Baseline Study:Version 2, March 2008

The Cyber Peace Initiative"Youth Utilizing ICTs for Peace Enhancement"

The Cyber Peace Initiative (CPI) was launched at the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement's InternationalYouth Forum, "Youth Speak, We Listen", Sharm el Sheikh 1-3 September 07. CPI is a dynamic process that aims at systematicallyenhancing usage of ICT and Internet based tools to enable youth to participate actively in the communication, interculturalunderstanding, empathy creation, exploration of different cultural and national realities, and skills development that underliesustainable peace enhancement. The Initiative consists of six main tracks:

¯ Empowering Youth

¯ Internet Safety for Young People

¯ Youth Peace Camps

¯ E- Peace Contests

¯ E- Content Development for Peace.

¯ IT Enabled Services, a New Means to bring Youth From Different Cultures Together

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Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. Vision 5

3. Situation Analysis 6

4. Guiding principles and Program Objectives 8

5. Work Program 9

5.1 Empowering Youth 9

5.2 Internet Safety for Young People 10

5.3 Youth Peace Camps 11

5.4 E- Peace Contests 12

5.5 E- Content Development for Peace 13

5.6 IT Enabled Services; a New Means to bring Youth from Different Cultures Together 13

6. Deliverables 14

7. Partnerships 14

8. Initiative Management and Governance 15

Annex: Preliminary List of Relevant Organizations 19

1.0 Introduction

Information and communications technology has been

recognized as a major driver of the globalization process.

By making information more accessible and usable and

communications faster and more widely available, ICT has

reduced the traditional constraints of distance and culture

and dissolved many distinctions between national and global

economies.

Nations are focusing on building their information and

communication infrastructure, policies, and strategies and

investing in human resources with the goal of furthering

both innovation and knowledge within their respective

countries. Technology is a major facet of all aspects of the

global economy and the demand for related tools and skills

will continue to increase especially among youth as the main

component of the nascent working force. ICT has become

an enabler of key industries today -- and an essential

component of competing and succeeding in the global

economy.

Inevitably, ICT is changing the way people, especially young

people, think, learn, play, and interact with each other and

with the society around them. ICT is allowing youth to

exchange ideas and information freely. In many societies,

it is providing the means to foster their involvement in social

and political movements and helping them impact public

opinion.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Anan stated, “The new

technologies that are changing our world are not a panacea

or a magic bullet. But they are, without doubt, enormously

powerful tools for development. They create jobs. They are

transforming education, health care, commerce, politics and

more." (Kofi Anan, Secretary General of United Nations,

2001 ICT Task Force Meeting)

The UN and other multilateral agencies are increasingly

highlighting the potential of ICTs to facilitate and support

development efforts in health care, education, environmental

protection, civil society, conflict resolution, enhancement

of peace and many other sectors. While the potential of ICTs

in development is strong, there is no doubt that without a

serious and sustained examination of the dynamics of conflicts

and strife, of intra-national and international conflicts,

whatever is invested in development is by definition

unsustainable. In order for development to be truly

sustainable, an infrastructure of peace and a “culture of

peace” must be promoted so that the accomplishments of

years of development are not destroyed in days of war. In

this context too, ICT has a crucial role to play.

ICT is an enabler to help transform not only realities, but

mind sets and perceptions as well. Youth, in particular, are

the first beneficiaries and users of these tools and technologies

which offer unlimited opportunities for creativity and

innovation and can dilute barriers between cultures and

societies. If harnessed effectively, ICT has the potential to

enable youth to play a role in accelerating social, economic

and political development; build bridges across geographical

boundaries and increase understanding among cultures;

create new economic, social and cultural opportunities and

broaden the horizon of youth; shape a better future, with

opportunity, prosperity, harmony and peace; and accelerate

prosperity.

2.0 Our Vision

One of the basic principles to emerge from the World Summiton the Information Society (Geneva 2003, Tunis 2005) isthe need to explore ICT in the furthering of the UnitedNation’s Millennium Development Goals. This principle,combined with the growing conviction of the internationalcommunity that peace is a necessary prerequisite for socialand economic development, led to the launch of a newprogram designed to build the capacity of today’s youth toharness the power of the new information and communicationtechnologies to promote a culture of peace.

The Cyber Peace Initiative Program was launched at theInternational Youth Forum, “Youth Speak, We Listen”, inSharm el Sheikh on 1-3 September 2007. The mission ofthe Initiative is to empower youth of any nation, throughICT, to become catalysts of change: to create safe and betterfutures for themselves and others, to address the root causesof conflict, to disseminate the culture of peace, and to createinternational dialogues for a harmonious world.

The Cyber Peace Initiative is an integrated effort to rallythe local, regional and the international youth communityto use ICT for the purpose of forwarding the cause of peaceenhancement and promoting the "Peace Culture". The PeaceCulture is defined by the United Nations as “a set of values,attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that rejectviolence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causesto solve problems through dialogue and negotiation amongindividuals, groups and nations."1

The vision of the Initiative emanates from the SuzanneMubarak Women’s International Peace Movement principles,as articulated in its founding document, that “… whilst majorwars have been averted, they have been replaced by morepersistent conflicts, border strife, civil wars, foreignoccupation, and terrorism that characterize our world today.These crisis situations have deprived people of their dignity,violated their human rights and subjected them to unnecessarypain and suffering. This state of affairs exacerbates extremepoverty and unemployment, and patterns of economic,political and social injustice. Conditions that are marked bydiscrimination, rejection or oppression have often led todespair and loss of hope. Women, the youth and childrenhave been the hardest hit.” The Cyber Peace Initiativeintroduces a technological means to realize the vision of theMovement.

