Our Common Humanity in the Information Age. Principles and Values for Development

Programme: 28 November, UN Conference Room 8 
Presenters who were invited to set the stage and outline some of the issues were: Mr. 
Sarbuland Khan, Executive Coordinator of the Global Alliance for ICT and 
Development; Mr. Noel Brown, President of Friends of the United Nations and former 
head of the UN Environment Programme New York Office; Mr. Amil Husain, Global 
Youth Coordinator for the United Nations Millennium Campaign; Mr. Alfredo Sfeir-
Younis, Retired Senior Advisor to the World Bank specializing in human rights and 
founder of the Zambuling Institute; Ms. Elaine Valdov, Secretary-General of the Youth 
Assembly at the UN. The special youth moderator for the Forum was Shamina de 
Gonzaga, Special Adviser on NGO relations for the President of the 61
st
Session of the 
United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa. Each youth 
leader made a brief presentation on his or her panel topic. The Youth Forum resumed 
with six breakout sessions in different rooms, the youth then reconvened to share the 
fruits of their discussions for cross-pollination of ideas and their expertise with the group 
at large.
Our Common Humanity in the Information Age event on 29 November: on each panel, a 
youth leader provided a fresh perspective and energy, not only representing his or her 
own ideas, but also reporting on the group conversation from the previous day.
In addition, Friends of the UN was instrumental in bringing some 200 high school 
students from three states to attend the event. It was a day of inspiration from many 
voices, and those of the next generation shone throughout.
The Youth Forum on Our Common Humanity in the Information Age brought together 
young people from widely varied backgrounds for a serious discussion of the values and 
goals of the United Nations. It provided excellent youth speakers for the panels of the 
adult conference. Last, but certainly not least, it proved to be a platform from which the 
youth participants can continue the work.
Immediately following the conference, they set up their own on-line “wiki,” so that the 
young delegates could express their views. They have established a beautiful web site at 
http://www.unyouthforum.org, where they are collecting papers and creating links, with 
an email group.
All of them bring their heart, their mind and their passion for a better world. They are 
ready to speak up for what they believe in, a key aspect of the mission of the NGO 
community. The UN needs them to stay engaged in the process, to speak out about the 
things that matter, and to raise the global consciousness of young people in the United 

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Annexes | 211
States and around the world. They are needed to share the vocabulary of a united world: a 
culture of peace, dialogue among civilizations, the Millennium Development Goals. 
We have exp erienced what it means to have young people fully engaged in addressing the 
future of Our Common Humanity. And they have given us much cause for hope.