TakingITGlobal is proud to announce the inaugural year of the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, a dynamic opportunity for youth around the globe to submit their most compelling work to an international media competition. The opportunities for participants are immense! Finalists will have their work judged by a panel of youth, educators, professional artists and prominent figures in the media world, and their work will be showcased online. Voting on an “audience choice” award ensures plenty of online viewers will visit and interact with the media on display. Awards include creative software, hardware, and cash donations to a charity or cause of your choice. The deadline for submitting your media to the competition is April 20th, 2012. Find out more by visiting: www.youthvoices.adobe.com/awards

Three of our amazing educators sent us some great photos from their exhibit event which took place a few weeks ago. Congratulations to Martín, Gabriel, and Dani fo doing an amazing job celebrating their program and showcasing youth media to their community!

Educators and youth artists!

The educators presenting to their audience.

A storybook about child abuse created by one of the youth artists.

In the spring of 2011, two TakingITGlobal team members (myself included!) had the opportunity to visit two of our partner sites in Mexico and Brazil. We facilitated media-making workshops, participated in film festivals, and spent a lot of time talking with youth artists about what it means to affect positive change in the world. When we returned, we had hours of footage and lots of great photos. We decided to put together a short video featuring many of the youth we met on our travels to tell the world about the impact that youth can have when they have the power to use their voices. Here it is! We hope you enjoy it.

Perspectives - Youth insights on global issues. from TakingITGlobal on Vimeo.

On November 9th, 2011 Kate Gatto, who facilitated this year's core training course and Francisco Pereira, TIG's Director of Community Programs, attended Nia Centre for the Arts' Annual General Meeting. 

Nia Centre for the Arts is a collaborative Art Centre that represents Afro-Diasporic arts and culture both locally and internationally, while working with young people through the arts to foster social change. They are based in Toronto and they partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to deliver the Adobe Youth Voices training program. Their final projects are a series of incredible photographs that explore and define notions of community and home while breaking stereotypes about poverty. 

Kate and Francisco were thrilled to meet Letecia Rose, the educator at Nia, and were really impressed by the beautiful gallery exhibit that was set up to display some of the final projects created in the program. Congratulations, Nia Centre for the Arts! Keep up the incredible work.

On November 9th, 2011 Kate Gatto, who facilitated this year's core training course and Francisco Pereira, TIG's Director of Community Programs, attended Nia Centre for the Arts' Annual General Meeting. 

Nia Centre for the Arts is a collaborative Art Centre that represents Afro-Diasporic arts and culture both locally and internationally, while working with young people through the arts to foster social change. They are based in Toronto and they partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to deliver the Adobe Youth Voices training program. Their final projects are a series of incredible photographs that explore and define notions of community and home while breaking stereotypes about poverty. 

Kate and Francisco were thrilled to meet Letecia Rose, the educator at Nia, and were really impressed by the beautiful gallery exhibit that was set up to display some of the final projects created in the program. Congratulations, Nia Centre for the Arts! Keep up the incredible work.

Last week I had the opportunity to represent TakingITGlobal and feature Adobe Youth Voices at the UNESCO Youth Forum. The forum took took place between October 17-20, 2011 in Paris, France. It brought together 200 youth delegates and 150 observers from around the world to discuss, debate, and exchange ideas on the Forum’s themes and have the opportunity to present their recommendations to the representatives of Member States during the 36th UNESCO General Conference.

The main theme of the event was "How Youth Drive Change" and delegates were responsible for working alongside key partners and members of civil society to draft a Final Report containing recommendations on themes such as youth in public/political life, youth unemployment and countering youth exclusion.

During the opening ceremony, a special message from renowned Brazilian writer Paolo Coelho to the forum participants was screened. This was an incredibly inspiring moment for everyone in the room, and a beautiful way to start the week. As an observer, I spent most of my time hosting the booth assigned to TakingITGlobal in the Citizen Cafe, which was a centre of activity teeming with excited youth and amazing organizations showing their work. I decorated our space with print photos and posters created by our youth participants as well as our amazing banner, featuring work from the "Perspectives" series.

Every day, young people from all parts of the world would visit the booth and marvel at the Adobe Youth Voices artwork that was displayed. I had countless requests from youth and observers about how they might get involved and I was happy to tell them that we will be looking to recruit new partners and educators to deliver the program in the coming months. It was incredibly energizing to see participants' reactions to the artwork and to have the opportunity to tell them stories about the youth who worked so hard on the photos and images we exhibited. I distributed hundreds of copies of the magazine - some people took handfuls to share with their communities back home! - hundreds of bookmarks and fliers about TIG, and a hundred of the Adobe Youth Voices DVD compilations.

The week was a definite success. Besides having the opportunity to share the incredible work of our youth participants, it was an excellent opportunity to connect with many potential partners. The event provided a perfect forum and audience to share the work of our Adobe Youth Voices participants. I look forward to continuing to share the messages expressed through youth media through exciting exhibition opportunities to come!

