Youth Voices for Digital Rights
The Youth Voices for Digital Rights programme was designed to bring young people into discussions that shape today’s digital environment. Younger generations live in a world where most aspects of their lives are recorded as data. They use digital platforms more than any other age group and feel the impact of emerging technologies most directly. Yet, their perspectives are often overlooked in internet governance debates, and their rights are not always considered. This programme addressed this gap.
The initiative by the CADE consortium, led by Forus with support from Karisma, brought together 15 young advocates from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. They worked on issues such as digital rights, equality, countering misinformation, language preservation, mental health, and youth participation.
The programme offered participants the opportunity to develop skills in policy engagement, digital communications, and multimedia production. They learned how internet governance processes function and how to contribute to policy discussions in an informed and structured way. They also built connections with peers and mentors from different regions.
By the end of the programme, the group produced a Youth Manifesto on Digital Rights and presented multimedia and multilingual projects that reflect their priorities and observations on digital governance.
A team of experienced facilitators and media professionals supported the programme.
The Youth Manifesto on Digital Rights is available in English, French and Spanish.
Multimedia Projects
As part of the programme, participants engaged in youth-led multimedia and multilingual storytelling activities, through which they developed and published audio, video, and written outputs. These projects document how digital governance issues intersect with lived experiences and civic action, and are shared through platforms such as Global Voices, SoundCloud, and YouTube, addressing themes including youth mobilisation, digital activism, and intergenerational participation in social and political movements.
Articles