The Initiative is working to improve communications acrosscultural and geographical barriers through contentdevelopment and platform creativity, by exploring thesociopolitical impact of IT enabled industries, by researchingthe potential for ICT as a channel for economic opportunitiesand innovation for youth, and by engaging youth in securingthe Internet as the medium through which these objectiveswill be achieved. The Initiative rests on capitalizing on thecreative spirit of youth to innovate constantly to reflect thepace of sociopolitical changes and developments in today’sworld

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1 Un Resolutions: Culture of Peace and Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

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3.0 Situation Analysis

The Cyber Peace Initiative is an integrated attempt tocomplement and build on the current call and expectationsof Secretary General of ITU Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré that“… Cyber security and cyber peace are the most criticalconcerns in this information society age, with more than abillion Internet users in the world today to break into networksnot only for financial gain but also to collect information,invade privacy, steal identities, sow hatred and, worst of all,pander to the nefarious habits of pedophiles. Financial lossalone is estimated to run into several billion dollars both fromfraud on the Internet and from the costs of rebuilding networksthat have suffered cyber attacks…'85The future is wired -- andwireless: more mobile applications and an exponential growthof the Internet which is today in its infancy…'85More will beachieved in speech recognition technologies, breaking alllanguage and literacy barriers, making the world a trueKnowledge Society”.2

We recognize the effort exerted by the Global Alliance for ICTand Development in this respect, as well as the pioneering workof the ICT4Peace Foundation.3

We acknowledge the effort done in the area of using ICT as atool for peace. Early warning systems, conflict prevention andcrisis management are of special significance, as is the currentcoordination to foster international dialogue towards enhancingthe competency and professionalism of the internationalcommunity in utilizing ICT for promoting peace and crisismanagement.

We also note the idea of developing a sustainable institutionalframework at the international level for using ICT inhumanitarian and peace operations through improved inter-agency interoperability and collaboration.

We share GAID's view about youth as “… participants, actors,promoters, influencers and in some cases, leaders of ICT…that (youth) are avid users of new technology, and successfulin adapting to and understanding the potential for ICT…, andGAID's notable work with youth in education, health,entrepreneurship and governance.4

We note diverse efforts undertaken by various NGOs andinternational organizations, in promoting the culture of peacein ICT platforms.

We hope to be contributing in furthering and complementingthe agenda of the international community in harnessing ICTfor Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by focusing onpromoting usage of ICT in enhancement of the Peace Culture,an area that requires further focused and concerted work andcreativity. Our aim is to synchronize such efforts to increasevalue added to all, regionally and internationally. In addition,the Initiative aims to understand the socio-political and culturalimpact of IT-enabled industries on dialogue creation andempathy, moving from an IT-centered approach to a moresocio-political one. Our contention is that IT-enabled industriesand innovative tools have the potential to broaden economic,social and cultural horizons and thus deflate tensions createdby geographical, cultural or other restrictions, hence, the needfor more creativity in this domain .5

Information and communication technologies offer youth around

the world the tools to become to become promoters of a Culture

of Peace, to become “Social Entrepreneurs for Peace.” Once

ICT is accessible to the population at large, it can play numerous

roles in promoting peace.

Communication among peoples, especially those engaged in

conflict, is essential if alternative futures are to be scripted.

When people across cultural and linguistic divides talk, the

dialogue that emerges lays the groundwork for a culture of

peace. This "Culture of Peace" re-conceptualizes conflict as

emanating not from greed or hatred, but from a clash of interests

that can and should be resolved. At the root of resolving conflict

must be the interweaving and the intermeshing of the interests

of people on both sides of the conflict divide to create win-win

situations where the gains of one side do not have to be at the

expense of the other side. This is most obviously done by

creating economic interdependence, i.e. jobs and markets for

each group in the territory of the other, or alternatively, in a

cyberspace that brings them together, without the constraints

of political boundaries.

ICT is playing a major role as a medium for interaction. An

example is the growth in the number of chat rooms of various

types that enable youth, from wherever they are in the world

(next door or across a hostile border) to exchange ideas and

discuss current issues. This has opened windows onto different

cultures and enabled youth to narrow the gap between their

different perspectives. It has also enabled youth to discover

issues as third parties to conflict, look at issues from the

perspective of each side, and work to bridge gaps in perception

and understanding. To bridge these gaps, the development of

secure and accessible work spaces (beyond simple chat rooms)

where key partners can meet, share information and discuss

ideas without fear of repercussions or reprisals from their

respective societies or from the authorities in their countries

becomes necessary. Enough people must be able to engage in

the discussions to contribute to 'cross fertilization' and the

credibility of the results as reflections of real sentiment and

possibility.

The United Nations’ 2015 Millennium Development Goals

cannot be achieved without the enhancement of cultural

dialogues and peace among youth. The Initiative raises a call

for the creation of a concerted momentum to build a framework

for content that will enhance peace. Accordingly, the Cyber

Peace Initiative was launched at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in

September 2007 as a multi stakeholder attempt to safeguard

the Internet as a medium of communications and to transform

it in the hands of its most avid users to a medium of peaceful

dialogue.

The Initiative will capitalize on existing dispersed efforts with

a special focus on youth and an organized program of work.

By harnessing technology, the Initiative should enable public

expression and elaboration of contending interests and voicing

of differences of identities, experiences, values and histories

for better understanding through diverse applications. The

Initiative is an open- ended mechanism that takes off with

specific tracks but which can expand to others depending on

stakeholders’ priorities and needs.2 About the Cyber Security initiative:http://www.itwire.com/view/12744/127/.About ITU Cyber Security and Cyber Peace: http://www.unspecial.org/UNS663/t21.html3 Stauffacher, Daniel, Willian Drake, Paul Currion and Julia Steinberger. Information and Communication Technology for peace; the Roleof ICT in Preventing,

Responding to and Recovering from Conflict. United Nations ICT Task Force, 2005.4 About “Youth and ICT as Agents of Change Forum in Geneva”; http//www.un-gaid.org/gfyouth5 Effort done by various organizations in this respect is acknowledged. A preliminary list is included in the annex and will be amended

The question guiding the development of the Initiative’s work

program is how best to contribute to empowering the youth of

any nation, through ICT, to be catalysts of change, to create

better futures for themselves and for future generations. How

can ordinary youth become leaders of tomorrow by acquiring

and later applying ICT skills to enhance their education, secure

a good living, improve their health, extend a helping hand,

support a useful cause, promote the cause of democracy and

human rights? How can youth save themselves and protect

future generations from Internet crime to sustain the positive

contribution of the Internet to welfare and to peace?

4.0 Guiding Principles and Program Objectives

The Initiative’s guiding principles, developed to address thisquestion and guide its efforts, are:

A focus on youth : Enhancing skills to acceleratedevelopment

Creativity: Developing creative thinking skills

Opportunities: Creating avenues for dialogue, understandingand new opportunities

Leverage: Building on what already exists and catalyzingactivity elsewhere

Partnerships: Partnering with various stakeholders tomaximize impact

Sustainability: Creating a sustainable, scalable model withenduring value

State of the art training: Fostering peace and productivityamong youth by building their practical communicationskills

Networking: Building a national, regional and globalnetwork of young leaders to bridge divides and build channelsof communication and trust, and creating a platform forknowledge sharing, collaboration and the exchange of ideasand experiences among youth

Empowerment: Empowering youth to create a prosperousfuture where tolerance and understanding of different culturesand peace are the prevailing values, and enabling them toengage in peace-building and global healing

Incubation: Encouraging and incubating the output ofyouth.

