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AYI was founded by Kafui Prebbie along
with Leopold L. L. Armah (Ghanaian coordinator International
Young Professionals Foundation - Ghana) and Gbenga Sesan
(Nigerian and Deputy Chair, African Technical Advisory
Committee) after he represented Ghana at the ITU
Telecom Africa (2001) Youth Forum and saw the
need for a unified and coordinated African Youth ICT
Network. Kafui co-manages the Ghanaian chapter of this
youth-led organization
Most recently AYI was re-launched as the
African
Youth ICT4D Network at the WSIS Africa Preparatory
Meeting in Accra, Ghana in February of 2005 and was
later accepted by the United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa as a partner.
Before the meeting in Accra there were various discussions
by email about the role and expectations they had in
relation to the emerging information society.
These discussions led to specific and
concrete proposals that culminated in the convergence
of youth that gathered at Accra that led to the establishment
of the African Youth ICT4D Network. The primary role
of this group says founder Gbenga Sesan is to energize
youth efforts towards a concerted and collective effort
that mobilizes African Information Development effort
among existing networks by being a "focal point
of networks." Download ayin_intro.pdf
for more information about AYIN.
After the conference the network set up
a coordinating team - the AYIN bureau - which is responsible
for leading organizational strategies. This includes
an 11 person committee that represents the five regions
of the continent as well as Diaspora National
Coordinators who are elected in the
countries where youth want to be involved in the AYIN
network.
Most recently there was the July 1-3 World
Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC)
Roundtable Discussion on the AYIN. The theme of the
roundtable was: “Connecting the Bridges: WSIS
Platform, Africa’s Youth and Networked Efforts”
Roundtable panelists included the three founders mentioned
above as well as Titi Akinsanmi (WSIS Facilitator),
Theodore Somda (African Youth ICT4D Network Bureau Chair)
and Muratha Kinuthia (NEPAD Kenya).
The AYIN is very relevant to the work
we are currently engaged in Nigeria and Ghana. As many
more groups seek partnership with OVF it is crucial
that we develop an effective process of connecting various
groups together in an effective to formulate effective
national and international policies as is consistent
with the National Digital Development Programs (Digital
Development Dynamics) strategy that OVF has mapped
out.
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