Technology Salon

Washington DC

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a discussion at the intersection of technology and development

Can Youth Find Economic Empowerment via Apps, mPayments, & Social Media?

Today’s youth population is the largest in the history of the world, and 90% of these young people live in developing countries. The global youth unemployment rate is the highest on record, and we’re seeing discontent and disenfranchisement play out on the news each day. In fact, the revolution in Tunisia started with an under-employed youth committing self-immolation in frustration.
Youth and Facebook

New technologies have promise to reverse global youth employment trends

Technology-based models hold great promise for increasing and improving economic opportunities for young people: low barriers to entry for youth-built apps, the widespread use of Facebook and its promise as a marketing platform, the ubiquity and ease of mPayment systems like MPESA – these should be a recipe for youth economic empowerment.

But how are youth starting businesses or getting jobs in growth-oriented ICT sectors around the world? And there is still a digital divide, a technology gap between digital natives and their analog brethren. So how are organizations and programs utilizing technology to reach and engage young people? Where should we be cautious or enthusiastic with technology?

On April 14th, we’ll deep-dive into youth empowerment using ICT, with the aim of generating new ideas for use in RFPs like the just released USAID Yes Youth Can Grant for Kenya.

We will have two respected leaders in youth and ICT leading our conversation:

  • Fiona Macaulay, Founder and President of Making Cents and a DevEx International Development Leader
  • Linda Raftree, Social Media and New Technology Advisor for Plan West Africa and Plan USA

Please join them and your Technology Salon peers to share insights on how to incorporate youth economic empowerment into future proposals at our next meeting:

Can Youth Find Economic Empowerment via Apps, mPayments, & Social Media?
April Technology Salon
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
UN Foundation Conference Room
1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036 (map)

We’ll have hot coffee and Krispe Kreme donuts for a morning rush, but seating is limited and the UN Foundation is in a secure building.

So RSVP ASAP to be confirmed for attendance or you are on the waitlist.

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