The Initiative's primary strategic objectives are to:

Prepare youth for success in a world of expanding democracyand globalization by helping them learn informationtechnology skills, gain global awareness, and experiencepositive communication with local and international peersand mentors;

Empower youth through the use of ICT for the creation ofa prosperous future where tolerance and understanding ofdifferent cultures and peaceful coexistence are the prevailingvalues;

Educate, mobilize, energize and empower youth to undertakechange for a peaceful, vibrant environment, whereacceptance, understanding and tolerance can prevail as theincome gap, the digital gap, the education and skills gapsas well as the employment and productivity gaps aregradually bridged;

Build a national, regional and global network of young

leaders to build channels of communication and trust;

Create a platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and

exchange of ideas and experiences;

Engage youth, in safeguarding the Internet;

Assess the value of IT enabled industry on the peace culture;

Leverage and capitalize on the innovative strength of youth

in creating peace-conducive platforms and content.

5.0 Proposed Work Program

The Cyber Peace Initiative will provide youth with opportunities

for creativity through knowledge, tools and access. The Initiative

selected Egypt as its first site for implementation, due to the

development of its ICT infrastructure, large pool of human

resources, and centrality and stability in a region that has

suffered extensively from conflict.

The Initiative will be implemented using as a platform Egypt’s

existing network of IT clubs as a platform for launching the

programs and weaving partnerships with similar networks

internationally.

The Initiative includes the following six tracks:

1- Empowering Youth

2- Internet Safety for Young People

3- Youth Peace Camps

4- E- Peace Contests

5- E- Content Development for Peace

6- IT Enabled Services: a New Means to bring Youth From

Different Cultures Together

The Cyber Peace Initiative builds upon synergies among these

six tracks as well as collaboration between partners. Evaluation

and assessment of the Initiative’s efforts will form a critical

element for the success of the program. A youth advisory group

will assist the Initiative’s international executive board in

effectively targeting youth interests. Two initial target groups

have been identified as the focus of the Initiative’s efforts:

youth aged 12-15 years old and 18-25 years old.

5.1Track One: Empowering Youth

This track focuses on implementing a training program that

addresses needs required to build the ICT capacity of Egyptian

youth, blended with the soft skills and communication skills

required to equip the youth to be active contributors in their

relevant communities. The Peace Module will also include

interactive tools to enhance dialogue, understanding and

tolerance and internet safety tips and tutorials.

1. ICT skills: This component will draw on different training

programs provided by the technology partners of the Initiative

to foster technology and innovation, and create new

opportunities. Examples of programs include IT Essentials,

CCNA Discovery and Exploration Program, and Intel

Learn… etc

2. Personal and communication skills: This component will

enhance the communication skills of youth to more effectively

interact with peers locally, regionally and globally. These

skills include online etiquette and a primer on globally

accepted exchange standards. Through this track, youth are

expected to build networks and to pass on their skills tofamilies and friends.

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3. Peace related skills: These include skills of dialogue, team

work, and communication, team work, flexibility and the

concept of peace. Curricula for training are tailored based on

the age bracket of the audience and in cooperation with different

partners. Those skills are coupled with a training on web 2

tools which enable youth to have a participatory and interactive

role on the internet and to generate content.

4. Internet Safety tutorials: where youth are trained on the

safe use of the Internet and are made aware of potential hazards

and risks. The tutorials draw on experiences developed in

different parts of the world and on localized programs.

5. Trainers’ capacity building: To ensure continuity, expansion

and sustainability, this track will train trainers in technology

clubs/ tele-centers in urban and rural areas. Trainers will receive

IT tailored Training of Trainer (TOT) preparation aiming at

improving their skills to disseminate knowledge across the

cities and villages in Egypt, regionally and around the globe.

The track aims at implementing its training, as suitable and in

agreement with concerned entities, through existing programs

delivered at schools and in NGOs. In addition, a Mobile Internet

Unit will be dedicated to disseminate the peace culture and

peace training module in governorates and remote areas.

5.2 Track Two: Internet Safety for Young People

The Middle East is becoming a major regional force in

information technology. The expansion of the use of the Internet

in Egypt, the proliferation of affordable computers and Internet

connections, advanced access technology and unregulated

cyber-cafes where young people meet, share network information

and surf without any parental guidance or technical blocs, has

been both a blessing and a curse. Unattended surfing of the

Internet or use of mobile phones may expose young users to

risks related to content, contacts or commercialism.

Our youth are often becoming the involuntary recipients of

materials that are repulsive or potentially damaging. The

proliferation of Internet sites depicting violence, brutality and

crime desensitizes youth to their horrors. This necessitates

immediate action to raise awareness among youth about the

potential dangers associated with the use of the Internet.

Since various forms of filtering, blocking and monitoring

software are sometimes ineffective and as their development

is outpaced by those who would post such material on the web,

circumventing such security measures and reaching our children

anyway, it is necessary to work with youth and parents and

perhaps also public providers of Internet services whether at

the network level or at the supplier end. As part of their interests

in the affairs of women and children, relevant NGOs are

important not only as a source of funding but also as a source

of information sharing as well as a source of expertise in

conducting survey research and analyzing results.

This track aims at establishing a Youth Internet Safety Focus

Group to spread awareness about Internet safety issues in order

to empower children and youth with the ability to identify

harmful content and use computers, the Internet, IT tools, and

mobile phone services safely and responsibly.

The Youth Internet Safety Focus Group will meet regularlyover an initial 18-month period beginning February 2008. Thegroup has four major goals:

Research the current e-safety needs of young people inEgypt to better understand the wide range of concernsshared by youth and their families.

Assess the most appropriate guidelines for young peoplein safe use of the Internet.

Create and design effective education and awarenessresources to communicate e-safety information to youngpeople and their parents.

Contribute to wider strategic programs and assess thoseprograms from the youth perspective.

