How do youth lead on technology for democracy?

Hello everyone,

Super excited to connect with each and every one of you. Together, we all bring in fresh perspectives from all across the world and highlight grassroot problems through actionable solutions. What binds us together is our will to hold people in power accountable.

Just systems are the foundations of a great society. We are super excited to learn how you have used technology to empower, include and provide freedom of expressions to your local communities.

We look forward to seeing your contributions and learn about youth-led ideas and tangible solutions on how digital technologies can support democratic practice.

Let's co-create some amazing solutions.

Thank you dear Syed for the welcome message. It is my honor to join you in co-moderating this week’s conversation. 
Dear all, we are truly excited about this engagement and are looking forward to reading your perspectives on how technology could contribute to advancing democracy and ways we “youths” can advance digital inclusivity and accountability. 
 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the opportunity to take part in the discussion in such an important topic! I'll try to give some insights from Germany, knowing that some of the problems/challenges could be more or less "first world problems".

1) Getting in contact with politicians and representatives is kind of easy through mail or social media accounts. It's getting more difficult when it comes to public authorities. You still have to submit your suggestions or applications on paper and you can't really follow the process once submitted and have to wait until an answer comes. In Munich, the mayor and city council are trying to change that step by step now, but it is still not very citizen friendly. An interesting tool called "Consul", which was developed by the NGO 'Mehr Demokratie' (More Democracy), would give citizen a rather easy access for participation in public discussion (unfortunately, the website is only in German).

3) There are several NGO, which try to hold representatives accountable. 'Abgeordnetenwatch' for example provides you with a database, where you can see how every representatives in the parliaments had voted in every ballot. And you can directly contact the representatives via that platform. But otherwise the possibilities (except from mail and social media) are limited.

4) In my work environment, I had the feeling that women attended in online workshops/meetings more often than in real life, especially when they were in the afternoon or evening. This could have something to do with the fact that women in Germany are often still responsible for care work in the old understanding of their role, and that this is easier to manage with online events. But this does not necessarily mean that they also engage actively.

5) One thing is to make algorithms and the available data, which feeds machine learning, less biased and discriminative. This goes beyond the digtial world, e.g., when you look into the health care sector and its studies.
Humans are somehow designed to be more responsive to information and beliefs which supports their own views. To crack that up a little, news feed should not only consist of contents which reproduces their views (and maybe radicalizes them), but of some portion of other views and information (60% own views and 40% others).

6) RIght now platforms profit from spreading misinformation or provocative content as they get more attention. They still lack behind their promises to work on that, especially on sexism, violence and misinformation. this business model could not be sustainble by all means. It is necessary to implement regulations and/or laws how those platforms should be built in a just way. And the responsibility what is punishable and what not should not be entirely in the hands of businesses but in the hands of the judiciary (from an democratic point of view).

7) The first three can be used freely in Germany. The last two are more restricted as you not always can compete with the algorithms from the big tech companies.

8) Education of children and youth how to use digital technologies properly. Knowing what consequences and impacts their actions in the digital sphere have for themselves, but also for others, it could change a lot when it comes to harassement and sexism.
The GDPR was a big improvement in the EU when it comes to privacy. This could be a role model for other countries or supranational organizations as well.
With new technology surveillance gets much easier, which is especially a threat in autocratic regimes, but also in democracies. An implementation of some sort of code of conduct for software developers and businesses (which is checked by independend organizations) is necessary to prevent similar cases like NSO Group and their spyware Pegasus.
 

Thomas thank for your elaborate response and for your detailed recommendations and examples on how to increase digital inclusivity. 

This is interesting. In Pakistan, which is developing country, we have a mobile application named PAKISTAN CITIZENS PORTAL through which citizens can file complaints and government officials are made accountable. We can track the application status and the action taken on the application. It's a fascinating tool.

The Togolese Civil Society launched a similar application in 2020 called XONAM to allow citizens report human rights atrocities especially police brutality which heightened during the pandemic lockdowns.

Hi to Everyone. Happy to be part of this consultation and the opportunity given to us to raise m'y voice. 

