As Globlal Citizens, it can be easy to forget how much our activism and involvement is facilitated by technology. We read and share articles, tweet, sign petitions and send emails, all thanks to the technology-driven tools we have at our disposal. We have the recourses and access that allow us to share our message.
But in so many of the underserved, conflict-ridden, or impoverished countries we are trying to raise awareness about, the same levels of access do not exist. A 2014 study found that over 4 billion people in the world have never used the internet. It's a reality that creates an imabalance. A reality that, at times, unintentionally excludes the very people directly affected by the conversation, from the conversation.
The Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (formerly known as PeaceEarth Foundation when this video was made) works to spread access to information technologies in order to expand the conversation. The Initiative created a Youth Peacemaker Network that empowers youth impacted by conflict in South Sudan, including former child soldiers, to become active peace-builders and conflict managers in their communities. By providing youth with technology and teaching them how to use it, youth are able to join and direct the conversation.
Forest Whitaker, the Initiative's founder and CEO, explains the power of such access best:
Through the Youth Peacemaker Network, individuals become active change agents. They participate in workshops dedicated to building valuable life and conflict-management skills. They become inspired to join a peace-making process that directly affects their community, and fuel a conversation that is too-often silenced.
As another leader in the video puts it:
In honor of International Day of Peace please watch and share the video to spread the inspiration. The more voices added to the conversation, the better.