Key strategies for achieving these goals include holding focus

groups and workshops for parents on Internet safety as well as

monthly awareness meetings with youth to identify and promote

Internet safety tips to parents, youth and children; partnering

with key international organizations and NGOs active in the

field; meeting periodically with heads of NGOs for raising

awareness and discussing issues; considering a code of ethics

for young users; and promoting a system of classification, tools,

and filters.

As a first step, the Focus Group is organizing a national

conference on Internet safety issues under the title “Young

People in the Internet and Mobile Age: Safe and Empowered

!”. The conference, will held in March 2008 at Egypt’s Smart

Village, will bring together a range of stakeholders to hear

about lessons learned from organizations around the world

dealing with these issues, as well as youth, library professionals,

parents' groups, representatives of the Egyptian government,

and professionals from education, industry, media, law

enforcement, and civil society sectors. The conference will

showcase best practices, identify potential hazards, and plan

for future action to trigger a national and regional dialogue

about safety on the Internet.

This track will also establish an e-Safety Focus Group for

Parents in collaboration with Childnet International. This focus

group gives members of Childnet and the Cyber Peace Initiative

the opportunity to review with parents the kind of efforts that

are needed to increase parents’ understanding of the issues as

well as enable them to keep pace with their children’s use of

the Internet. The initial focus group will bring together 25

parents for a four-hour workshop to assess current awareness,

explain risks and other issues such as Internet governance, hear

from parents about their fears and anxieties, discuss possible

messages, and review with them similar campaigns from around

the world.

5.3 Track Three: Youth Peace Camps

Under this track, an annual gathering for youth will be held,

where youth leaders from around the globe will get together

and participate in a Peace Youth Camp. We expect that

participants taking part in the Peace Contests will meet in

person to engage in a one- week dynamic interaction.

Throughout the week, participants will take part in an

educational, fun-based camp that promotes cross-cultural, inter-

racial, and religious tolerance and understanding. Egypt would

be happy to host the first camp, which could be hosted by other

interested partner countries in the following year(s).

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The camp will provide resources and capacity building to youthleaders so they can network and spread the vision of CyberPeace in the camp which may include the following:

Further training on basic ICT skills, communicationskills, e-content, development and management

Knowledge sharing for updated applications and trends inInternet tools

Training on e-content development

Cultural e-content projects implemented between groupsof youth

Electronic games deployment and operation

Sports and cultural activities in recognition of eachparticipating country

Recognition of the e-peace contest participants

Training on anger management, negotiations andleadership skills

Lectures by motivational world- renowned speakers on thePeace Culture.

5.4 Track Four: E-Peace Contests

Track four focuses on the development of contests and awards tostimulate awareness and interest in e-Peace issues among theyouth. These contests are designed to build a dialogue amongstparticipants and a coherent regional and global youth communitywhich will be fostered by subsequent contests, develop peace-based content to be used by students worldwide, and contributein developing ties between youth regionally and globally.

The E- Peace Contest, which had its soft start at the InternationalYouth Forum on 1-3 September 2007, is designed to buildpeace-related online content while fostering professional,

technical and managerial skills. Youth will participate in anannual contest by preparing written or multimedia online contenton topics such as:

Human rights,

Religious tolerance,

Social respect,

Cultural understanding and common history,

Peace building,

Socially-unifying sports.

The themes of the competition will focus on promoting mutualunderstanding, respect and harmony enabling social changesand healthier lives with peace as the underlying principle. Thecompetition will:

Unite and empower youth from Egypt and other countriesby publishing their essays online and empowering them tofully utilize their creative and technical skills. The bestessays will be judged online by a jury of peers and willreceive recognition which will be given during the YouthCamps gathering.

Build a dialogue amongst participants and a coherent regionaland global youth community which will be fostered bysubsequent contests.

Develop peace- based content to be used by studentsworldwide.

Contribute in developing ties between youth regionally andglobally.

5.5 Track Five: E-Content Development for Peace

In this track, efforts will focus on encouraging the developmentof digital content in different disciplines and types (audio, video,text). Digital content should demonstrate the coexistence ofdifferent cultures and religions. In addition, these efforts willsupport the concept of cross-border incubation of IT platformscreated by youth to give youth the chance to interact and testtheir ideas on other societies and cultures and adopt a youthdriven method of work in content creation, which rests on youthteams updating content and platforms to match the pace ofchange in today’s world so as to preserve their relevance andinterest to youth. The track will additionally identify sustainabilitymodels for youth created content and platforms, in terms ofmanagement structures and funding, in such a way as to preservethe integrity of the platform and allow for its continuity.

To provide youth with the necessary platform for content generation,a portal will be designed for this purpose. The portal will rely ona youth-drive- method of work in content creation, which rests onyouth teams essentially and constantly updated content and platformsthat match the pace of socio- political changes in real life. Theportal will rely on web 2 tools which aim to facilitate , cooperation,and sharing among youth users. The portal will include a webbased media center for knowledge sharing and stocktaking andwill be used as a main tool for dissemination of work andachievements of the Initiative.

5.6 Track Six: IT Enabled Services

We are currently witnessing IT-enabled global business processesthat are developing at different paces and intensity throughoutthe world. Through Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO)and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), an interesting byproduct has emerged, exemplified by the changes that occur in

youth perceptions, belief systems, knowledge andconceptualization of "the other". It is high time local, regional,and international stakeholders examine in depth the socio-cultural product of this industry which is having such a greatinfluence on the life of youth in our age. In this context, wesuggest a number of practical steps:

Conducting a study on the socio-political and culturalimpact of the IT-enabled industry on youthHolding a regional workshop where results of the study arepresented.Raising awareness about the impact of this industry andcapitalizing on its positive effects.

In recognition of BPO and KPO and their impact on youth, acomparative study is suggested to examine the impact of thisindustry on the Culture of Peace. In addition, a regionalworkshop should examine the results of the study. Youthshould become aware of the effects of these industries on theirlives through an awareness campaign.

Questions to be raised by the study include:What are the varieties of new services available in today'sglobal economy that are delivered by youth? How do young people assess such services in terms of valueadded and potential for growth?What are the challenges encountered by young people who

are engaged in this new service industry?

How do new services foster understanding between cultures

across boundaries?

What services are envisioned to develop in the near future,

and how can young people be prepared for that?

How are the new industries promoting multilingualism and

e-content generation?

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Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement, with thesupport of the Ministry of Communications and InformationTechnology.

