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Local youth a winner in international web competition

Abraham Fergusson is living proof that the information superhighway can truly connect the world. This 4-year-old budding web developer was recently selected as one of the winners of an annual international web development competition, the Cable & Wireless Childnet Academy 2005. His winning entry won him a spot at the prestigious Internet Academy in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where later this month he will learn how to design and build websites.

This Form 2 student of El Dorado Secondary Comprehensive has been surfing the Internet since he was 7 years old. He first became a 'technophile' through his involvement with the International Education and Resource Network of Trinidad and Tobago (IEARNtnt). This non-profit group uses global communication technology to allow young people in T&T to connect with more than 4,000 schools in 80 countries around the world and become "global citizens".

It was through IEARNtnt that Abraham first heard about the Childnet Academy 2005 competition and decided to enter. Childnet International is a children's Internet charity supported by communications mogul Cable & Wireless, which is also a shareholder of local telecommunications provider TSTT. Childnet's aim is to help make the Internet a great and safe place for children to explore and learn, and their annual competition encourages young people to create websites that are exciting, educational and useful.

Young Abe entered the Childnet competition with his idea to create a website where young people can share information about and their personal experiences of natural disasters. He was selected as one of the winners in the "New to the Net" category in the competition, which was created for young people who have limited access to Internet technology but have a new idea for the web.

According to the Childnet judges: "This is an issue that is challenging the Caribbean and is very timely in light of the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster. Abraham has started to think about the different components of the site and how to sustain the project. The skills learnt at the Academy will help him to get this website started, and it is good that he is part of the IEARN network which will ensure that this website is promoted in schools world-wide, encouraging young people to work together and help each other's understanding of the issues."

The competition winners, selected by a panel of international judges from a field of 225 entrants, consist of young people of all ages from across the globe who had a variety of website themes. For example, Samuel Odolfin, 17, from Nigeria, created "The Food Solution" to show how biotechnology could provide a solution to famine across the African continent. Lalit Maganti, 8, from Scotland, created "Animals in Danger" to encourage young people to become involved in protecting endangered species. And Ashley Harmsma, 16, from Canada created a site to offer advice and information on teen pregnancy.

In Jamaica, Abraham and the other winners will spend the week receivin specialist web support, leadership training and technical advice with a group of other technology savvy young people from around the world. Abraham and the other winners will be given exclusive access to a team of Internet experts and mentors, and will also be given the chance to learn from previous competition winners.

But this is not the first time Abe has been in the spotlight. At age 10, he was chosen to speak at the launch of The United Nations Decade of Peace and Non Violence Against the Children of the World 2001-2010, and led the symbolic "First Steps" walk at this event. Last year after winning an essay competition with his topic "Peer Power VS Peer Pressure" he flew to Slovakia to attend the 11th annual World Youth Summit. At this event, he also presented the Mayor of Koscise, Slovakia with a gift from the Mayor of Port-of-Spain. He is also an active member of the Port-of-Spain/Sister Cities UNESCO Youth Club, and a member of the Trincity Community Youth Group. It is fair to say that this young man is certainly not your average teenager!

Abraham says he is thrilled about traveling to Jamaica and meeting the rest of the winners, and is looking forward to learning how to build websites on his own. "I am extremely excited to be able to share experiences and learn about different cultures," said Abraham. "This academy will help me to educate and be educated. I would like to thank my mom who has supported and encouraged me and I am happy she will be coming with me to Jamaica. And I'd like to thank IEARN for all their help too!"

According to TSTT's Corporate Communications Manager Rae Ann Harper Walters, "TSTT is delighted to support the important work of Childnet International. This year's winners offer an excellent example of how young people are using the web to express their own creativity, raise awareness of key social issues, and share experiences with other young people around the world. Already in T&T there are 150,000 Internet users, and we hope that next year more young Trinbagonians will take part in the Childnet Academy in the future. We wish Abraham all the best for his trip, and for the future."

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3 March 2005

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION DISCOVERS YOUNG PEOPLE USING THE INTERNET TO TACKLE MAJOR GLOBAL ISSUES

Winners to attend web academy in Jamaica

Poverty in Africa, teen pregnancy and global terrorism are just three of the major issues being tackled by the winners of an international web development competition for young people, announced today (3 March 2005).

The competition, open to young people (aged 18 and under) is part of the Cable & Wireless Childnet Academy 2005 www.childnetacademy.org - an initiative run by children’s internet charity, Childnet International, in partnership with Cable & Wireless. The programme aims to recognise the outstanding creativity of children and young people who are developing exciting online projects that bring positive benefit to other young people worldwide.

This year’s winners receive a grant from a special US$55,000 web development prize fund and a chance to attend a week-long internet Academy to be held next month in Jamaica.

