What we learned in Zambia and Lesotho - Africa youth can shatter the past

[Richard C Close]

First we would like to thank Lusaka High School and National University of Lesotho for opening their doors and heart to us. The response from the students was overwhelming and we are told that more videos are on the way.

 

Our many meetings on African youth in Zambia and Lesotho included heads of curriculum for countries and the chiefs in both countries left us with optimism not covered by network news. What was striking is how technology and the cell phone has already created a completely new innovative youth for Africa and with a different set of highly driven and creative set of values. 

 

Poverty issolates and blocks resources and opportunity. However the Internet combined with the cell for the first time in history shatters these major laws of poverty. Today African youth sincerely believe anything is possible, no matter how dificult the personal history is. Each one of these YouTube digital stories demonstrates this as a consistent theme.

 

In addition the African youth prove themselves fearless in stating their stories on a public platform. Fearless about the use of PCs, cell phones and digital camera. Some came asking to publish entire digital newspaper that have never been in a Ning or Facebook. It is more than just get it. African youth have accepted a world without boundaries as second nature.

 

In addition our meetings with African chiefs also understood that these values live within this new youth. They see them reshaping Africa into some thing new and want to facilitate youth in doing that. As one leading chief put it. "We can not wait for government or multinational to create more minimum wage jobs. We need to build new small businesses and make the small ones big ones. Armed with communication technology our Youth can do that."

Richard

[sempheoe mosa]

that is so true, simple affordable technology  including cellphones have created a new platform for poverty alleviatioin in africa. we are now able to chat about business and sell products wordwide through the use of mobilephones. ideas can now be exchanged accross the globe permitted by simple devices.

This platform is possible even when our incumbant high officials continue to fail our societies

[Richard C Close]

As Libya is teaching us the net is the new democracy. We think share vote and ACT.