BEST 2010 E-PROJECTS: From youth around the world

by Andrea Arzaba

On the first night of our journalistic experience in New York City, we were invited to attend a dinner in the Hard Rock Café, where the gathering youth who focused their projects on effectuating the Millenium Development Goals through different online platforms.

Certainly, as every selected winner went to the podium and talked about their own ideas and selected projects, I felt so inspired and I believed that youth can create change in great original ways.

In this article I would like to talk about some of the web pages developed in different countries that won this competition. I am 100% they deserve to have a place as the top projects in 2010.

Some of the winners at the Hard Rock Cafe. 19 September 2010. Picture taken by Andrea Arzaba.

Talking about their project in front of an audience. 19 September 2010. Picture taken by Andrea Arzaba.

BULGARIA: Nahrani.com

Fight Poverty Hunger and Disease

www.nahrani.com

(English version http://english.nahrani.com/ )

This website is mainly a social project that focuses on improving people’s vocabulary and providing food to people who need it, by playing for free in the web.

Through correct answers, advertisers make donations to different Bulgarian institutions who support people in need of food.

INDIA: Youth Ki Awaaz

Education for all

http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/

In other words: “mouthpiece of the youth”. This platform supports online journalism made by youth in India.  This website has around 1000 visitors per day and incorporates 400 writers from all over the country.

Raising the voice of youth and the issues they want to talk about is their main goal.

AZERBAIJAN: Women’s Forum

Power to women

http://women-forum.net/

This website gives women in Azerbaijan a chance to talk about several issues they might not be able to do at home, or with people that surround them in their communities.

As Natalia (the project developer) mentioned at the conference, some writers are paid and this can be a good incentive so they keep on writing about subjects important to raise awareness and continue the development in this country.

Natalia Corobco presenting her project. 19 September 2010.
Picture taken by Andrea Arzaba

MALAYSIA: Colour me campaign

Create your Culture

http://www.colourmegreencampaign.com/

One great campaign that runs across Malaysia in order to promote environmental awareness and support students who want to take action around their schools and communities.

Students get a couple of tasks to complete as a part of the campaign, which include executing environmental programs and creating their own “green blog”.

MEXICO: JOIN – Informed Youngsters

Pursue Truth

http://join.org.mx/
An alternative way of communicating in Mexico, this project was born in 2007, as a need from youth in this country to get information from non-traditional sources.

Getting rid of youth apathy is another goal of this project, as leadership and the power of change are some of the issues this publication gets to their readers.

If you would like to learn more about these projects, or read about the other winners: http://www.youthaward.org/

EJC Journalists and reporters at the WSYA Summit: Lara, Luan and me (TH!NK 3 winners)
19 September 2010.