During September 18-19, 2024 the Global Partnership Board of Directors gathered in New York for the annual meeting. On the agenda this year was a session with participants from the Data Values Advocates Program and the Capacity Accelerator Network Fellowship, through which the Global Partnership amplifies youth voices, action, and impact.
Young people are integral to today’s digital world. Internet usage is higher among those aged 15 to 24 compared with any other group, including across all regions in the world. Despite the amount of data generated via their online connectivity, youth’s perspectives are often excluded from key decisions about how their data is collected, managed, and used.
Through initiatives like the Data Values Advocates Program and the Capacity Accelerator Network Fellowship, the Global Partnership seeks to change that. The Data Values Advocates Program focuses on building policy and advocacy capacities and data skills for young people and their communities, while the Capacity Accelerator Network Fellowship provides technical capacity building for young data scientists across Africa. Together, these programs empower young people to engage in data governance meaningfully and strengthen their ability to lead impactful, multi-stakeholder collaborations.
The CAN fellowship provided the opportunity to leverage data science skills to address the interconnected challenges of climate change and health. It also presented a unique opportunity to collaborate with professionals and experts on global-scale projects
- Abubakar Isa-Abubakar
Presenting to the Board of Directors, participants from both programs shared insights from their projects and inspiring stories of the impact they’ve achieved in data and community development. The engaging session gave Board members new insights on ways to foster meaningful youth engagement in data governance and provided the program participants with an opportunity to network and seek advice from seasoned experts.
As an alumni of the Data Values Advocate program I am very grateful to the experience for the mentorship and training provided, but also for the networking opportunities, through which I was able to get exposure and meet people that helped me grow my NGO, Youth for Privacy, so that I can continue to do this work.
- Joon B
Before joining the Data Values Advocate program, I was just another person saying, “Climate change is here.” But now, I don’t just acknowledge it—I understand it.
- Rubina Adhikari
As we all continue to rethink community-led efforts in data equity advocacy, it’s vital to recognize the influence and resourcefulness of programs like Data Values Advocates have on innovators and defenders who are yearning for a supportive ecosystem.
- Ghislain Irakoze
