Attend the Forum Virtual Posted by Adel Mubarak , Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at 11:45 AM, in Labels: ICT4D

The International Youth Forum

The Power of Youth for Peace

Youth SPEAK we LISTEN !

Virtual

On

Second Life

Venue

Place: Sharm El Sheikh , Egypt

Space: Diplomacy Island in Second Life

Program

8:00-11:00 1 September 2007

THEME II: ICT FOR PEACE

Session 1B: Rules of Engagement; What it Takes to Be Safe on the Net

The session will present international experiences dealing with internet security and governance. Perspectives from various players will be explored, in an active step towards consensus building. Representatives from youth, international organizations, decision makers, Internet Service providers, the industry, and NGOs will be invited in a free set up to probe into acceptable models that would protect young users from different forms of risks on the net, and maximize its positive usages.

Moderator: Jean Philippe Courtois

Speakers: Stephen Carrick ,Karem beshara ,

Leila Ben Debba ,Mohamad EL Zoheiry

11:30-13:30 1 September 2007

THEME IV: Violence or Peace

Session 2A: A Personal Choice?

There is a critical link between youth and conflict. Increasingly, researchers and ‎development professionals are predicting that our global future depends on how youth ‎view themselves and how they interact with their peers, their families and their ‎communities. ‎Research done by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) indicates that youth ‎are more likely to choose peaceful resolution of conflicts if they have more solid ‎connections with their own communities as well as a sense of empowerment to make ‎decisions affecting their own future.

Moderator: Riz Khan, Former CNN and BBC Presenter

Speakers: Ricard Torrell, Kay Wahlen,

Jamil Mouawad, Dr. Fethia Saidi

12:00-14:00 2 September 2007

Theme III: Youth Leading Development

Creating Economic Opportunities and Breaking the Cycle of Dependence

Youth unemployment leads to exclusion and marginalization and if left unattended may erupt into violent behavior patterns.

An option to combat unemployment is enhancing self-employment by providing all the necessary support required such as access to loan, to credit and to market networks.

In addition the provision of technical assistance to young entrepreneurs enables them to develop small and medium enterprises.

Speakers: Gamal Mubarak , Seif Abou Zaid
Holly Taylor Sargent

Moderator: Sahar Nasr

11:30-13:30 2 September 2007

Theme V: Health for All: Peace for All

Session 4B: Young Minds Enriching the Environment

We live in times where the fabric of our environment is unraveling before our eyes. Climate change, biodiversity loss, Ozone depletion, deforestation and the continuing problems of soil erosion and water availability have become a major threat to the interface between humans and the environment systems on which we all depend. Young people have an enormous stake in changing these trends in order to be able to have a better future. They can help to focus the efforts of the international community towards more cohesive strategies vis-à-vis the environment. They can mobilize public opinion in favour of eco-friendly policies and practices. In addition, they have the potential to find innovative strategies to minimize the negative impact of economic development on the environment and preserve our natural resources.

Speakers: Al-Jayyousi , Poonam Ahluwalia
, Dumisani Nyoni , Hoda Baraka

Moderator: Dr Ismail Serag El Din

Diplomacy Island Posted by Adel Mubarak , at 11:43 AM, in Labels: ICT4D

Diplomacy Island is the next step in over a decade of research and development in the field of Virtual Diplomacy. Through Second Life, Diplo will explore new possibilities for diplomatic representation and negotiation. Diplomacy Island will be another channel for Diplo’s main mission to assist small and developing countries to participate meaningfully in international relations. Diplomacy Island includes the following “neighbourhoods”:

The Diplomatic Quarter will host Virtual Embassies. Along with the Virtual Embassy of Maldives, which will be inaugurated on 22 May, several other embassies are under construction including embassies of Malta, Philippines and Macedonia.

The Virtual Diplomatic Academy will host sessions and panels related to modern diplomacy and themes such as environmental diplomacy, energy diplomacy and cyber-diplomacy.

The Virtual Diplomatic Museum will be more than a typical museum. Its main function will be to highlight the relevance of diplomacy to modern society, as opposed to the use of force. The Museum will present historical examples of the success of diplomacy. Visitors will have a chance to communicate “across time” with famous diplomats from the past including Talleyrand and Metternich.

The Internet Governance Village will host panels, round table discussions and conferences on two sets of issues. First, of direct interest for Second Life citizens, the IG village will host discussions on privacy, security, digital identity and taxation in cyber-space. Second, the IG Village will promote discussions on Internet issues and developing countries, mainly on how to bridge the digital divide.

Second Life Posted by Adel Mubarak , at 11:41 AM, in Labels: ICT4D

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 9,163,190 Residents from around the globe.

• From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.
  
  
• You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because Residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other Residents.
  
  
• The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges.
  

Sharm El Sheikh Forum Posted by Adel Mubarak , at 11:38 AM, in Labels: ICT4D

Young people constitute one of the greatest potential for shaping the future of their nations. They represent one fifth of the world population—the largest in history, amounting to 1.3 billion. When faced with tomorrow’s challenges, their choice of violence or peaceful resolutions will, to a large extent, depend on the opportunities given to them today. Nurturing in them a sense of self-esteem, of belonging and identity with their own communities, opens up avenues for their active participation in political, social and economic life. Ensuring that youth are at the heart of all endeavors is the key to increasing the probability of a peaceful tomorrow.

It is in this context that the Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement took the initiative of providing a platform for around 500 young people from all over the world to express their views and aspirations. The International Youth Forum to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from September 1–3, 2007 is the first of its kind to take place in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) organized by civil society with the involvement of international organizations. It is a conference planned, organized, and run by youth.

The outcome of the forum will be an action plan with specific benchmarks and a timeline for their implementation.