There are three levels of partnerships in the creation,development, and implementation of the Cyber Peace Initiative:founding partners, partners and associate partners.

Founding Partners of the Cyber Peace Initiative are: The SuzanneMubarak Women's International Peace Movement (SMWIPM),The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology(MCIT), The International Telecommunications Union (ITU),The UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID),Microsoft and Cisco

New partners include Intel Corporation, and associate partnersinclude Childnet International and the UNDP Egypt.

Partners are expected to play different roles:

Government(s)

Host the initiative and coordinate between foreign government entities, civil society groups and stakeholders

Provide access to ICT through leveraging tele-centers/technology clubs in the training of youth

Provide trainers and support

Train NGOs

Contribute to the revolving fund.

International Organizations:

Raise funds

Select new projects

Suggest new areas of work.

NGOs:

Manage the implementation of the Initiative and itsroll- out

Leverage existing capacity building and peace educational literature for the success of the initiative

Mobilize and engage youth from different communities in the initiative.

Corporations:

Offer state of the art tools

Offer training

Raise awareness

8.0 Initiative Management and Governance

On the international level, the Initiative will be run by:

8.1 The International Executive Board:

The International Executive Board will function regionallyand internationally. It is headed by H.E. the First Lady ofEgypt, President and Founder of the Suzanne MubarakWomen's International Peace Movement, with theparticipation of distinguished representatives of the Partners.The International Executive Board will set up the policies,guiding principles and strategic vision of the Initiative. Theboard will follow up and monitor implementation of theInitiative. It shall meet at least twice a year. Boardmembership is open to new partners.

Each of the partners should designate a Cyber Peacerepresentative to ensure international coordination of efforts

What are the socio-political side effects of the new cross-

boundaries service industry?

The study should rest on internationally recognized standards

of key relevant international organizations.

Indeed, a Culture of Peace and understanding requires the

development of a commonality of interests among youth and

must be created out of real, natural and tangible needs. The

new job market generated by the ICT revolution is not only

serving the economic needs of youth, but also creating a meshed

society and global community where interaction and

understanding between societies are not imposed, but become

economic necessities for both recipients and providers of new

ICT services. These services can be found in medical fields,

the entertainment industry, marketing services and more and

are thus better entrenched in the culture of youth. Youth can

no longer afford any more to be absorbed exclusively in their

own cultures and societies; they have to go beyond these

artificial borders in order to survive in today’s global economy.

In addition, economic prosperity generated by these new cross-

borders emerging ICT-enabled services enhances the propensity

to tolerance and understanding.

Young people from different societies work together in various

areas using ICT in the new global market that rely increasingly

on outsourcing and off shoring. These new economic activities

have diluted economic boundaries and cultural sensitivities in

an increasingly multilingual "new world order".

Some argue that the neutral nature of ICT skills in their different

forms allow youth not only to explore market opportunities in

their societies, but to transcend political and cultural boundaries

and serve other societies and economies, increasing empathy

and tolerance based on reciprocal needs. This is made possible

through the development of different service models which

rely primarily on youth. Call centers, medical transcription

centers, data entry centers, entertainment industry, service

centers and even creation of business content like sales kits

and presentations are excellent examples.

6.0 Deliverables

The expected deliverables of the Cyber Peace Initiative are:

A Cyber Peace network operating in at least 20 countries

to provide support and deliver value added services to youth;

A Cyber Peace Young Leaders Group

Cyber Peace training modules based on innovative and

attractive technology platforms

Guidelines for safety on the Internet

Development of a Cyber Peace web portal for knowledge

sharing and stocktaking, - A study on the socio-cultural

impact of IT enabled services on the Peace Culture among

youth.

7.0 Partnerships

The integrated Cyber Peace Program is a joint initiative by the

Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement,

Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information

Technology, the International Telecommunication Union, and

the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in

collaboration with Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Intel. The

Initiative’s continuity and success rests on multi-stakeholder

partners joining it to achieve its objectives in different parts of

the world. In Egypt, the Initiative is hosted by the Suzanne

and pooling of resources, in addition to keepingthe momentum going and allying with new partners.Representatives will be part of an international Cyber Peaceworking group.

On the national level, the structure below will be applied inEgypt. The model is replicable in other countries.

8.2 A National Initiative Director will be part of thenational governance structure. The Director will have the day-to-day responsibility for overall initiative co-ordination betweennational partners and the execution of different tracks, resourceplanning, and performance indicators t racking.

8.3 A Steering Committee will be responsible for thefollow-up and coordination of the Initiative’s nationalimplementation plan. All partners in the country are representedin the steering committee. The committee’s responsibilitiesare to:

Provide overall governance

Set broad policies

Provide resource support for the initiative

Make decisions

Manage the stakeholder committee

Manage external stakeholder expectations and

communication

8.4 An Initiative Management Office will be responsible

for the following:

Track leaders

Establish a Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit

Establish a Technical Assistance Unit

Establish a Program Support Unit

In order for the Cyber Peace Initiative to achieve its stated

goals on the national level and to execute the undertaken

projects, each of the main tasks must be performed within this

structure. The core competencies required to perform these

functions represent the minimum critical staffing level to

maintain progress on the initiative.

Track Leaders

Track leaders will manage budgets, schedules, resources and

deliverables. As the single point of contact for each track, the

track leader will ensure the quality of finished products as well

as on-time, on-budget delivery of the requested functions.

Track leaders will have day-to-day responsibility for overall

track co-ordination and execution, resource planning, and

performance indicators tracking. Track leaders will be

accountable to both the Initiative Director and the Executive

Steering Committee. Actual execution of the individual work

stream tasks will be the responsibility of the Track Working

Groups. These Working Groups will be formed as sufficient

resources are acquired to execute the work stream tasks. They

will typically consist of the track leader and the individuals

executing the track tasks. As required, experts (NGOs, local

stakeholders, and regional/international organizations) will be

engaged to support the track leaders and track Working Groups

in the execution of the project tasks. The Initiative Director

will provide overall coordination in the engagement and

management of experts.

16 17

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluatio

The National Initiative Director (NID) will ensure regular

monitoring of initiative activities against criteria and milestones

established and developed for the annual work plans. Monitoring

will be assisted by the initiative’s management information

system (MIS) and documented in the quarterly and annual

initiative implementation reports. Given the innovative character

of the initiative design, a team of specialized experts familiar

with the design will undertake yearly supervision missions that

will allow fine-tuning and redirection of the initiative’s

orientation during implementation. The evaluation will offer

lessons learned and recommendations to improve initiative

performance or national policy during the remaining part of

the life of the program.