Hello Everyone, excited to be a part of this discussion,

From my point of view, I can say that in order to ensure a gradually increasing democratic practices in today's communities, a big efforts needs to be given in the educational part, Having a developed technologies in the " already developed " societies will not help as quick as doubling the brains pushing towards democratic practices. years ago a focusing on improving knowledge about Human rights, global peace and the environmental issues was noticeable, and efforts started to be more noticeable when light was focused more on some African countries, some un educated societies in south America and poor Asian countries as example, so from my point of view here is where the technology education focusing in future should to see a higher pace of steps towards democratic practices through technology. 

I can see that more trust and bigger roles should be assigned to youth in the development process, Today's technology are more targeting youth, and what we aim of "tech education for democracy"  can be reached by well educated youth, so a youth-youth education will be the perfect model as a solution. and what I mean here by "more trust and bigger roles" is a youth participation in governmental programs, and communities development actions led by united nations and the responsible NGOs.

Greetings, this is Jessica Li from the United States. It is a pleasure to attend the discussion forum. Please see the below:

How to equally and equitably broaden access is an important consideration. Viewed from a global perspective, achieving this while considering the economic and social factors is challenging. Robust and affordable technological access is a global contributor to improving social wellbeing, promoting economic growth, and enhancing workforce development and human capital. 

The global pandemic has changed ways of interaction and operation. Virtual meetings, conferences, and events are more prevalent than in-person attendance. When its access is increased to serve more people, while making it affordable, technology can improve communications at various levels, one of which includes the global level. While I think about whether the global pandemic increases interdependence, or localization dominates, I know broadening access would ease communications and lead to overall increase in public welfare. 

When I went to school, my family received a discounted internet service from a telecommunications company. The program allowed my family to get the internet, making the service affordable. Through the program, we also purchased a laptop at a discounted price. We also received discounted phone service through the Lifeline Program. Programs, such as the Lifeline Program and the Federal Government’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program, which would then be replaced by the Affordable Connectivity Program, can help families and households to get affordable access to broadband and other services.  

The programs create a meaningful impact at the individual, household, and market levels. Other proposals can be that individuals and seniors, especially those in need, can also benefit from affordable access to technology. Broadening access to include phone coverage, and this can be cellular phones, can further expand the benefits to greater scale. Community demographics and characteristics should be considered when implementing these programs. For example, people may come from underrepresented, underserved, or marginalized communities. How to ensure equitable access to serve these communities, while also taking into account people who face financial hardship, can be considered while planning for the programs. 

In 2014, I initiated a digital campaign to call for terms limits in Togo by sharing the contact information of our members of parliament on my blog and social media, calling on Togolese youths to call and inform them that we wish for them to reinstate terms limit in our constitution which was voted in a referendum in 1992.

That action was the very first of its kind in a country like Togo in which we young citizens used social media to directly participate in governance. Unfortunately, this action backfired with threats and abuses by government officials and state representatives as they completely reject the possibility of citizens questioning their political decisions or even daring to ask for change.
Through this small story, I would like to share that youth participation in politics and the use of technology to advance democracy are luxuries that citizens like myself living under authoritarian governments cannot afford.

To make matters worse, our government is among one of the very first to purchase Pegasus on the continent, a spyware used to track dissidents, journalists, and human rights defenders in Togo. Shutting down the internet whenever citizens announce protests is also a common practice in Togo and in 2019, a law was voted to punish citizens with up to 5 years imprisonment for criticizing government officials online.

One can no longer ignore the rise of digital authoritarianism and how technology has empowered governments far beyond human imagination and that is the biggest threat to democracy today.

There is a need for the U.N to appoint a special rapporteur on freedom of the internet and access to information as it has become one of the most violated rights today. It is important to lay out clear guidelines on how the body could sanction abusive and invasive digital surveillance, digital repression, and increase protection for cyber-activists.

In addition, the gender-targeted abuse that women face in the digital space must also be addressed and recognized as gender-based violence as research has shown that women activists and politicians face far more abuse in the digital space than their male counterparts.

Finally, one must increase sanctions against tech companies that manufacture digital weapons used to abuse human rights.  

I am only a guide[Take or leave-because i am elderly-what i saw during last 50 and odd years-i am just putting as a background-please do not get guided only,have more of reason].The importance of social leaders more transperent using the MEDIA technologies may have to be thought even by the developing countries.2.Artificial intelligence may change its present form,and may help society,but may go aganist personal liberties.[Reasons for using such for governance could be many].

