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

Institutions
Although the task of international development involves several stakeholders, the task 
falls almost exclusively on the shoulders of institutions like the United Nations. These 
international organizations have led the way in poverty eradication, targeting individual 
problems and pioneering specific solutions. Institutions have put into place essential 
services, such as micro-finance, even while facing limited budgets and international 
resistance or lack of cooperation. Nevertheless, Institutions can still do more to achieve 
the Millennium Development Goals and eradicate poverty. An essential component of 
future institutional success is ensuring that the best minds are integrated into institutions. 

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142 | Our Common Humanity in the Information Age 
Although this is the intent of all institutions, current practices do not necessarily yield this 
result. One of the best ways to develop leadership is through internship programs. 
Although organizations like the United Nations offer internships to youth and young 
professionals, these opportunities are unpaid. This means that often the only youth that 
are able to accept these internships are those who are able to afford living and traveling 
expenses. Thus, the best and brightest person may not be the one joining the institution. 
Of course, this is because of limited budgets, but institutions should at least sponsor more 
conferences and events that enable youth to learn and exchange their ideas and 
experiences and foster a sense of humanitarianism in the future. If institutions can do this, 
they will help fight poverty on yet another front: in the minds of the future.
Youth
The Millennium Development Goals were written in 2000 and have a target completion 
date of 2015. The world is progressing towards these international benchmarks, but new 
challenges are emerging daily that will impact humanity long after 2015. Prevention is 
the best solution but equally essential is a trained talent pool that will assume become 
tomorrow’s leadership in the fight against poverty. That leadership is today’s youth, who 
have as much a responsibility in eradicating poverty as the rest of humanity. Young 
people should consider careers in development fields or in the international public sector. 
No matter what discipline one has studied, there are several skills one can bring to the 
fight against poverty. Also, working in development offers a unique skill set that with 
benefit the worker for the rest of his or her life, such as international work experience. Of 
course this is all in addition to the humanitarian benefit. Today’s youth must consider 
humanitarian careers, if we are to take a common humanitarian spirit well into the 
twenty-first century.