Technical Assistance

The Technical Support unit will be responsible for the stability

and maintenance of the hardware and software of the deployed

development platform and for the establishment of connectivity

in different implementation locations. The unit will also provide

technical support for other units of the program and for their

activities.

The staff of the technical unit will include a network

administrator with a solid background in ICT and practical

experience in networks and different operating systems.

Program Support Unit

These staff members will manage personnel issues, such as

recruiting, contracting, follow-up, attendance, and employee

notices, in addition to externally contracting or sub-contracting

instructors and agencies. The unit will handle day-to-day

financial transactions, purchases, collecting money, recording

entries, and adjusting balance sheets. The unit head will be the

Executive Manager who will authorize transactions according

to inputs reported from the different units. The unit will perform

the following: prepare the program’s annual financial report;

compile annual requirements of equipment or other resources

from all units; and allocate available resources, either through

purchase or rental from other entities. It will be the responsibility

of the financial and administrative manager to handle customs

issues if necessary.

8.6 Initiative Management and Governance

On the international level, the Initiative will be run by:

An International Executive Board that functions regionally and

internationally headed by H.E. the First Lady of Egypt, President

and Founder of the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International

Peace Movement, with the participation of distinguished

representatives of the ITU, GAID, Microsoft, Cisco Systems

and MCIT. The Executive Board defines policies, guiding

principles and the strategic vision of the Initiative, and follows

up and monitors implementation of the Initiative. The Board

meets at least twice a year, and membership of the Board can

expand to include new members. Each of the partners in the

Initiative designates a Cyber Peace representative to ensure

international coordination of efforts and pooling of resources,

in addition to keeping the momentum going and allying with

new partners. Representatives are part of an international Cyber

Peace working group.

18 19

Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for theDialogue between Cultures

The Foundation's main objective is to bring people andorganizations from both shores of the Mediterraneancloser to each other and to help bridge the gap betweenthem. Particular importance is given to the developmentof human resources, while youth is the main target group.www.euromedalex.org

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a center of excellence inthe production and dissemination of knowledge and aplace of dialogue, learning and understanding betweencultures and peoples. The Bibliotheca Alexandria seeksto recapture the spirit of the original ancient Library ofAlexandria. It aspires to be the world's window on Egypt,Egypt's window on the world, a leading institution of thedigital age, and a center for learning, tolerance, dialogueand understanding.www.bibalex.org

Childnet International

Childnet International is a registered charity set up in1995 with the mission to work in partnership with othersaround the world to "help make the Internet a great andsafe place for children." The vision of the organizationis to ensure that all those involved in developing,producing, controlling, using and regulating internationaltelecommunications (current and future), recognize and

implement policies and programs which prioritize therights of children so that their interests are both promotedand protected. Childnet works in 3 main areas of Access,Awareness, Protection & Policy.

Childnet seeks to maintain a culture of care and supportfor both individual children, those who work for themand the organizations, institutions and governments thatoperate around them. At the same time Childnet seeks tomaintain a radical edge, challenging those institutionsthat control and profit from the development ofthe medium so that children's interests are protectedwww.childnet.com

The Council of Europe

The Convention on Cyber Crime of the Council of Europewas adopted in 2001 and is being ratified or acceded toby an increasing number of countries from around theworld. It serves as a guideline for the preparation ofnational legislation in terms of substantive law bycriminalizing specific types of cyber-offences andprocedural law by providing law enforcement and criminaljustice officials with effective investigative tools. It alsoserves as a framework for international cooperation againstcyber crime, in particular among those countries that areparty to the Convention, which includes a sectionconcerning children and illustrates the progress Europeancountries have made in combating these crimes, to makethe Internet a safer place for children and youth.www.coe.int

* Information of various organizations and NGOs are taken from their respective web site

InitiativeManagement

Office

InternationalExecutive Board

National InitiativeDirector

Executive SteeringCommittee

TechnicalAssistanceTrack Leaders

Planning,Monitoring, &

Evaluation

Figure 1: Proposed Governance for Cyber Peace Initiative

Operations &Program Support

InternationalAdvisory Board

ANNEX: Preliminary List of Relevant Organizations *

dgCommunities; Knowledge Sharing and

Collaboration Worldwide

dgCommunities is a collaborative space for professionals

working to reduce poverty and promote sustainable

development worldwide. Share knowledge, tools, contacts,

and more with members in 200 countries. Each online

community is centered on specific themes and guided by

experts in the field. Thousands of information resource

links are included, plus valuable member services.

The dgCommunities are provided by the Development

Gateway Foundation (topics.developmentgateway.org)

www.developmentgateway.org

The Egyptian Education Initiative

The Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI) is a public-private

partnership that aims to improve education in Egypt

through effective use of Information and Communication

Technology (ICT). With the support of the World

Economic Forum, multinationals and donors, the Ministries

of Communications and Information Technology,

Education and Higher Education have put in place several

initiatives to provide ICT to all Egyptians at an affordable

cost.

www.eei.gov.eg

The European Youth Forum

Independently established by youth organizations, the

European Youth Forum is made up of more than 90

national youth councils and international non-governmental

youth organizations. It brings together tens of millions

of young people from all over Europe, organized in order

to represent their common interests. The goals of the EYF

are to increase the participation of young people and

youth organizations in society and decision-making; to

positively influence policy issues affecting young people;

to foster the exchange of ideas and experiences to promote

mutual understanding and equal rights among Europe's

youth; to promote democracy and active citizenship; and

to deepen European integration while contributing to the

development of the world's youth.

www.youthforum.org

The Global Alliance for ICT and Development

The launch of the Global Alliance for Information and

Communication Technologies and Development (GAID)

was approved by the UN secretary general to link the

outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society

with the broader UN development agenda. The mission

of the Alliance is to respond to the need and demand for

an inclusive global forum and platform for cross-sectoral

policy dialogue, conducted in an open, multi- stakeholder

and transparent manner, on the use of ICT for enhancing

the achievement of internationally agreed development

goals, including the Millennium Development Goals and

notably reduction of poverty. The relation between youth

empowerment and ICT is one of the topics of interest to

the GAID.

www.un-gaid.org

The Global Knowledge Partnership

The Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) is the world's

first broad-based multi-stakeholder partnership in

ICT4Development. The Global Knowledge Partnership

operates on the global level and recognizes that many

young people are at the forefront of building information

and knowledge societies. The Youth Creating Digital

Opportunities (TCDO) coalition is the core component

of the GKP youth strategy supporting youth in advocacy.

