “we” utilize the power of Web 2.0 technologies in terms of “collaboration, open standards and interoperability” because “you can become a publisher of content. In order to display the value of Web 2.0 Sam provided a number of real-life examples: Waterwiki, NATA (Venezuela) and the UN online volunteer site to provide small-loan financial supports.

Following the tea-break the workshop reconvened with a presentation by the YF Web 2.0 working-group’s representatives – Maps & Images, Documents and Blogging. Those representatives then remained on stage joining the panel for the continuation of workshops theme (see title). Discussions grew more heated as controversial topics such as copyright, inhibitions due to politics, health issues and the threats to privacy by being able to access vast quantities of personal information through the internet – in particular through Web 2.0 features – and individuals apparent unawareness of the possible repercussions thereof. Even conspiracy theories were brought into debate of the ”Big Brother”, whether that be government organizations or otherwise, watching our every move.

The debate could well have kept going; however time was against us and so it came to a close. Day 3 FINI!

Youth Forum visits CERN

After we arrived at CERN on Tuesday morning our guide gave us a short overview of the organisation, founded in 1954. We learned that CERN is the home of the Internet and the place that Tim Berners-Lee first made a connection with other scientists from around the world in the late 1980s. Berners-Lee’s reason for creating the Internet was to get in touch with his fellow scientists and provide a faster way to exchange information.

CERN is most widely known for its study of physics and “the fundamental building blocks of all things”. Fifteen years ago the CERN council were given the go ahead to construct the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 100m-deep, 27km-circumference pipeline firing two beams of particles at each in other in an attempt to provide scientists with answers to questions relating to particle physics.

I visited the CERN LHC testing centre, the area where CERN’s scientists test parts of the LHC to ensure the equipment works perfectly before being used for experiments.

Stephen Smith, one of the youth fellows from New Zealand, visited CERN’s data storage and computer processing centre, a „very warm and extremely loud“ building where the electronic brains behind CERN are housed.

The data collected from the LHC is astronomical, with scientists telling us that it will provide them with 15 petabytes of data each year (fifteen million gigabytes), data that if stored on CDs would be enough to build a 20km high CD tower. The raw data is stored on magnetic tape in Geneva and sent around the world over a specific grid network.

Etienne Muller (Youth Forum ambassador, Switzerland)

Lundi : rencontre avec Ban Ki Moon

Réveil difficile à 5h30 du matin pour arriver au plus tôt à Palexpo Genève. Car ce matin, nous ne pouvions pas nous permettre d'arriver en retard : c'est l'ouverture officielle du Telecom World, avec la participation exclusive de Ban Ki Moon, Secrétaire général des Nations unies.
Ce dernier nous parla d'un ses thèmes favoris : les TIC pour la croissance économique des pays en développement et surtout des TIC au service d'un 'sustainable developpement' : il espère que les Green IT pourront contribuer à la réduction des émissions de CO2. Espérance confirmée par l'allocution du PDG de China Mobile, Jianzhou Wang, dont les équipements verts avaient permis de réduire drastiquement les émissions carbones en l'espace d'un an.
Juste après nous avons eu des représentants d'états et des officiels (le ministre de l'Économie australien, le ministre de l'Éducation nationale de Colombie, le président du Rwanda, ainsi que Ban Ki Moon) sur l'usage des nouvelles technologies pour l'éducation : Connecting School, Connecting Community. Et ensuite, pause déjeuner…

Jean-Loup Richet
Représentant de la France au Télécom Youth Forum

Dimanche : Youth Forum Opening

Le proverbe "Ce sont les cordonniers les plus mal chaussés" se vérifie une fois de plus : ce dimanche, personne n'a pu se connecter au réseau Wifi du World Telecom Forum. Le slogan 'Open Networks, Open communities' prenait tout son sens.
L'objectif de la journée de dimanche était de nous présenter les membres de l'administration de l'Union internationale des télécommunications.
Des experts nous ont tenu une conférence sur l'innovation technologique : le directeur général USA de Cisco, Hal Gurney, nous a donc donné son avis sur le Cloud Computing (avis somme toute assez classique). Tony Salvador (directeur des technologies émergentes d’Intel) quant à lui a tenu une réflexion intéressante sur le sens de l'éducation et l'usage des TIC.
Puis les participants du Youth forum étaient invités à partager leur vision de l'innovation technologique ; et certains avis exprimés valaient leur pesant d'or. C'est vraiment avec un témoignage direct que l'on peut se rendre compte de toute la réalité de la fracture numérique : un monde à deux vitesses…

Jean-Loup Richet
Représentant de la France au Télécom Youth Forum

Internet Society - Open Internet

Probably the most "active" of all our sponsored lunches was that of the ISOC (Internet Society) who provided us with fancy "card USB" Memory sticks - which we finally realised the purpose of when we thought to click the lump at the end of it (but that's another story).

The reason for it being a "hive of activity" was fourfold. Firstly, directly prior to the presentation we were directed to appoint representatives for each of the continents to build a declaration drafting committee - what many saw as an elite amongst the outstanding. Secondly, we were asked to discuss and develop a response to three major questions in reference to Open Internet:

• What does “Open Internet Governance” mean?
• What does an “Internet Open for the Public” mean?
• What does an “Internet Open for Business” mean?

Thirdly, by this stage the ice had broken and people were finally beginning to grasp the opportunity to discourse with more nationalities in 5minutes than some may have met in their lifetime before the Youth Forum. Finally, we were very hungry and the food was very good.

So, although the speech by Bill Graham was multifaceted and certainly engaged the audience at intervals, it somehow seemed to pass many by. I wonder if a many of the Fellows realised that a programme was being launched at the lunch. Which initiative was this? It was the "Next Generation Leaders Programme".

Though at times the lunch, presentation and interactive discussion may have appeared disorderly (due to the fellows apparent inattentiveness)  the actual lunchtime event was likely the most rewarding of all, with the three questions bringing the fellows to actively engage with the issue.