Blog Post

As part of United Nations' International Year of Youth, I asked our Chief of Party for the Azerbaijan New Media Project Angela Nicoara about her experience with youth and their involvement in media. Angela says that media tools and skills can help youth have an outlet to affect their own communities and futures in Azerbaijan and throughout the world.

Here are more of Angela's answers.

Because of unacceptable gaps that exist between the majority population and Roma in a number of domains (e.g., housing, health, education, and employment), the issue of Roma integration presents one of the greatest challenges... It appears that the only way out from the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment, dependence on the welfare system, and alcohol and drug addiction is through integration, non-discrimination, and education.

The UN’s International Year of Youth reminds all of us in the development community of the value of youth contributions to a vibrant civil society, to good policy development, and to bringing our world closer together.  In addition, the Year reminds us that youth also will be the entrepreneurs for tomorrow; their creativity, with our help, must assure employment for a large percentage of the world’s population.

I’ve worked on civil society development for almost twenty years now.  So I’ve seen my fill of inspirational project acronyms and transformative methodologies - each one more synergistic and sustainable than the next:  community mobilization, citizen participation, and other grassroots approaches to civil society capacity building. These are methodologies that frame the work of international NGOs like IREX around the world. And don’t misunderstand my lighthearted sarcasm, I believe in these concepts quite deeply and have dedicated myself to them passionately.  

As the youth population continues to grow in countries throughout the developing world, I have been thinking about what role this burgeoning group will play in conflict and post-conflict environments. It is an oft-cited truism that peace must begin with the youth because they are more open-minded than the older generation, have tremendous energy and enthusiasm, and represent the future of their countries.

I have been managing IREX’s Tech Age Girls (TAG) project for several years and the transformation that happens in the participants in the short period of 5-6 month continues to inspire me. TAG is a unique project because it uses technology as a means of developing leadership, sense of volunteerism, and confidence in high school girls.

Youth were marginalized for years in the Arab countries. Considered a source of instability, they were ignored by governments and excluded from the decision-making processes that affected their lives. But something has happened in the last year. Aware that if they don’t initiate change themselves for a better future, then no one will, they took the lead in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Morocco, and other Arab states. But it seems that revolutions are the easiest part. The transitional period and the establishment of a sustainable democracy is another tremendous challenge for youth. The regime collapsed … and so what?

On behalf of IREX, I am pleased to announce that 22 diligent Azerbaijani students and their mentors won netbooks and flipcameras in a recent national contest for the ‘Best Research Essays Using Internet.' One hundred and sixty nine candidates entered from all over the country, notably Sumgait, Guba, Shirvan, Imishli, Ganja, Gazakh, Sheki, Zagatala, Ismayilli and Mingachevir. Plagiarism was penalised, with positive results.

While regional expertise will always be key to implementing successful, sensitive programming, I believe good development starts with good listening — which is something dynamic organizations like IREX can do anywhere in the world. 

A week prior to the Romania Digital Agenda conference, the Biblionet training manager feverishly called to tell me that the Vice President of the European Commission, Ms. Neelie Kroes, was going to visit Bucharest and that I should be ready to attend the conference.

That Monday, I met with Sanda Foamete, Manager for Microsoft and Gabi Barna from EOS (Educating for an Open Socienty) Foundation to discuss how to best approach a 25-minute private meeting they had organized with Ms. Kroes. I knew my unexpected meeting with such an openhearted EU official would grant IREX the platform to detail the imperative work of libraries in reaching large numbers of people in providing access to key e-government services.