TakingITGlobal

† The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 33 Publications Creating Local Connections http://www.tigurl.org/ar09clc 2009 was a year of reflection as the Creating Local Connections (CLC) engagement program drew to a point of transition after three years of network- building throughout Canada. With the support of the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, the CLC Canada Final Report, Weaving A Movement, was published in June 2009. The publication captures the outcomes and insights gained over the past three years and highlights the achievements of the 50 young Canadians who comprised our national team. Weaving A Movement is a testament to our continued commitment to growing youth leadership, global understanding and collaborative opportunities for youth in Canada. The incredible diversity and reach of the programs under the CLC Canada umbrella showcased the success of individual approaches to networking among small communities. The key insights realized after an analysis of the program included forming and maintaining long-lasting partnerships in local groups to engage youth more successfully, fostering belonging by integrating specialized communities into national network-building, and empowering youth to effect changes within their respective communities. UN-GAID http://www.tigurl.org/ar09ungaid We partnered with the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID) to co-write the publication A Digital Shift: Youth and ICT for Development Best Practices. The GAID Committee of eLeaders for Youth and ICTs conceptualized the idea, and we were at the forefront of the planning, writing, drafting and editing of the publication. The guide focused on young leaders who have successfully used Web 2.0 tools to raise the levels of global awareness and youth involvement in local community development. Written in interview-story format, our main aim was to ensure that the publication provided an accessible medium for young leaders to bring their work to the global stage. The guide was released at the 2009 GAID Global Innovation Forum for Education Monterrey, Mexico, where it was distributed to member states of the General Assembly as an example of the successful and innovative use of Web 2.0 tools and ICTs by youth in peer development. Showcasing the best practices of community transformations through ICT is extremely important and is a key aspect of † UN DESA-GAID's mandate. The development sector must continue advocating these projects to ensure their survival and future growth. Furthermore, much can be learned from these initiatives and they can serve as models for subsequent endeavours. This publication is the result of the hard work and dedication of the e-Leaders led by Jennifer Corriero, and for this I am deeply grateful. –Sarbuland Khan Executive Coordinator of GAID World Summit Youth Award Winners in Monterrey, Mexico

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