3.People skill sets have to be changed ,say from automobiles to the e-vehicles etc,and latter"Uranium driven atomic energy etc.

4.Lives in the present carbon generating buildings may change.

Hello everyone,

Thank you all for your inputs and thank you Farida Nabourema  and Syed Ommer Amer  for your presence as co-moderators.

I’m Sophia El Bahja and I’ll be co-moderating the discussion the next few days. I’m delighted to be part of this and able to connect and exchange with you all.

After some fruitful insights we are looking forward to hearing more from you concerning the use of digital technologies in order to enhance democratic institutions, processes and practice.

Try to answer the questions above using the numbers in your comment. Use the language you most feel comfortable with (there’s translation - top right corner). Your ideas are important in supporting democratic changes. So be part of the change and let’s hear your voice!

1.In malawi we have a youth hub for youths to access technology though as per my experience those who are actually able to access these hubs are not many for example this hubs can be found at universities such as the formerly  named polytechnic university by chichiri campus in blantyre.My experience with this particular hub was that it was monopolized by the university and its students as a student at the time not being from that particular campus my access to the hub and its technology was limited thus it didnt not benefit me.The most useful interface fir technology that was most accessible to me was through my cell phone which i depend on for 97 percent of my engagements and virtual meetings as a volunteer and social worker and student. That being said my interactions though digital and technology has been really good especially in this time of covid 19 where there are less face to face interactions.

2.i claim a space by being proactive and engaging in skill upgrading exercises to develop my skills and value.Being vocal and asking for mentorship and most especially networking.

3.I use my social media accounts to support relevant movements and spread awareness...i also seek out youth led dialogue with leaders and those in positions of power which help add momentum to the change i wish to see as a youth.Through trainings and workshops i get opportunities to engage with these leaders and ask them to fulfil thir obligations  .

4.there were less women in these workshops and of those who were there less than 5 would be vocal in local workshops whilst in international workshops more women were vocal and active but still not as much as men.i feel gender roles and norms at times culturally install in women that they need to be quite than males and more reserved...i say this because alot of these women are very qualified yet not as vocal.i feel instead of empowering women to actual participate freely whats commonly done is that womens actually representation is falsified to satisfy the public and donors etc for example .

5.in third world countries like malawi where the majority of the population is youth and the majority of the population is in rural areas movement that use social media are not fully effective when used alone as most youths in rural areas do not even have phones to access to enable them to participate. in this case we need to introduce technology to these areas first and we need to combine several technologies that they may have access to.for example use of radio programs is very effective in most rural area...whats needed is to create messages and movements through radios that are attractive and youth friendly.that being said it does not take away the fact that there is a need to invest in access to technology in this rural areas which most governments can not afford to do.Before even the idea of introducing technology there is the biggest barrier which is low levels of literacy and little to non basic technology literacy...as hard as it may be to believe persons in rural areas can have no concept of reality as if they are living in a different era before the dawn of digital and technology...there is need for training and literacy increase before the introduction of technology...all this to say there is need for major investment in this field 

 6.this looks like a place free from sexual harassment,toxic masculinity and social status quo...a place with mutual respect where we can all help teach each other how to grow and best develop to our full capacities and beyond.

7.Due the the over politicized nature and toxic masculinity as well as bulling and threats,lack of diversity and low levels of literacy in Malawi .i am not at leisure to fully and freely use technology as of yet sadly .That being said i still .

8.firstly creating a culture of tolerance for diversity and mutual respect and understanding among youth.i believe our police should actively work with cyber crime unit to ensure safe environment for youths.parents should talk to their children and social media should create policies to ensure bullying is not tolerated and that sexual harrassment is totally unacceptable. it would be wonderful if they could create a awareness drive on health use of social media.That being said some social media like facebook have some structures in place for such purposes however regrettably they do not always take complaints seriously which enables abusers and sexual harassers to gain confidence in their unacceptable behaviors. terms and conditions should be shown in bold large letters to highlight their importance to the reader as because of how they appear to be non important most youths just mindlessly agree to them without reading them.Youths need to be taught the importance of reading terms and conditions and they should be shown in concise way stating the important matter and not just long paragraphs half filled with unuseful information as this discourages people from reading them.