GKP is showing the way to promote innovation in the

use and appropriation of ICT for development. GKP's

strategy for youth and related activities include identifying

a collaborative youth strategy, issues of concern and

supporting youth in advocacy.

www.globalknowledge.org

The Global Youth Action Network (GYAN)

The Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) is a youth-

led not-for-profit organization, launched in 1996 to unite

the efforts of young people and organizations in over 190

countries to promote youth participation and

intergenerational partnership in global decision-making,

support collaboration among different youth organizations;

and provide tools, resources, and recognition for positive

action by today's youth.

www.youthlink.org

Glocal Youth Parliament

The Glocal Youth Parliament (GYP) is a worldwide

network of urban youth partnering with local governments,

local and international organizations, international

institutions, private sector and each other to improve the

quality of urban life. This network of sixty-five cities and

five continents is designed to give youth a stronger voice

in the world and promotes local action, city-to-city

initiatives and the sharing of ideas, solutions and

experiences. Membership in the GYP is composed of two

youth representatives from each participating city and

their peer networks. Members initiate city-to-city peace

enhancement and development projects and belong to

action groups organized around specific themes.

Members are trained by both adult and youth experts in

strategic planning, program development and

communication, to ensure that they are adequately prepared

to act as youth advocates to promote the concerns, issues,

and hopes of youth to the attention of municipal and

global policy makers.

www.glocalyouth.org

I4D (Information for Development) Magazine

I4D is a monthly print magazine published in India that

focuses entirely on the issue of ICT for development.

www.i4donline.net

20 21

22 23

The ICT4Peace Foundation

The ICT4Peace Foundation studies and promotes the

current use and future potential of information and

communication technologies (ICTs) in humanitarian and

peace operations. The project's goals are to review the

status of ICTs in humanitarian and peace operations,

create a community of knowledge by networking and

information exchange, promote and facilitate the

identification of good practices in use of ICTs, and raise

international awareness of the role that ICTs can play in

responding to conflicts. The long term goal of the project

is to promote discussion about the use of ICTs in conflict

prevention and mitigation among different actors in dealing

with humanitarian and peace operation and build an open

and sharing community of practice in this sector.

www.ict4peace.org

InfoDev

InfoDev is the Information for Development Program of

the World Bank. It works to promote better understanding

and effective use of information and communication

technologies (ICTs) as tools of poverty reduction and

broad-based, sustainable development.

www.infodev.org

Information and Communication Technologies for

Development in the Arab Region (ICTDAR), UNDP

Information and Communication Technologies for

Development in the Arab Region (ICTDAR) was

established in 2003 to assist Arab states and people in

harnessing ICT to reduce poverty and improve both public

administration performance and the private sector's stake

in development. ICTDAR's core human development

mandate and implementation is focused on growth,

illiteracy eradication, and employment generation.

ICTDAR uses ICT as a tool to achieve these goals.

ICTDAR has established AjialCom, aiming at empowering

and enabling youth in the Arab world to achieve their

potential by harnessing ICT to provide dedicated venues,

through community access centers, for young people to

have better life chances in implementation of the

Millennium Development Goals.

www.ictdar.org

Insafe

Insafe is a network of national nodes that coordinate

internet safety awareness in Europe. The network is set

up and co-funded within the framework of the European

Commission's Safer Internet plus Programme which

comprises four action lines:

1. Fighting against illegal content

2. Tackling unwanted and harmful content

3. Promoting a safer environment

4. Awareness-raising

The mission of the Insafe cooperation network is to

empower citizens to use the internet, as well as other

online technologies, positively, safely and effectively.

The network calls for shared responsibility for the

protection of the rights and needs of citizens, in particular

children and youths, by government, educators, parents,

media, industry and all other relevant actors. Insafe

partners work closely together to share best practice,

information and resources. The network interacts with

industry, schools and families in the aim of empowering

people to bridge the digital divide between home and

school and between generations.

www.saferinternet.org

The International Centre for Missing and Exploited

Children (ICMEC)

The International Centre for Missing and Exploited

Children is a global agency. Founded in 1998, the Centre

promotes the safety and well-being of children through

activism, policy development and multinational

coordination. The Centre is based in Alexandria, Virginia.

www.icmec.org

The International Development Research Center

(IDRC)

The International Development Research Center (IDRC)

is a Canadian Crown corporation that works in close

collaboration with researchers from the developing world

in their search for the means to build healthier, more

equitable, and more prosperous societies.

www.idrc.ca

The International Telecommunications Union Youth

Forum (ITU)

Launched in May 2001 at ITU Telecom Africa 2001, the

Youth Forum brings together talented university students

from across the world to take part in a program of talks,

debates and interactive panel discussions with those in

attendance at ITU Telecom events. The Youth Forum is

a capacity building event, where youth explore the facts

and experiences gathered by the ITU and the

telecommunication industry about ICTs. The Forum also

enables exceptionally talented university students from

all ITU member states to share their ideas and access

ICTs. The ITU Youth Forum aims at realizing the vision

that "once people are equipped with information and

know-how, they will be able to use their ingenuity and

resourcefulness to develop their economic potential, to

guard their hard-earned liberty, and build sustainable

democracies. Through programs like the Youth Forum,

the ITU is helping today's youth to become tomorrow's

ICT leaders."1

www.itu.int

Junior Developers

The Egyptian Ministry of Education (MoE), which is

responsible for all K-12 schools in Egypt, aims to harness

technology to improve the education process in Egypt.