Each time I attend a gathering with fellow Young Global Leaders, I can't help but feel like I am in a scene of one of those Superhero movies, where they bring together individuals with special powers and abilities who, together, join forces for a better world.

Here we are together in our group photo, wearing brightly coloured t-shirts that we were provided based on random selection. In our small groups, we had reflective discussion circles and were also given a unique martial arts lesson where we learned the power of a soft and open hand.

This year was especially unique, as I had a lot to share with the group in my role as a newly designated YGL Alumni! On our first day together, I was asked to speak and close a session on mentorship and how to gain the most from the YGL experience. My key message was about the importance of contribution to the community, and how we need to both be generous, while also being open to the generosity of others.

Our program also included an interactive dramatic arts presentation and workshop, where teams were challenged to address a conflict from the perspective of one of the characters.

Our Purple Group explored the character of a woman who was living alone in the United States, child and parents in Eastern Europe, and working without a legitimate visa. She was contemplating employment options and in a moment of deep isolation and rejection.

Our task was to create a series of three freeze-frame snapshots, illustrating the problem, solution, and the process to getting there. Here we see a woman who is faced with rejection, yet looking at an offer that would likely compromise her values and integrity.

What was fun about this excersize was the immediate bonding and team-building that took place in the process. It was also interesting to observe how other groups interpreted the challenges of the various other characters in the skit.

A critical milestone for me in Dalian was having an opportunity to showcase the Youth Effect publication, created by 21 Young Global Leaders since Davos 2010. This book and blog (www.youtheffect.org), is aimed at supporting decision-makers at more effectively engaging youth. The Youth Effect played an instrumental role in supporting World Economic Forum founder Professor Klaus Schwab in creating Global Shapers, a new community within the World Economic Forum to engage youth in their 20s. The Global Shapers are based in over 100 cities, as part of local hubs that are recruited through YGL curators.

While making a short presentation to our group about the importance of engaging youth, I could not help but feel as though I was part of an important milestone in history, as I truly believe that many other institutions will follow the lead of the World Economic Forum, prioritizing their own youth engagement strategies. I look forward to keeping track of this evolution and would also like to thank YGL supporters as well as one of my mentors, Kim Samuel-Johnson, who played an instrumental role in championing our effort.

Collaborating with fellow Young Global Leaders throughout the year contributes to growing excitement for the times when we come together in person. Over the past year, I've been working very actively as the Country Chair for Global Dignity Day in Canada. During our group session, we had a chance to encourage many others to facilitate the Dignity Day lesson plan in as many classrooms as possible on October 20th. In Canada, we have incorporated the Dignity principles as part of TakingITGlobal's national Defining Moments program. We have also registered over 56 people, including 30 schools, and expect to reach over 5,000 students this year.

We will be conducting a live video conference as part of our Canadian activities, in partnership with the Centre for Global Education, based in Edmonton, Alberta.

An unexpected surprise was being invited to co-facilitate a session on Managing Hyperconnectivity. I chose the breakout group on health and our discussions looked both at the issues of global pandemics and mental health. We imagined future scenarios where a new immunity drug could be created to protect people from any kind of virus, building a stronger resiliency to disease. We also spoke about how Social Media and digital connectivity can often leave people feeling a strong sense of isolation - or addiction to instant feedback and response. The emergence of the "hive brain" could result in a loss of individuality, memory and creativity while increasing stress and anxiety.  That said, the benefits could lead to greater efficiency, empathy and less reliance on central government control.  It was rewarding for me to be part of such a vibrant debate that allowed us to take a deeper look at the implications of hyperconnectivity on health.  Overall, I believe it is critical that we do not allow ourselves to lose our sense of self, in the midst of the non-stop stimulation and interactions our digital worlds provide access to.   

[breathe]

The theme of technology carried forward on the last day of the Annual Meeting of New Champions, where I joined the closing plenary session entitled "Mastering Quality Growth: Passing the Test of Technology". My session was moderated by Nik Gowling from the BBC, who offered us punchy questions with a great flow, allowing us to discuss how to foster new innovations, managing risks, privacy implications, and the evolution of cultural norms online.

For a full viewing of our session, you can check it out on YouTube!

Each time I attend a gathering with fellow Young Global Leaders, I can't help but feel like I am in a scene of one of those Superhero movies, where they bring together individuals with special powers and abilities who, together, join forces for a better world.

Here we are together in our group photo, wearing brightly coloured t-shirts that we were provided based on random selection. In our small groups, we had reflective discussion circles and were also given a unique martial arts lesson where we learned the power of a soft and open hand.

This year was especially unique, as I had a lot to share with the group in my role as a newly designated YGL Alumni! On our first day together, I was asked to speak and close a session on mentorship and how to gain the most from the YGL experience. My key message was about the importance of contribution to the community, and how we need to both be generous, while also being open to the generosity of others.

Our program also included an interactive dramatic arts presentation and workshop, where teams were challenged to address a conflict from the perspective of one of the characters.

