Nigeria To Regulate Social Media Use

The Bureau of Public Enterprises has said it’s preparing to roll out a lawful framework for the regulation of the social media in Nigeria.

Director General of the privatization agency, Mr. Benjamin Dikki frowned at the unregulated publishing of just what he called offending materials on the numerous social networking
sites.

According to Dikki, this strategy was in line with BPE’s reform mandate to start essential policies and the legal framework for the regulation of the social networks in the country. “As it now obtains, all manner of things are uploaded on the various platforms of the social media without recourse to age and sensibilities of the users. This is not good enough” he said.

Social media laws are strictly adhered to in developed countries, with offenders facing sanctions or even jail terms, but it is uncertain if
there are any laws guiding what happen on social media in Nigeria, and if there are, they are hardly enforced.

http://www.informationng.com/2013/09/nigeria-to-regulate-social-media-use.html

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war - Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952)

We live in a world where selfishness, thirst for power and conflicts emerge on a daily basis and peace is a universal dream we all hope to achieve one day.

Various stakeholders have come up with many possible solutions and ways to bring the world together and to establish peace among nations, and among people.

United Nations in its devotion to achieve World Peace, created International Day of Peace which is celebrated on 21st September annually to commemorate and spread the ideals of peace among all nations and people. As an organization that worked for decades in support of a peaceful world for the young generation, World Assembly of Youth (WAY) has been contributing by defending youth rights.

In light with that, the theme for this International Day of Peace,Education for Peace has drawn a lot of attention from WAY because we believe education is a key to a bright future and can open many doors for young people. Through education, the concepts of solidarity, mutual respect and tolerance can be embroidered in the hearts of youth and with these qualities, a ground for peace can easily be set.

In addition, we also believe that instillation of peace-based values should start from an early age. It is believed that through children, peace can be attained. Albert Einstein shares these same sentiments as he once stated,we must begin to inoculate our children against militarism by educating them...I would rather teach peace than war, love rather than hate.

WAY would like to embrace the International Day of Peace by reiterating our mission of implanting the peace-culture amongst our youth. We believe it is necessary to include peace-education in formal academic-curriculum; it can also be initiated as early as possible from the home front. Parents are advised to construct a sound atmosphere where children can clearly feel and learn the value of tolerance and mutual respects not only towards family-members but also to the general members of society. Parents should also be their children's role models by embracing and practicing a peace-culture in their daily lives.

We encourage young people to show their contribution by setting examples for their peers on how to properly apply the values of tolerance and mutual respect in creating the perfect peace that our world and its population are craving for. We believe that one's single smile is capable of turning others entire day brighter; now, imagine what respect and tolerance can do for our world!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE!

http://www.way.org.my/

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY: ‘STRENGTHENING VOICES FOR DEMOCRACY: TO UNDERSTAND, TO EMBRACE AND TO INFLUENCE’

“Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal.” – Aristotle

According to preamble of resolution of International Day of Democracy, Democracy is defined as ‘a universal value based on the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life’. In other words, Democracy simply is from people, by people and for people; People are its only possible spark and drive!

After the meaning of Democracy has been well understood, one has to embrace it in his or her heart because the heart is the greatest root and motivation of man’s actions. This concept is also in line with what has been taught by Mahatma Gandhi, ‘the spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of heart’. Once, Democracy is embraced in the heart, it is then possible for one to effectively influence others to believe in the value of Democracy and desire to its existence in their daily lives.

It is undeniable that every citizen dreams to live in a country where equally free opportunities are not only a vision but a factual realization. In order to realize these opportunities, there is a need for responsibility and mutual respect among one another. Democracy offers elements of freedom opportunities, responsibilities and respect. The ability of each individual to voice out how they prefer to be governed is the central principle of democracy.

In light of this year theme of ‘Strengthening Voices for Democracy’ which aims to emphasize the importance of people’s voices in today’s political, economic, social, environmental, technological and developmental matters, WAY(World Assembly of Youth), feel inspired to combine and integrate the concept of ‘To understand, To embrace and To influence’ as a stimulant in strengthening voices for democracy, especially if it involves young generation.

INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY: ‘LITERACIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Approximately, more than 774 million of the world's adults (nearly two-thirds of whom are women) do not know how to read or write, and roughly 123 million children lack those same skills, and are often denied any access to education. Put simply, one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women.

60.7 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.The 8th of September every year is set aside by the United Nations to recognize International Literacy Day.

Since 1966, UNESCO has celebrated the day as a reminder to the world that literacy is a basic human right and even more essential to social and economic development. This year’s theme is “Literacies for the 21st Century”, which aims to highlight the importance of literacy in the century of globalization, and the lack there of in many a country.

In order to promote the importance of literacy within society, several
initiatives have been put in place
including; the United Nations Literacy Decade and the LIFE initiative, both of which offer a framework for UNESCO to advocate for literacy. However, addressing the global literacy challenge remains difficult. As such, we at the World Assembly of Youth, call upon you, the youth, to be the instigators of change and the leaders of this battle against illiteracy within society. Many young people and refugees migrate thousands of miles in pursuit of the opportunity to receive a decent education. We urge you to be the facilitators of this
opportunity and the architects of a
future free of illiteracy, and with
strong grounds for literacy as a basic right.

At the coming 13th annual Melaka
International Youth Dialogue (MIYD) programme themed “Youth Migration: A Step from Haven”. One of the key issues being addressed at this dialogue is youth migration in search of better education and the duty of key stakeholders to address the causal factors of this form of migration as well as promoting basic standards for education and
educational facilities in every country.

The struggle for literacy as a basic
human right and necessity, is not
something that can be achieved in a
single day. It is an initiative that requires all citizens of the world to
play a significant role and contribution. That contribution begins with you, and remains your
responsibility to ensure that action is being taken within your community, to promote literacy.

Happy International Literacy Day