Hello everyone, warm greetings from Sierra Leone; a small country in West Africa with a huge youth bulge of 60% of the population. It feels really exciting to be here and especially follow some of the very useful insights you all are bringing into the conversations.
Key concerns around the topic of debate for me are primarily centered on how will this process bring on board and build the capacity of young people in especially fragile democracies and post-conflict settings where opportunities to fully leverage ICT potentials for young people remain a daily nightmare. Getting youth onboard from the margins of society will to the largest extent attempts to answer the question of hour youth can and should leverage the potentials of ICT for democracy.

Hi everyone in the forum,

I would like to thank UNDP for organizing youth lead on technology for Democracy consultation. Well technology shall enhance youth efforts to engage and promote Democracy in the society.

Youth lead on technology for Democracy shall promote young people to work for Democracy, where the most vulnerable/marginalized groups can have access to information as long democratic rights and principles were circulate globally.

Technology will promote Democratic forums spaces such WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many others.

Technology will promote voter outreach and education campaign discussion forum, where by youth led organization will come up with possible intergroups speeches over flipgrid or zoom meetings across globe of which aiming to build capacity of Young people for tomorrow's leadership.

Youth lead on technology for technology shall improve young people to coordinate/collaborate with stakeholders such as local government, International non governmental organization, Civil Society organizations, and peace partners to promote democratic rights, free and fair elections, freedom of speech and expression, human rights and rule of law, good governance, equality, transparency and accountability, freedom of Assembly and association and enhancement of access to information.

Thank you all,

Khamis John

Juba, South Sudan

email; [email protected]

(+211) 921151272

Hello everyone,

Thanks to everyone for your meaningful recommendations, as well as to all the moderators for your insights. I’m Yurii Romashko and together with Lei Motilla we will continue the co-moderation marathon this week.

We live in the era of big data. Today the world is a kind of digital lab, where each of us leaves digital footprints - writes posts, makes Google requests and receives services online. Digital algorithms know us better than we know ourselves. It is obvious that everything that can be digitized in this world will be digitized. In this context, I would like to draw our attention to several important issues: privacy and personal data, inclusiveness, justice, transparency and accountability. These are all important principles that should be at the core of digital technology. Are they there and who controls it?

Digital solutions are a tool, but not an end goal. The outcome is to make people's lives better through digital solutions. Let's work together to find answers to all these questions in order to accelerate democratic progress. Choose a language convenient for you and leave your comments. If we don't change the world, then the world will change us!

There  is need also to link up with ITU. They recently set up youth coordinating platform and developed strategy. 

Also, we need to be cognizant of internet penetration and access issues that may further push some people away  from participation in democratic processes. 

I however fully support the idea of digital transformation. It is not a luxury . Technology can give youth voices, enhance mobilisation efforts and agenda setting out of  tradition media and promote accountability. 

What I may want to know more is possibility of digital voting in future (it is already happening )   and issues around vote intergrity.

Thanks 

Hello Everyone, this is Mohamed EDABBAR, a Policy Officer of Peace and Security at Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY).

So glad to be a part of this discussion to exchange the knowledge and learning from all of you.

I couldn’t agree more more with all the amazing suggestions, ideas and recommendations.

Kindly, allow  me to some comments for the recommendations of the 1st week which shared by Farida Nabourema ,
Youth Leadership:
It would be so great to have a Youth Task Force, but at IGF only I think it is not enough. I think the good choice can be the STI Forum .  

We can also suggest it through UN IANYD, which is the ITU Co-Chairing it with UN DESA currently.

In matter of fewer years we saw the use of technological changes that made lives easier. 

We are anticipating certain changes in human living in future by using either the sensors or the AI.

But we also looking forward to containing " climate change " and producing stable crop for the use of mankind. We may again add some more technology for distribution of water in rural communities as well as urban population. 

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much to all the co-moderators for your notable contributions the last few weeks.
My name is Pamela Cazar and is a pleasure for me to be co-moderating the last week of this consultation.
Welcome and remember that this is a space where we can share our ideas and we can learn from different perspectives.
Please share with us your thoughts with the following:
How would you improve the democracy on technology in your country?
What are the most challenging aspects to improve the democracy on technology in your country and why?

