Salzburg, 11 August 2011. They don’t just dream about “another world”: The Arab spring has demonstrated that new media can change the world – this fall the best young & creative from all over the world come together from all corners of the world, including Egypt and Tunisia, at the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) Festival 2011. Their goal is action on the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
November 10-13th, in Graz, Austria, they will show the world how they use Internet and Mobiles to do good, showcase their projects and meet IT-experts, politicians and NGO-representatives who also care about making a difference for a better world. Who are they? They are the 2011 Winners of the World Summit Youth Award for best e-contents, putting into reality the visions of the UN World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).
The WSYA awards young people under 30 years of age who use the internet and mobile phones to put the MDGs into action. They use Social Media to inform about diseases, create apps to fight poverty and famine, or build websites which foster women’s equality. In 2011, more than 700 projects from 99 countries have been entered to the contest. From Monday on, an international jury of young experts such as youth activists and young entrepreneurs, journalists, researchers and media workers selects the best 3 Winners and 2 Runners-Up in six categories. These will be invited to the Winners’ Festival in November. You can already catch up on all contestants and their projects at http://friends.youthaward.org/ and “like” them!
After Tunisia, Mexico and New York, this year’s Winners’ Event takes place in Austria. In Graz, tomorrow’s IT-pioneers meet today’s experts: Between 10th and 13th of November representatives of NGOs, governments, business and media come together to honour the best young media professionals and their projects. Workshops, discussion panels and social events provide much space to make friends with engaged youth from all over the world, develop initiatives and even find sponsors. It is a unique chance for the Winners and for anyone interested in innovative e-contents to become part of an international community taking action on the MDGs.
Everyone is invited to join us November, 10-13th, when the 2011 Winners and their creative and innovative projects are celebrated in Graz. Register for the Event at Hazır ki e-mail adres spam botlar tərəfindən qorunur , Baxmaq üçün Javascripti aktiv etməlisiniz. now! The WSYA Team from Salzburg and its partners, the City of Graz, Creative Industries Styria, ORF Steiermark and the University of Graz look forward to an inspiring and empowering festival!
About the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA)
The WSYA selects and promotes best practice in e-content and new media, demonstrates young people’s potential to create outstanding digital content and serves as a platform for people from all UN member states in their efforts to reach the MDGs. The MDGs are eight concrete goals to eradicate poverty and inequality worldwide. They were set in 2000 by the UN and should be reached by 2015. The WSYA is organised as a follow-up activity of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and takes place in 2011 for the fourth time after 2005, 2009 and 2010. The WSYA team is based at the International Center for New Media (ICNM) in Salzburg, Austria. WSYA is supported by the UN Global Alliance for ICT & Development (UN GAID), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Internet Society (ISOC), INTEL, the Telfree Group, the Fundação para as Comunicações Móveis (FCM) and the Layla Fakhro Foundation.