The winners, selected by a panel of international judges from a field of 225 entrants from 49 countries, include young people from UK, Nigeria, Jamaica, Trinidad, Canada and Uzbekistan – all of whom demonstrate that the internet can be a powerful and inspiring tool when used safely and creatively.

This year’s winners include 17-year-old Samuel Odolfin from Nigeria who has created The Food Solution, a multi-lingual website to showcase how biotechnology could provide a solution to the problems of poverty and famine suffered by many countries across the African continent.

Samuel will join 8-year-old Lalit Maganti from Aberdeen (Scotland), who is the creator of Animals in Danger – a website dedicated to encouraging young people to protect endangered species and raise the profile of animals in danger around the world.

Winners also include 14-year-old Elizabeth Clegg from Edinburgh (Scotland), the creator of Looking at You – a website which provides a valuable online resource for young people with visual impairment. The site provides practical positive advice and was created to inspire those with visual impairment to engage fully in society.

Elizabeth will be joined by 18-year-old Khurshid Shapirov from Uzbekistan, the creator of Me Against Terrorism – a website established as a result of a school based anti-terrorism project which brought together pupils from Uzbekistan and the USA. The site aims to increase awareness of global terrorism and allow young people to share experiences and express opinions online.

New to the Net
The competition also includes a ‘New to the Net’ category, for young people who have limited access to internet technology but have a new idea for the web.

‘New to the Net’ category winners include 14-year-old Abraham Ferguson from Trinidad & Tobago who is currently developing a website to allow young people to share personal experience of being involved in natural disasters, such as Hurricane Ivan and the Asian Tsunami.

Abraham will be joined at the Academy by 18-year-old Jamine Armstrong from Northern Ireland, one of the creators behind It’s all in the Mix – a proposed website designed to allow young people living in divided communities to share their experiences and demonstrate the benefits of tackling division and conflict.

Also attending will be ‘New to the Net’ category winner 12-year-old George Ayoo from Nigeria, the creator of Street Urchin (Almajiri Syndrome) – a website dedicated to raising awareness of the abuse and poverty suffered by the growing numbers of street children and child labourers in Northern Nigeria. The site has been created to campaign for an end to child labour and to call for compulsory schooling for children and young people.

George will be joined by 16-year-old Ashley Harmsma from Canada – the creator of What Will You Do?, a prototype website which aims to offer advice and information on teen pregnancy from a young persons perspective. The idea for the interactive website was inspired after a close friend at school became pregnant. The site also aims to provide a forum for young people around the world to share experiences and support.

Stephen Carrick Davies, Chief Executive at Childnet International said: “The winning projects showcase the positive power of the internet – to give young people a voice and a chance to create their own online learning tools. It is significant that so many of the projects challenge adults and other young people on important global issues. By bringing the winners together with young people from Jamaica, we hope to inspire others to use the internet constructively to share knowledge and make a difference.”

Joe Franses, Group Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Cable & Wireless said: “Cable & Wireless is delighted to support the important work of Childnet International and encourage young people to use the internet safely and positively. This year’s winners offer an excellent example of how young people are using the web to express their own creativity, raise awareness of key social issues and share experiences with others. ”

During the week-long Academy, specialist web support, leadership training and technical advice will be provided, with winners being given exclusive access to a team of internet experts and mentors drawn from the world of education, business and the public and voluntary sectors.

To coincide with the Academy, Cable & Wireless, Childnet International and the British Council will be holding a special one-day conference to review the impact that the internet is having on children and young people. The conference, Releasing Potential, Minimising Risks, will be held in Jamaica on 31 March.

Members of the public can view all the websites and vote for their favourite project at www.childnetacademy.org/winners. The winner will be announced at a special celebratory event to be held on 31 March.

About Childnet International:
Childnet International is a registered charity, set up in 1996 - with the mission to work in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children.

The vision of the organisation is to ensure that all those involved in developing, producing, controlling, using and regulating international telecommunications (current and future), recognise and implement policies and programmes which prioritise the rights of children so that their interests are both promoted and protected. For more information about Childnet International go to www.childnet-int.org.

About Cable & Wireless:
Cable & Wireless is one of the world’s leading international communications companies. It provides voice, data and IP (Internet Protocol) services to business and residential customers, as well as services to other telecoms carriers, mobile operators and providers of content, applications and internet services.

Cable & Wireless’ principal operations are in the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Panama and the Middle East.

For more information about Cable & Wireless, go to www.cw.com.

For more information or to arrange an interview with one of the winners, please contact:

Stephen Carrick-Davies or Joe Franses
Childnet International Cable & Wireless
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7639 6967 Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7315 4489
e-mail: stephen@childnet-int.org
e-mail: joe.franses@cw.com

Errol Miller
Cable & Wireless Jamaica
Tel: +1 876 929 2194
e-mail: errol.miller@cwjm.cwplc.com

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