Page 21 - FerMun Magazine, 8-10 January 2020

THE FERNEY MUNGAZINE 21

Doreen Bogdan-Martin

Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau
International Telecommunication Union

Digital technologies are the vital Like everything else, digital generations have failed. But youth
transformational force that will technology has its good side, can contribute insights into the
empower our efforts to meet all of and its bad. It can be used to way technology is being used,
the 17 SDGs. empower. It can also be used and could be used, which will
to enslave. It can bring people be absolutely indispensable to
Like no other technology before, together. But it can also drive our discussions and debates.
digital networks and platforms them apart. Their deep knowledge of online
have unprecedented power to platforms means they can
overcome traditional barriers to Today’s young people imagine creative new ways of
socio-economic development, understand digital platforms
even in the world’s poorest much better than those of my own
countries. generation ever will. That is why
bringing their voices into
Modern information and our conversations about ‘the
communication technologies can world we want’ is absolutely vital.
bring education where there are
no teachers, health care where Cross-generational dialogue
there are no doctors, financial will be hugely beneficial in
services where there are no banks, forging effective, inclusive
libraries where there are no policies that maximize the
books. transformational power of
the internet while minimizing
Young people are already its risks.
the natural owners and
beneficiaries of this technology. We should not expect
But they are also its most young people to magically
vulnerable potential victims. solve problems where older