Our Purple Group explored the character of a woman who was living alone in the United States, child and parents in Eastern Europe, and working without a legitimate visa. She was contemplating employment options and in a moment of deep isolation and rejection.

Our task was to create a series of three freeze-frame snapshots, illustrating the problem, solution, and the process to getting there. Here we see a woman who is faced with rejection, yet looking at an offer that would likely compromise her values and integrity.

What was fun about this excersize was the immediate bonding and team-building that took place in the process. It was also interesting to observe how other groups interpreted the challenges of the various other characters in the skit.

A critical milestone for me in Dalian was having an opportunity to showcase the Youth Effect publication, created by 21 Young Global Leaders since Davos 2010. This book and blog (www.youtheffect.org), is aimed at supporting decision-makers at more effectively engaging youth. The Youth Effect played an instrumental role in supporting World Economic Forum founder Professor Klaus Schwab in creating Global Shapers, a new community within the World Economic Forum to engage youth in their 20s. The Global Shapers are based in over 100 cities, as part of local hubs that are recruited through YGL curators.

While making a short presentation to our group about the importance of engaging youth, I could not help but feel as though I was part of an important milestone in history, as I truly believe that many other institutions will follow the lead of the World Economic Forum, prioritizing their own youth engagement strategies. I look forward to keeping track of this evolution and would also like to thank YGL supporters as well as one of my mentors, Kim Samuel-Johnson, who played an instrumental role in championing our effort.

Collaborating with fellow Young Global Leaders throughout the year contributes to growing excitement for the times when we come together in person. Over the past year, I've been working very actively as the Country Chair for Global Dignity Day in Canada. During our group session, we had a chance to encourage many others to facilitate the Dignity Day lesson plan in as many classrooms as possible on October 20th. In Canada, we have incorporated the Dignity principles as part of TakingITGlobal's national Defining Moments program. We have also registered over 56 people, including 30 schools, and expect to reach over 5,000 students this year.

We will be conducting a live video conference as part of our Canadian activities, in partnership with the Centre for Global Education, based in Edmonton, Alberta.

An unexpected surprise was being invited to co-facilitate a session on Managing Hyperconnectivity. I chose the breakout group on health and our discussions looked both at the issues of global pandemics and mental health. We imagined future scenarios where a new immunity drug could be created to protect people from any kind of virus, building a stronger resiliency to disease. We also spoke about how Social Media and digital connectivity can often leave people feeling a strong sense of isolation - or addiction to instant feedback and response. The emergence of the "hive brain" could result in a loss of individuality, memory and creativity while increasing stress and anxiety.  That said, the benefits could lead to greater efficiency, empathy and less reliance on central government control.  It was rewarding for me to be part of such a vibrant debate that allowed us to take a deeper look at the implications of hyperconnectivity on health.  Overall, I believe it is critical that we do not allow ourselves to lose our sense of self, in the midst of the non-stop stimulation and interactions our digital worlds provide access to.   

[breathe]

The theme of technology carried forward on the last day of the Annual Meeting of New Champions, where I joined the closing plenary session entitled "Mastering Quality Growth: Passing the Test of Technology". My session was moderated by Nik Gowling from the BBC, who offered us punchy questions with a great flow, allowing us to discuss how to foster new innovations, managing risks, privacy implications, and the evolution of cultural norms online.

For a full viewing of our session, you can check it out on YouTube!

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.

The CIVICUS World Assembly is an international event that brings together members of civil society - governments, donors, businesses, and youth - to discuss and take action on the world's biggest challenges. This year, the CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Montréal between September 7th-12th. We identified this great event as an ideal international platform for our Adobe Youth Voices "Perspectives: Youth Insights on Global Issues" print exhibit.

TakingITGlobal hosted a Youth Hub where conference participants had the opportunity to engage with each other, discuss the kind of work they were doing in their respective communities, and have a look at the excellent youth artwork we exhibited. All of the pieces that were included in the exhibit were created by Adobe Youth Voices participants from TakingITGlobal's first cycle of the program. We featured the photography, posters, graphic images, and mixed media of youth from Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India and Nepal. Each piece expressed a unique youth perspective on themes such as water conservation, human rights, climate change, gender issues, and education. 

The exhibit was a great fit for the four programme tracks that framed the sessions and conversations taking place at CIVICUS. These were: Development Effectiveness, Climate Justice, Connecting People Through Technology, and Civil Society & Democratic Space. In this context, our gallery exhibit gave visibility to youth perspectives and positioned youth voices as central to the conversations taking place. 

It was incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to receive feedback on the artwork that our youth participants produced. The response from gallery visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to learn more about the program, hear stories about the youth, and find out how they might get involved. Liam and I were more than thrilled to inform people about TakingITGlobal and Adobe Youth Voices. The artwork we showcased prompted fascinating discussions about the crucial role youth have in addressing global challenges. Through this exhibit, youth voices were heard and young people from underserved communities worldwide were effectively positioned as key stakeholders in affecting social change.