Children's Rights in a Rapidly-Evolving Digital Age: How has the digital divide further exacerbated education systems and what can we learn from over a year of pandemic-induced remote learning?

Global Development Commons Youth-Led Webinar

Monday | Nov 8, 2021 | 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM Eastern Time

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education systems all over the world, affecting millions of students and forcing school closures and remote learning modalities.  These experiences has also further underscored the importance of making digital technologies more accessible, affordable  and equitable for all.   This webinar will unpack the impacts that the deepened digital divide has had on children and education, and its inextricable link to fundamental children's rights and their social and emotional wellbeing. Join the discussion to hear about challenges and opportunities learned from the past 18 months and future approaches that will help create a more conducive digital society for all children. The webinar will also feature young change-makers who will share their lived online education experiences in an evolving digital world and make tangible recommendations about the digital future they want. 

Watch the recording:

Moderator:

Kyle Felter, Global Development Commons Youth Advocate, Harvard University

Kyle Felter is a junior at Harvard University who studies Government and Technology Science. He first became involved in UNICEF while in high school, where he was the Founder and President of Boca Raton High School’s UNICEF Chapter in the United States. He continued his involvement with UNICEF in college and is now the President of Harvard’s UNICEF Chapter. Along with leading Harvard UNICEF, he has volunteered with the Global Development Commons as a youth researcher since 2019.

Panelists:

Brighton Kaoma, Global Director, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth (Zambia)

Brighton Kaoma is a Zambian living and working in New York City, USA. He’s the current Global Director of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network- Youth Initiative.  In the last 10 years, Brighton has been heavily involved in a number of youth social justice, climate, and entrepreneurship organizations across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA as a pro-bono adviser, project manager, and executive director. In 2015 he was awarded the Queen’s Young Leaders award by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for his exemplary leadership as a social entrepreneur and climate innovator. In 2016 he became the first African to win the Global WWF International President’s Award for pioneering innovation in the fight against climate change. In 2019 he was named among The Outstanding Young Persons of the World by the Emperor of Japan and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Osaka Chapter. Brighton is a Mandela Washington Fellow for Young African Leaders, Global Youth Ambassador of the Children’s Radio Foundation of South Africa, One Young World Ambassador, and an ex UNICEF Zambia Climate Ambassador. His work has also been recognised by President Barack Obama, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, UN Secretary General António Guterres, and Prince Harry among others. For 4 years, he served as Country Manager for the Children’s Radio Foundation of South Africa before joining World Wide Fund for Nature International (WWF) as a technical consultant for 10 Africa regional offices. He has consulted with municipalities and social entrepreneurs in Malmo, Sweden( Climate Policy), Hong Kong (Social Entrepreneurship), and Hawaii( Public Private Partnerships, Technology and Product design).  He co-founded Impact Hub Lusaka and Karton Logistics in Zambia, among other ventures. Brighton holds the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) with Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University in the USA. 

Mir Mustafa Ali Hasan, Deputy Project Lead, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth (India)

Mir Mustafa Ali Hasan hails from Hyderabad, India and is majoring in Law & Business. He relies on a carefully regimented diet of research, open communication, and multidisciplinary exploration, to fuel his understanding of global issues, and build impactful relationships. Mustafa is currently engaged in the public policy and governance sector while concurrently executing his responsibilities at UNSDSN Youth as the Deputy Project Lead of the Global Events & Partnerships Team. 

Annita Grace Mwagiru, Project Lead, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network –Youth (Kenya)

Annita Mwagiru is the Project Lead for the SDG Students Program at SDSN Youth. She has over 9 years experience in project management, administration, and operations. She has worked with young people in various capacities for over 5 years. She has just completed a Masters in Humanitarianism, Conflict and Development at the University of Bath, with a background in Psychology.