1. What are your experiences in expressing your needs and aspirations to local institutions in the digital sphere and through online channels? - In general social media is very handy for me to get in touch with politicians and government.  For government institutions it's all still best via phone or physical meeting (reservation can be made online).
2. How do you claim a space in decision-making processes in the digital sphere? Advocate for and organise digital roundtables and workshops with both youth and decision makers present.
3. How do you use technology to hold accountable decision-makers for advocating for peaceful, just and inclusive societies? Use technology to amplify your voice regarding approval or disapproval of policy and to engage others in discussion.
4. Think of a time when you were part of an online consultation/meeting/workshop, were there as many women as men? And do you think gender representation is different in the digital sphere compared to offline engagement?  In general I have experienced more diverse participation online than in person.  I believe this is because there are fewer barriers to entry (no distance to travel, less safety concerns, possibility to easily leave at any time, etc.)
5. How can technology help in tackling the digital divide and increase participation, in particular of those at risk of being left behind? The algorithms that help to cause the divide can be changed to bring people closer together on social media.  
6. In your opinion, what does a safe, gender-responsive and enabling digital space look like? - A space with high level of moderation to remove abusive trolls and prevent fake or abusive accounts being created.  It also is a space that is open to everyone from any background and easy to use.
7. How freely can you use technology to contribute to transparency, enhance access to information, support content creation, counter misinformation and foster tolerance?  It can make information more easily and quickly accessible.  It can be used communicate and advocate messages of tolerance/ counters to fake news to diverse and/or targeted audiences.
8. What are your priorities for making digital spaces safe for youth and addressing challenges of breach of privacy, surveillance and harassment? Cyber Security is the first priorities: Bots, Hackers and Trolls pose the biggest risk to wellbeing of youth and also risk to potential breaches of privacy.

Dear Thaddeus Thank you for your contribution. How do you think we could improve the information transparency in countries with poor technological conditions?

Today is the information digital age. Many problems need to be communicated through digital information network。

According to my experience, the more democratic a country is, the easier it is to communicate through digital information networks.

For example, the United Nations is the most open in the world, providing an opportunity for all people in the world to make suggestions。

How to communicate with the local government is determined by the government's opening of the digital information network。

Only when the government adopts an open and transparent digital information network, young talents have the opportunity to communicate with the government, and young talents can express their voice through the digital information network。

Digital technology cannot be in the hands of regional and national governments, but should be in the hands of the United Nations。

Only the United Nations and its agencies can truly make the voices of young people heard。

Under the banner of democracy, countries or regions will widely publicize their democracy to the outside world. At home, they will strictly control the Democratic voice of young people on the digital information network。

I think it is very effective to formulate rules for the innovation and development of digital technology, promote democracy and transparency in all countries around the world under the leadership of the United Nations, and let more young people express their democratic voice。

To ensure the consolidation of democracy, we must maintain the world system with the United Nations as the core established by the international order after the Second World War led by the United States。

No country can undermine the existing international order, otherwise it will be hit by all countries in the world。

Dear Da qun xiang thank you for your notable contribution.

-How do you think you could improve the democracy in your country? 

-Do you think governments with a lack of democracy would accept help from the United Nations?

Hello everyone 

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the discussions/deliberations of such an insightful topic.

It is crystal clear that the youth have the tyranny of numbers in using the digital technology. I would advocate for civic education amongst the youth about web 2.0 technologies and the digital technology at large. This will help them to be well versed and acquainted with both the usage and the rules,regulations and policies governing the digital technology. This will in turn bring a tremendous improvement in dealing with cyber crime and cyber bullying. 

Thank you.

Hi Yurii,

UN should advance technology to hold accountable decision-makers for advancing for peaceful, just and inclusive society through;

UN should need allocate resources for promoting knowledge and skills in new technology communication to strengthening young people through availability of materials machines, resource centers with internet installations and promote online/in person training to young Journalism, Civil Society, Human rights groups, and strongly encourage civic engagement especial in war zone Countries in online vote or online records. in this few response, I hope by considerations of this point thoroughly, the technology envision would be abled to hold decision-makers accountable for advancing for peace, justice snd inclusive society.

Thank you

Khamis John