To fulfill this goal, MoE and Microsoft signed an education

agreement, as well as a Partner in Learning (PiL)

memorandum of understanding. MoE and Microsoft

together launched the Junior Developer Program, which

1 ITU Secretary General, Mr. Yoshio Utsumi,, Youth Forum, ITU Telecom World 2003, Geneva, Switzerland.

24 25

seeks to capitalize on the talent of Egyptian

youth. The program is creating a new generation of

developers for the Egyptian workforce.

www.microsoft.com/middleeast/egypt/english/press/casestudy/Agreement.aspx

Mtandao Africa

Mtandao Africa is a pan-African program to empower

youth through ICT to be critical learners and thinkers and

enable them to play a role in accelerating the growth of

the Knowledge Economy in Africa.

www.mtandao-afrika.org

NetHope

NetHope is a network of international NGOs that enables

its members to deliver information and accelerate responses

to developing countries, including those dealing with

complex emergencies and natural disasters.

www.nethope.org

The New Partnership for Africa's Development

(NEPAD) e-Africa Youth Program

NEPAD established a special task force for the ICT sector,

known as the NEPAD e- Africa Commission. The

NEPAD e-Africa Commission is the advisory body to

the NEPAD Heads of States and Government

Implementation Committee (HSGIC) on ICT related

matters. The NEPAD e-Africa Commission, which is

responsible for developing e-strategies and projects at the

continental level as well as managing the structured

development of the ICT sector, is working to establish

the NEPAD e-Africa Youth Program. The aim of the

NEPAD e-Africa Youth program will be to ensure that

the youth of Africa play an important role in the

reconstruction of the continent using ICT as an enabler.

www.nepad.org

Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation

The Peace Appeal Foundation, also known as The Appeal

of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation, supports peace

and conflict resolution processes. The Foundation works

collaboratively with local and international partners to

develop and disseminate innovative tools, methodologies

and education material and programs.

www.peaceappeal.org

NSPCC Inform

NSPCC Inform is the UK's only free, online, specialized

child protection resource for practitioners, researchers,

trainers, policy-makers and other professionals working

to protect children.

www.nspcc.org.uk

Resolve IT International Youth Symposium

The Resolve IT International Youth Symposium on Peace

Building and Conflict Resolution is a youth-run and youth-

led youth training event designed to move a wide diversity

of Canadian youth into action for peace in their respective

homes, schools and communities.

www.exchanges.gc.ca

Save the Children Sweden

The Save the Children organization is Sweden's arm for

combating the growing problem of child pornography on

the Internet and presents ideas on how other NGOs can

work to fight this problem.

www.rb.se/eng

TakingITGlobal.org

TakingITGlobal.org is an online community that connects

youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved,

and take action in their local and global communities.

It is now the world's most popular online community for

young people interested in making a difference, with

hundreds of thousands of unique visitors each month.

TIG's highly interactive website provides a platform for

expression, connection to opportunities, and support for

action. TakingITGlobal.org has joined hands with GKP

in a number of activities for youth.

www.takingitglobal.org

Telecoms sans Frontières

Telecoms sans Frontières (TSF) is a nongovernmental

organizations established in 1998 that builds emergency

telecommunications systems in the field to support

humanitarian relief operations. TSF plays a key role in

strengthening coordination and communication efforts

by setting up field offices providing broadband Internet

access, voice communications, fax lines, and IT equipment

within 48 hours of an emergency. The organization has

missions in more than 40 countries.

www.tsfi.org

Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research

The Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research

promotes peace initiatives at national, regional, and

international levels by bringing peace researchers,

policymakers, and community act ivists into

communication and collaboration on selected projects in

conflict resolution. The Institute encourages and proposes

concrete strategies translating into action, focusing on

four themes for international dialogue: human security

and global governance, human rights and global ethics,

social justice and global economy, and cultural identity

and global citizenship.

www.toda.org

The UNDP's Thematic Trust Funds -- Egypt's ICT

Trust Fund

UNDP has a number of thematic Trust Funds worldwide.

Egypt's ICT Trust Fund, created in cooperation between

MCIT and UNDP, supports Egypt's socioeconomic

development program by using information and

communication technology to further development.

www.ictfund.org.eg

UNESCO -- YNESCO Young Digital Creators

Programme

On 10th November 1998, the United Nations General

Assembly proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century

and the third millennium, the years 2001- 2010, as the

International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of

Peace and Non Violence for the Children of the World.

26 27

The action plan for the decade proposes eight spheres of

activities in which to work for the promotion of the Culture

of Peace, including reinforcing a culture of peace through

education, promoting sustainable development and respect

for human rights, ensuring equality between men and

women, supporting democratic participation, developing

tolerance, supporting participative communication and

freedom of movement and information, and promoting

international peace and safety. On 29 November 2000,

the General Assembly entrusted UNESCO with the

coordination "of the activities of the organizations of the

United Nations system to promote a culture of peace, as

well as liaison with other organizations concerned in this

matter".

www.unesco.org

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

(UNECA)

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

(ECA) was established by the United Nations (UN) in

1958 as one of the UN's five regional commissions.

UNECA's mandate is to promote the social and economic

development of its member states, foster intra-regional

integration, and promote international cooperation for

Africa's development. UNECA's work program focuses

on promoting regional integration in support of the African

Union vision and priorities and meeting Africa's special

needs and emerging global challenges.3 UNECA has

developed a very strong youth program using ICTs to

enhance the quality of life.

www.uneca.org

The United Network of Young Peace Builders

The United Network of Young Peace Builders (UNOY)

is a global network of young people and youth

organizations active in the field of peace building and

conflict transformation.

www.unoy.org

Virtue Foundation

Virtue Foundation is a public charitable and

nongovernmental organization with special consultative

status to the United Nations. The Foundation's mission

is to increase awareness of prevalent global issues, to

inspire people to action, and to render humanitarian

assistance through healthcare, education, and

empowerment initiatives. Comprised primarily of

volunteers, Virtue Foundation is guided by the principle

that true global change must begin within each of us-one

person at a time, one act at a time. As advancements in

technology and telecommunications have merged with

increasing levels of migration, a new paradigm of

interconnectivity and interdependence has emerged. No

longer limited to economic and financial considerations,

the reality of globalization now encompasses all aspects

of our daily lives, presenting a host of complex cultural,

humanitarian, and social issues. Virtue Foundation is

addressing these issues through its various humanitarian

initiatives and medical missions to

underprivileged regions of the world.

www.virtuefoundation.org

World Summit Award (WSA)

The World Summit Award (WSA) is a global initiative

to select and promote the world's best e-content.

Established in 2003 under the framework of the United

Nations' World Summit on the Information Society

(WSIS), the award's recipients are selected through national

contests, a global contest held every two years, and

numerous content-focused national and international

conferences and workshops. The WSA is an invitation-

only project and a global hub for those who believe in

the crucial importance of excellent e-content creation

within the new Information Society. As of today, 168

countries are actively involved in the WSA. New partners

from all countries are welcome to join this global initiative.

www.wsis-award.org