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Inspire Inform Involve
Dispatch 5.11
November 2005
"TIG and the World Summit on the Information Society"
 Read Past Issues
Introducing the Dispatch

Young people from all over the world took part in the World Summit on the Information Society (Phase II) in Tunis, Tunisia. Members and staff of TakingITGlobal were involved in many activities leading up to the Summit, including facilitating the official youth caucus. As reported in further detail in this Dispatch, TIG has been awarded a prestigious prize for its youth participation work, TIG Russia has hosted two open forums on the topic of "Youth and the Information Society," and TIG's current Featured Theme is Online Safety and Security - a sub-theme of the Summit! Plus, check out this month's featured country site, Tunisia, to learn a little more about the host country of this important international event. There is much more to uncover in this issue of the Dispatch, so don't miss a single thing!

Take care wherever you are,

The TakingITGlobal Team
dispatch@takingitglobal.org



p.s. What is the Habitat JAM? Find out, register and you could win an iPod!



Featured Theme: Online Safety and Security

Visit our Theme page to learn what you can do to keep yourself (and your computer!) safe while using the Internet. Have an idea for an online safety project? Post it to our online group action blog. Or share your thoughts on one of the several active discussions on TIG's discussion boards. Creativity more your style? Submit a poster to the Global Gallery Art contest or read one of several eye-opening articles in Panorama online magazine.

Go to the Theme page today! Click here!



TIG Wins International Cooperation Award

The Canadian Awards for International Cooperation has selected TakingITGlobal as a winner in the communications category for Youth Participation in the UN's World Summit on the Information Society.

For twelve years, the Canadian Awards for International Cooperation have recognized the achievements of Canadian businesses and organizations in supporting sustainable economic growth and social programs to reduce poverty in the developing countries of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Click here!





What is the Habitat JAM?

Imagine tens of thousands of people around the world connecting in real time over the Internet to debate some of the most important issues facing a rapidly urbanizing planet.

Habitat JAM lets you add your voice into the global conversation about the future of our cities. Forum Topics include:
  • Improving the Lives of People Living in Slums
  • Sustainable Access to Water in Our Cities
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Safety and Security
  • Finance and Governance
  • Humanity: The Future of Our Cities
As part of the preparations for the third session of the World Urban Forum, the Government of Canada in partnership with UN-HABITAT is sponsoring Habitat JAM. From December 1-3, 2005, the JAM will gather your input and add it to thousands of others to create actionable ideas for the Vancouver World Urban Forum agenda.

Register for the JAM and be eligible to win an iPod! Click here.

*TakingITGlobal is supporting the Habitat JAM's efforts to outreach and engage tens of thousands of young people worldwide and at the same time is enabling the event to become multilingual. Thanks to the support of a team of members, TakingITGlobal will coordinate and facilitate all the forum's thematic discussions within a dozen chatrooms (one per topic in both French and Spanish), developed and hosted within the TakingITGlobal website.



TIG Hosts UN Day Activities in Sierra Leone

On the 24th of October 2005 TakingITGlobal coordinated an interactive forum to celebrate United Nations Day in Freetown Sierra Leone. Youth and children's organizations from throughout the country met with ministers from the Government of Sierra Leone, the heads of United Nations Agencies, as well as individuals within the international community to celebrate United Nations Day, and to engage in a productive dialogue on the role of young people in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Sierra Leone.

After participating in the interactive forum, the 17 youth and child leaders from national youth serving agencies as well as other children's and youth organizations gathered to discuss their role in making the MDGs happen. Specifically, the group put together a list of recommendations and necessary actions for the Government of Sierra Leone, the International Community and youth and children's organizations throughout the country.



Panorama Current Issue: Cyber Citizens

In our current issue, we investigate the notion of "Cyber Citizenship" and online safety. What does it mean to be a cyber citizen of a world without national borders? How should we behave in this global community? What new opportunities do we have? How can we protect ourselves from harm?

We invite you to read articles from the current issue: click here.

My Internet Safety Story
by Moni Sallam

Is the Internet Addictive? Or Are Addicts Using the Internet?
by Nishal Dahal

The Internet and You: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
by Henry Ekwuruke

Making Music, Finding an Audience, and the Need to Download: Band ‘Tally Hall’ Speaks Out
by Cheryl Gudz

If you like what you read, tell the writer what you thought! Post a comment on any article you read in Panorama. See you in there!

Questions? editorial@takingitglobal.org





Global Gallery Current Contests

Contest: Leadership. Youth. Development

Youth in the Middle East & North Africa region are faced with a variety of daily struggles, from a lack of clean, fresh water in countries like Palestine, to high unemployment rates in Egypt, to complicated ethnic and religious divisions in Lebanon. Youth have begun gathering together to discuss these issues collectively, and to seek out solutions that will create positive change in their communities in the long-run. Technology has often fostered their enthusiasm and ideas. However, youth continually lack mainstream presence and support to participate in decision-making processes, and maintain continuity for initiatives. To be effective, youth need particular and targeted support.

How have you managed to combat some of the obstacles present in your society? What does it mean to be a young leader in our times? How can you ensure that no voices are left unheard in a country's quest for development? What can technology provide as solutions to some of the key development issues?

This contest seeks to primarily look at youth, leadership, and development issues in the Middle East & North Africa region; however, submissions from around the world are encouraged. Click here.

Virtual Citizenship, Real Safety

This October and November, the Global Gallery explores the concept of Online Safety and Security through a poster contest.

The Internet is a place to explore, a mode of communication, and a source of information. People thrive along the information highway, rounding its curves and linkages. Others find a venue for expression and nodes to give voice to their opinions and creative thoughts. The web emerges as a place of interwoven connection and opportunity, but also as a place of hidden dangers. How would you represent this world?

Only a few more days left to send us your entry! Submissions will be accepted until November 31. Vote for your top 3 favorites at contest end! Click here.



Featured Country Site: Tunisia

TakingITGlobal, in partnership with various local organizations around the world, has been organizing National Youth Campaigns on the Information Society, in preparation for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS): Phase II, taking place in November in Tunis, Tunisia (http://www.wsisyouth.org).

Learn more about the Campaigns and about the country. Click here.

Need more information? Contact Eman Ebed at: eman@takingitglobal.org



TIG Russia: Youth and the Information Society

Two Open Forums entitled "Youth and the Information Society" took place in Tambov and Smolensk on October 13 and 22 under the auspices of the WSIS National Youth Campaign that TakingITGlobal is running in Russia this fall. The forums attracted students, as well as leaders of local youth organisations, who came together to discuss possible implications that Information Society development may have on youth in our country. All participants received a copy of the WSIS newsletter, which was developed by TIG in Russia.

To find out more about WSIS National Youth Campaign in Russia and download the newsletter (in Russian), go to the campaign page! Click here.

View photos from the event and closure report: click here.



Wrap Up

Your interest, support and involvement with TakingITGlobal helps our community to grow and encourage more young people to become inspired, informed and involved everyday! In being a member of TakingITGlobal, you are part of a community that is more than 99,000 coming from over 250 countries and territories. Thank you for having a vision of positive change. Your work makes a difference!

In friendship,

The TakingITGlobal Team



Copyright 2005 TakingITGlobal

The TakingITGlobal Dispatch is the official newsletter of TakingITGlobal, electronically published via email, and compiled from various events and news from within the TakingITGlobal network. Contributions should be sent to dispatch@takingitglobal.org. Please include your full name, age, and your TIG username.