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

ONE HUMAN FAMILY
Katty Kay, Correspondent BBC
Last week I interviewed Mia Farrow who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She just 
returned from Chad and one point during the interview she said to me describing the 
suffering that she had found in Eastern Chad: “Are we not one human family?” Cynics 
might dismiss that kind of comment as the pleadings of a bleeding heart, but I think that 
in this changing globalized world, where communication is moving faster and faster, the 
cynics are wrong. We are one human family and we need to make sure that in the world 
of the technology we do not forget members of the family who are getting left behind.
When a young Iraqi woman as Riverbend on her blogsite can communicate 
instantaneously with a young woman in Kansas - it really shows that the world is 
shrinking. The risk is that some people are getting left out of the family, are getting left 
behind in the new technological adventure and we must make sure that this does not 
happen. 
YOUTH, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, FREEDOM TO 
ACCESS
Armen Orujyan, President, ATHGO International
Students and Young professionals’ engagement in all aspects of global governance is not 
just cool as it is widely used in political rhetoric but as the current affairs show, 
necessary. I propose to think of this as a new global movement. I know movement 
innately asks for emotional attachment, which may possibly cloud people’s judgment, but 
I am confident that this particular demographic will be able to differentiate emotional 
attachment from professional aspirations. Notwithstanding, it is my belief that some 
emotion could be healthy and even encouraged in this instance. 
Young people’s energy is overwhelming and their minds flourishing. They are defiant in 
their actions, yet amenable toward new ideas. Young people’s minds are more 

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26 | Our Common Humanity in the Information Age 
entertaining and original. Overall, young generations are more innovative whereas the 
senior generations more adaptive.
I propose to focus on action that produces outcome. A very astute friend once suggested 
that we should keep our focus on achieving outcome rather than action. He could not 
have been more to the point. Maintaining the focus on outcome rather than just actions is 
strongly encouraged.
I propose three basic solutions. I trust none of them to be original; but rather, objectives 
that need instant attention. Moreover, they are all within a possibility to be immediately 
implemented. 
1. We need to have young individuals’ engagement on all aspects of global governance.
After all, this is their future – but their future is not set tomorrow its core is set today if 
not yesterday. Thus, having all major international organizations and institutions 
establishing young professionals advisory boards could be a step toward this goal. These 
boards could examine proposed ideas or suggest alternatives. 
2. We should seek young people’s input and participation in the current development 
with ICTs.
Why have the young individuals involved? Well, most of the corporate world designs 
technology while having young people on their mind or the clientele that have synced 
their culture with tech industry, i.e. young professionals. In addition, Young individuals 
climb the technology ladder quite aptly. How can we get them participate!? ATHGO in 
collaboration with UN GAID is establishing a Global Young Individuals Network with a 
Center of Excellence to support its works. In addition, ATHGO is developing an 
Advanced Study Center/Think Tank on IT Development that will be solely run by 
outstanding and intelligent young professionals. I believe more of these types of 
engagement opportunities are necessary.
3. Finally, all the MDGs implementation should engross a substantial young people 
involvement:
I understand that some may think of several limitations to this idea:
a. that the young individuals are not capable to handle the pressure that comes with this 
responsibility

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Chapter II – Freedom and Development | 27 
b. that the MDGs are not much relevant to this particular demographic
c. to why burden these young people with these major challenges
I would debate that all the MDGs are relevant to young people more than anyone else – 
why?! Well let us look at some of the goals:
i. 
Primary education – Shapes this particular demographic
ii. Poverty – Either enhances this group or depletes and exhausts the next generation
iii. HIV/AIDS - It is the young people that are affected the most; either today or… soon 
if they survive
And the rest of the Goals follow in sync with these.
To the point of competence, the young individuals are very capable. Our international 
symposia anywhere in the world we host, display the quality, the energy, awareness, the 
zeal, and the attentiveness these young people have. They are ready to take on these 
challenges, they want these challenges, and they will do a better job than the world has 
thus far without their full involvement. Thus, I propose giving them the opportunity by 
calling on them, providing them the means, and challenging them, showing them that you 
really are serious and they will respond. They will make this world a better and a 
peaceful place to live.
I believe in us, the younger souls – I invite you to do the same. We need our young 
leaders to be principled people and not ideologues of any persuasion.