The MRU Youth Communication Hub

The MRU Youth Communication Hub is one of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO’s) latest approaches to the Youth Employment and Empowerment Strategy. It is a medium to hear directly from the youth and to provide them with details they need to develop themselves.

Youth Crime Watch of Liberia was selected by the United Nations Industrial Development organization (UNIDO) as the host the Mano River Union Youth Employment Communication Hub/Platform in Liberia.

The Communication Hub/Platform is a web-based, open source (using the newly developed crabgrass technology), youth friendly; the communication platform is a powerful tool for youth participation, inclusion in decision making, knowledge sharing, peer-to-peer support, networking and information gathering. The platform's main focus is youth employment and youth-led development; it provides the rare opportunity for youth in the Mano River Union Countries to generate ideas, concrete recommendations, and share visions on youth development in the region. The platform's design provides a mechanism for transparency and full participation, enabling youth to submit their opinions to government officials, the business community, as well as the public at large.

This platform is believed to have the potentials to become a motor for business development in the region, providing youth the change of enriching their network and business horizons.

The Mano River Union Youth Communication Hub is the physical space of a two part program that is working to develop youth collaboration, development and empowerment.

The MRU Youth Communication Hub is a mulit-stakeholders program including the Governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire; UNIDO, UNDP, MRU Secretariat, UNICEF and YEN with funding from the Japanese Government.

As you may be aware that Young people constitute an important and significant part of the Liberian population, yet this is not reflected in their level of involvement and inclusion in decision-making processes and public debates. In a time with ever-increasing technological process and relative greater access to information, the traditional impression of apathetic youth is being shattered. Young people feel that the government and the rest of the Liberian society do not consider them ready to contribute constructively to the design and implementation of policies, especially those affecting them.

Still and most importantly, by supporting the creation of institutionalized national youth platforms, such as the MRU Youth Communication Platform and encouraging leadership development, governments can take a proactive step towards involving young people. They want a common platform where they can meet, discuss and advocate their views, making it easier for governments to consult with a large and representative number of young people.

We know that young people are grappling with all sorts of issues today which are unlike those faced by previous generations. With the establishment of the MRU Youth Communication Platform, the Government stakeholders, International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Foreign Missions in Liberia are giving young people a seat at the table and new opportunities to get involved in public discussion about issues that matter to them.

The Mano River Union Youth Communication Hub is the physical space of a two part program that is working to develop youth collaboration, development and empowerment.

The Hub is divided into parts; the Physical Space and the Virtual Space.

The Physical Space

The Physical Space, from UNIDO point of view, has many definitions, but below are the most commonly used:

• The Physical Space of the Mano River Union Youth Communication Hub is a cafe like structure where young people meet to interface with the virtaul space.
• It is a place where young people meet to discuss issues affecting them and sometimes collaborate to draw out suggestions about the possible solutions to those issues.
• It is also a community centre where youth gather to discuss issues about their employment in particular and development in general, in a very systematic and responsible manner.
• Finally, the physical place is a training centre from where young people can volunteer services in order to gain lucrative training in different professions.

Currently, UNIDO has four centres in the Mano River Union Basin countries; in Liberia, the physical space is located at the headquarters of Youth Crime Watch of Liberia in Paynesville, in Guinea, it is located at Les Amis Du Futur, and in Cote d'Ivoire, it is located at the grounds of WeCan. However, job is on the way to finalizing the location of the centre in Sierra Leone.

Each of these centres offer training on how to use the virtual space. They also provide high level training in Information Management System, Web Development, Business Entrepreneurship, and Secretarial Science in exchange for volunteer services or for very minimum fees.

The Virtual Space

The Virtual Space of the MRU Youth Communication Hub is a Web-based Application (or website) that allows interactivity, collaboration and organization of youth groups, government agencies as well as local and international NGOs.

The virtual space requires registration to join and can be accessed through the URL, http://my.mruyouthplatform.org. Once you are registered, you can interact with young people within your network, group or your contacts.

Application to join the virtual space is accepted from youth groups, government agencies, local and international NGOs, as well as individuals. Once you have registered, you can visit the physical space in any of the locations above to get training on how to use the virtual space or you can click on links from the tips section on the right to get the latest tutorials.

If you would like to apply, please contact Thomas Barlue, working on the administration of the virtual and physical space in the Mano River Union Basin, on +2316605658/            +23177969319       or email: tbarlue@ycwliberia.org.