Hypertext Café
Geneva-Tsinghua Initiative / International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Session 314
The Role of Youth in Demystifying the Digital Age
The session will consist of a free and open discussion on the impact of new technologies on the job market (Employment in the Age of AI), the upsides and downfalls of automatisation, what freedom means in the digital era, and the link between ICTs and the democratization of our societies.
The second edition of the Youth Café provides a unique opportunity to study the needs, preoccupations and opinions of young people hold on questions related to ICTs, including the positive and negative ramifications of new technologies with regard to digital rights, privacy, and the increasing importance of social media. Students will have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with ITU experts around a cup of coffee to have a frank discussion on the political implications of ICTs and what strategies can turn ICTs into tools for empowerment.
Come voice your opinion on the role of youth in demystifying the digital age! Join one of our student-led, expert-enriched discussions on topics addressing emerging issues.
The students will be divided between five tables to discuss one broad topic related to the role of youth in the digital age. The five discussions will be moderated at the tables by one student with the help of experts (for now, mainly from ITU). A semi-structured list of questions will be given so as to gently guide the discussions. The main outcomes of the discussions will then be shared with the rest of the group to provide the seeds of the final, general debate.
The topics will include:
- Privacy, Security, Freedom on the Internet
- Social Networks & Digital Citizenship
- Digital Rights & Democratisation
- Capacity Building & Training
- Job Markets & Internships
Moderator
Stephanie Chuah, Donata Dettwiler, Maria Oxamitnaia, Hanaé Taxis (Geneva-Tsinghua Initiative)
Speakers/Panellists
- Janet Shaner, Top10 Learning Solutions, Lausanne (CH)
- Fayez Alrafeea, Geneva-Tsinghua Initiative, Geneva (CH)
- Vera Major, ICANN, Geneva (CH)
- Aymed Riad, Programme Coordinator, ITU, Geneva (CH)
Session's link to WSIS Action Lines
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C2. Information and communication infrastructure
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C3. Access to information and knowledge
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C4. Capacity building
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C5. Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs
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C6. Enabling environment
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C7. ICT Applications: E-government
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C7. ICT Applications: E-learning
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C7. ICT Applications: E-employment
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C7. ICT Applications: E-environment
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C7. ICT Applications: E-science
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C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
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C9. Media
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C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
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C11. International and regional cooperation
The Hypertext Café aims to share perspectives on the different WSIS Action Lines. Each table will provide insights on specific WSIS Action Lines.
Session's link to Sustainable Development Process
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Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
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Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
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Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
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Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
The Hypertext Café, by providing an open platform for university students, aims to share ideas to attempt to reinvent the ways we see jobs opportunities and society in the digital age of the internet. In that way, it offer the opportunity to give a voice for the needs and wants of students concerning their future careers, in an inclusive, equal, sustainable, and innovative way. We also want to push for new viewpoints and ways to view today's issues, to collaboratively anticipate future professional issues and opportunities.