The World Summit Youth Award

Application Deadline:  July 15 2013

The World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) is a unique global contest which brings together young developers and digital entrepreneurs -under 30 years of age- who use internet and mobile technology to put the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into action and make a difference.

We will bring these young revolutionarists and social entrepreneurs to a unique event to demonstrate that things can be done,” says Chairman of the WSYA Prof. Peter A. Bruck.

The WSYA selects and promotes best practice in e-Content. It demonstrates young people’s potential to create outstanding digital contents and serves as a platform for people from all UN member states to work together in the efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

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How to participate?
Young creators of digital content can register their products themselves via an online platform which is open from the 8th of April until the 1st of July 2013! An international young expert jury will then judge the projects/products and select a winner in each of the six WSYA categories.

Categories

Outstanding projects and applications can be submitted in the following six categories which are directly tied to the United Nations Millenium Development Goals:

1. Fight Poverty, Hunger and Disease! 

Rewards the most effective content and applications addressing issues of extreme poverty and hunger, offering solutions for those whose income is less than $ 1 a day, supporting the reduction of diseases and fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria.

2. Education for All! 

Gives credit to the most innovative content, platforms and solutions to give boys and girls everywhere in the world a full course of primary schooling, to advance training for personal development and jobs, and to achieve a high level of understanding and knowledge of the global information society and its promises, challenges and opportunities.

3. Power 2 Women!  
Demonstrates the most inspiring content and communities which promote gender equality and empower women, eliminate gender disparity in education and at work places, facilitate access of women to all levels of political decision making and strengthen women’s contribution to the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

4. Create your Culture! 

Celebrates the most engaging online platforms and applications expressing young people’s aspirations, ideas and values, sharing their news, enabling their participation in decision-making processes, strengthening social justice, promoting the knowledge of many languages and cultures, supporting multilingualism, creating contemporary forms of culture and preserving indigenous knowledge and traditions.

5. Go Green!

Showcases the ground-breaking applications and content addressing the natural environment, promoting environmental sustainability, integrating the principles of environmentally sustainable development into policy programmes, reversing the loss of environmental resources and biodiversity, reducing the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and improving the lives of slum dwellers.

6. Pursue Truth!

Focuses on journalism using Internet and Mobiles to cover the MDGs and to report on issues related to them, to their realization or failure to be realized; addresses content excellence in terms of a fair, accurate, contextual pursuit of truth and the success in publishing the content using digital, interactive media platforms; invites young journalists and citizens to share their news and become active participants in the public interest of their community and country.

What can you win?

• Be invited to the WSYA Winners´ Event! (Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for the winners.)
• Meet other engaged and amazing young people from around the world, representatives of governments, NGOs, the United Nations, social entrepreneurs and business leaders!
• Get the chance to present your project on a global stage!
• Share ideas, initiatives and inspiration with other amazing young people!
• Learn more about exciting youth initatives and current trends regarding MDGs at workshops and seminars held by ICT experts and entrepreneurs!
• Have your project showcased on the web at www.youthaward.org!
• Be promoted through the WSYA network and network with ICT experts, business leaders, multimedia producers, young entrepreneurs and youth leaders!
• … and last but not least, become part of a vibrant and lively community for young people taking action on the MDGs!

Who is organising the Award?

The WSYA is organised as a follow up activity of the World Summit on Information Society and its action plan towards the year 2015. The Youth Award is being organised by the World Summit Award Network for the fith time after 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2011. It is promoted in all UN member states through the networks of the World Summit Award (WSA), the UN Global Alliance for ICT, other participating UN Organisations and Agencies such as UNESCO and UNIDO, governments and NGOs, youth organisations, and all those committed to making a real difference in the achievement of the MDGs.

The WSYA Team is based at the International Centre for New Media (ICNM), an independent non-profit organisation in Salzburg, Austria.

Timeline WYSA 2013

 Click Here to Apply for the 2013 World Youth Summit Award