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Seventy (70) young people, drawn from 36 youth organizations across 16 counties in Kenya, have been trained on how to utilize and integrate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) competencies in their engagement and participation in civic activities in Kenya.
The online training, which was held on 21 and 22 July 2020, was conducted by the Africa Center for People, Institutions and Society and supported by UNESCO. It equipped the participating youth leaders with requisite knowledge and skills on Media and Information Literacy to enable them to mainstream the gained competencies within their organizations.
Media and Information Literacy (MIL) provides a basis for enhancing access to information and freedom of expression and critical thinking. It focuses on different and intersecting competencies to transform people’s interaction with information and learning environments online and offline.
During the two-day workshop, participants were taken through sessions introducing them to MIL, its benefits to development, how it can contribute towards civic engagement for youth organizations, how to integrate it in their activities and opportunities and challenges of new and traditional media.
It was very interesting for us, engaging so many enthusiastic and capable youth from across the country on how to utilize MIL, particularly in civic engagement. We found UNESCO’s MIL curriculum quite useful in designing and delivering the training. We appreciate the crucial support from UNESCO in rolling out this training.
- Mr. Kenneth Okwaroh, Executive Director, Africa Center for People, Institutions and Society
He further stated that his organization shall continue to partner with youth leaders in utilizing Media and Information Literacy to support their organizations’ work. Stating that they hope that this can contribute to the broader objective of empowering young people to be more engaged in civic affairs of their country.
The training was super informative and an eye-opener. I learnt a lot in these two days. We intend to use the online and offline following that we have to impact change, other than just entertaining. I am also using the information I learnt to enlighten my colleagues at The Youthing Magazine and our fans.
- Mr. Ian Ogonji, the founder and CEO of The Youthing Magazine, a youth-focused e-magazine
It is imperative that young people set the stage through critical thinking, it makes our voices more critical and needed in discourses. As young people, engagements with policy making processes impact our lives directly.
- Ms. Winnie Wadera from Reducing HIV in Adolescents and Youth (RHAY)
Participants were drawn from organizations working in diverse areas, such as girl-child education, youth empowerment and development, mental health rights, sexual and reproductive health rights, community-based radio stations, governance and human rights, content creators, youth-focused magazines, advocates for peace and anti-radicalization of youth, and climate change activists among others.
Enhancing media and information literacy (MIL) competencies among youth organizations, teachers and other stakeholders is a key action of UNESCO’s strategy to promote knowledge societies and foster the development of free, independent and pluralistic media and universal access to information and knowledge for good governance.
This activity was implemented within UNESCO’s thematic action of ensuring that pluralistic media institutions are facilitated, while citizens, and particularly youth, are empowered through enhanced media and information literacy (MIL) competencies for civic participation and engagement in Kenya.
URL:
https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-trains-kenyan-youth-leaders-media-and-information-literacy