Worldwide Youth Voices

This week our theme is Youth Voices and we’re focusing on two interesting events.

Posted on May 20, 2010, are notes from Global Voices Citizen Media Summit.

Global Voices posted notes from a session in which youth exchanged ideas about digital media from the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2010. Participants in this discussion hailed from Hungary, Pakistan, Malawi, India, the USA, and Spain, to name a few of the countries.

Overall, the discussion focused on youth engagement in digital media, how to include youth in mainstream media, and some of the pros and cons of digital media for youth, including more freedom of expression versus online bullying and related issues.

One of the participants, Issa Villareal, explained that she engages with several youth groups and has been teaching “digital online tools” free of charge for the past three years. She’s also involved in holding “rap” workshops for youth to encourage young people to read more and learn about verse.

Marietta from Hungary explained that she’s been working with NGOs who are “struggling with communicating with young people. Even if they [the NGO] have a Facebook or Twitter account, it [communication] doesn’t work. This suggests that, even though youth are actively engaged on Facebook and Twitter, attempting to communicate with youth through those platforms is not a short-cut to effective communicating strategies with youth. Adult-managed NGOs still need to find alternative solutions to communicate with young people.

Emily made an observation that young people may not have political rights and asked the question, “Having a voice in the media is important. Is there a space for teens to say what they want to say?”

Victor from Malawi explained the platforms of choice in Malwai in which youth want to express themselves are: “In Malawi, being on Facebook is the “in” thing and everyone wants to be there. For others radio is the “in” thing and they don’t want moderated radio, they want to have free reign. Both groups want space of their own.” He also mentioned a project engaging youth in the mainstream media in South Africa: Grocot’s Mirror. “Young people send SMS to the newspaper, contribute to the story and get published in the process.” He mentioned that young people are involved in editing these, too.

And a couple of weeks ago in Austin, Texas, USA, youths aged between 15 and 25 performed their hearts out in a show that included hip hop, poetry and writers from The Cipher hip hop project, Texas Youth Word Collective, and Rhythm Writerz.

The youth, who would normally be labeled by mainstream commentators as “disadvantaged,” “at-risk” or “hopeless,” use words and performance to carve their own unique identity and create opportunities for a brighter future which were showcased at the Austin performance space to let the youth express themselves and give the public an opportunity to experience youth-oriented community development.

In their report on the event, The Austin Times quotes one young female performer as saying, “I am…a poet, a person who takes responsibility, a daughter, a son…my own person, an artist…”

“The Cipher is an award winning group of young leaders who are on a mission to build community and engage hip hop artists to strengthen the East Austin community,” in Austin, Texas, USA. Their website explains that the platform for creative expression and performing in public provided by involvement in The Cipher “creates a group of confident and engaged young people.” After their involvement in the group, youth leave the group with enhanced confidence, self-esteem, better academic performance and more hope for the future.

Texas Youth Word Collective conducts “city-wide poetry slams and open mics for youth to compete and communicate on issues important to them.”

An open mic refers to an “open microphone.” In other words, a microphone which is “open” to the public to come up and perform with. “Open mic” nights are common events in cafes, bars and pubs where singers, musicians, writers can perform.