All countries irrespective of their level of technological and industrial development, grapple with serious social, political and environmental challenges. With the belief that these challenges can be addressed through innovative digital solutions, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) is now searching for two inspiring youth who are passionate to drive real change in the world, to represent Malaysia at the fifth annual Telenor Youth Forum (TYF).
To take place in Oslo, Telenor Youth Forum is a year-long programme designed and hosted by Telenor Group and the Nobel Peace Centre (NPC). At the Forum, selected youths from 13 Telenor markets will be challenged on what they know and how they can make an impact on the world through innovations by utilising mobile technology and the internet. This year’s theme focuses on “Digitalisation for Peace”.
Who can apply?
Young passionate millennials aged 20 to 28, fluent in English, exhibiting leadership qualities to make a difference in their communities using digital solutions are encouraged to apply for the Telenor Youth Forum 2017. The closing date for submission will be on August 15, 2017.
What’s in it for the Applicants?
The scope of the challenge is wide. And the rewards are high. The young and promising recruits from each market will be welcomed at a grand kick-off in Oslo, during the Nobel Peace Prize events in December 2017. The program will continue through the year, with a second meeting in Bangkok in May 2018. Through this one year, the delegates will work virtually with their assigned teams to deliver on their project plans. The culmination of this year-long commitment will be the unveiling of a digital exhibition, in collaboration with the Nobel Peace Centre and each delegate will be awarded with a certificate of participation from Telenor Group and the Nobel Peace Center.
Innovative ideas by inspiring Malaysian youths
Over the past four editions of Telenor Youth Forum, Digi has found a number of inspiring ideas that were presented by our very own Malaysian youths. A few have even gone on to become established platforms for change and they include:
- Last year’s Telenor Youth Forum winner, Alina Amir, is actively involved in improving the quality of education in Malaysia. She believes that digitalisation for peace is when digital skills are used to revolutionise education and innovate new relevant solutions. Through her social enterprise, Arus Education, Alina provides underprivileged students with digital skills such as coding and programming, that helps them to automate their solutions for real life problems.
- Nora Nabila Ahmad Sabri, another Telenor Youth Forum 2016 winner, feels that as a filmmaker, she can use her passion for visual storytelling to spread awareness on social issues in Malaysia with the help of the internet. She believes that by documenting real life stories and leveraging on the power of the internet, it would help inspire others to take action on any issues that we face, and play a part in making the world a better place.
- The Stronger than Cancer App, that started from an idea that was presented by Christine Cheah at the 2014 Telenor Youth Forum in Oslo to improve the support network for cancer patients by connecting a virtual group digitally. The idea has been developed into a mobile app by Digi, in collaboration with National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM).
- Food Ninja was an idea to promote the reduction of food wastage by channeling unconsumed food to relevant beneficiaries. It has now been developed into an online portal that connects the extra food from businesses such as restaurants, hotels, bakeries, to charity organisations which feed the poor. It is the brain child of a university student, Yong Wei Shean, who represented Malaysia at the Telenor Youth Forum event in 2014.
- Another former Telenor Youth Forum delegate, Heidy Quah, founded Refuge for Refugees, an NGO that aims to bring education to refugee children in Malaysia by raising awareness about this cause and encouraging a generation of Malaysian youth to recognise the potential in them to create impact. In the past year, Heidy has been working closely with refugee communities and refugee schools that require aid.
How can you make a difference?
Interested applicants can find out more about Telenor Youth Forum on the official website and be a part of a revolutionary global change by applying at: www.telenor.com/youthforum/