As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest. Alleviating poverty is not an act of charity. It is an Act of duty - Nelson Mandela While many people in the developed world enjoy easy access to information through the Internet, email and telephony, billions in the developing world do not. The digital divide is not a problem in itself, but rather a symptom of deeper, more important divides of, income, development and literacy. In 1973 the number of poor people living in Kenya was estimated at 3.7 million. This figure grew to 15 million in 2000. According to the Human Development Report 2005, Kenya is ranked 154 out of 177 on the Human Development Index down from 134 in 2002, indicating the standard of living among Kenyans has fallen drastically in the last 3 years. The grading order known as the Human Development Index is based on life expectancy, literacy levels, manpower development and health distribution. Kenya is given as an example of a country that is unlikely to reduce poverty levels by ½ by 2015 because of the huge gap between rich and poor. Even if Kenya were to achieve a 1% per capita growth rate on current distribution patterns it would not halve poverty until 2030. The report also highlights global policies and unjust and undemocratic trade rules as some of the major hindrances that continue to deny millions of people in the world’s poorest countries an escape route from poverty and perpetual inequalities. Fighting poverty is more than an issue of transferring money to the poor or of direct job creation for the poor, but rather an issue of tools; simple life saving, life changing tools that poor people and communities should have to be empowered and to be more productive. For example, taking measures to facilitate more effective mobile telephony penetration at the grassroots, because this is the most sensible and powerful way of using technology to promote bottom up development while effectively responding to the digital divide. The utilization of the full potential of ICTs to bring into fruition the MDGs, especially in poor and vulnerable communities, remains unsatisfactory. Now more than ever there is greater need to identify and investigate these shortcomings, to challenge ourselves to formulate improved models for overcoming impediments and in addition reinforce existing initiatives that thus far have done well in mainstreaming ICTs4D. Most importantly however, we must connect the ordinary mwananchi to these solutions through the necessary info-resources, technology and organizational capacity locally, regionally and globally. Accelerated and greater efforts must be taken to better address the limited know how to utilize ICTs4D and the limited access to these technologies, especially by nurturing the inherent capacities of the real stakeholders – community members, especially the disadvantaged youth. Free the tremendous potential of young people so that they can contribute in meaningful, substantive and sustainable ways to effectively address the greatest challenges at the heart of our development agenda: poverty, conflict, HIV/AIDS, consolidating democracy and good governance, harnessing the benefits of science, technology and ICT’ s, and fostering trade, investment, economic growth and equity in long-term development. We are often the leading innovators in the use and spread of ICTs, trailblazing the ICT4D revolution. All young people are uniquely positioned to effect change in the exponential because of their energy, their creativity, their enthusiasm to remain pioneers in the ICT movement, and most importantly, their dedication to sustainable development in their local and global communities. As both business and social entrepreneurs young people are creatively using technology to address community needs and meet global challenges. We should no longer be seen as a huge jobless liability, but as what we really are: assets, great leaders in the making! Make Poverty History. Connie Constance Georgina Khaendi Walyaro constance@youthaidscoalition.org Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA) East Africa Region Focal Point www.youthaidscoalition.org Riverside Drive, Nairobi Kenya Citron Wood President www.citronwoodfoundation.org Oxfam International Youth Parliament (OIYP) Action Partner www.iyp.oxfam.org XVI International AIDS Conference Scientific Programme Committee: Track A www.aids2006.org 'youth building a peaceful, equitable and sustainable world' OIYP. Constance Georgina Khaendi Walyaro President-Citron Wood AP-Oxfam International Youth Parlaiment East Africa Region Focal Point-Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS constance@youthaidscoalition.org Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com