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... 

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!

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.