The Intersection of Youth and Open Source

"The reality is that young people want to be included in decision making, not just to consume what has been prepared by a few, where they don't have any say or options."

Where did I read this? In an open-source manifesto from a young technologist? From a young activist? Or was it voiced during the Global Digital Compact consultations? 

The second answer is correct: these were the words of a young man in Nairobi, Kenya, during recent ‘Gen-Z protests’.

 The other two answers are also true. I’ve heard many versions of this statement from social impact tech entrepreneurs in emerging economies. They all want to be a “part of the solution” and shape the digital architecture that will address the biggest challenges in their local contexts. This sentiment has reverberated throughout the Global Digital Compact process.  

In a recent UNICEF poll, only 34 per cent of youth believed that they have complete control and influence on how technology will impact their lives over the next 10 years. Just as young people feel excluded from developing traditional systems of governance, many also experience disenfranchisement when it comes to contributing to the creation of future Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

 Why does this matter? It’s naive of those leading global digital transformation to assume that young people will want to use tools and platforms they can’t influence or control. On the contrary, today’s youth are revolutionary, and retain the power to turn against structures and processes that don’t meet their needs – this includes DPI and its builders.  

What does open source have to do with this? Open source technology refers to software or technology where the original source code is freely available to the public. It can be viewed, modified, and distributed without restriction, encouraging collaboration, transparency, fostering innovation within the tech community.

UNICEF Office of Innovation is committed to open source and its Venture Fund supports open source youth-led tech solutions. We collaborate with partners and governments to integrate the open-source component into youth digital skilling curricula. In the Global Digital Process, we have emphasized that open source and Digital Public Goods (DPGs) must be foundational to future DPI if we want the next generation to own and maintain it.

When young people learn about open source and the ability to develop DPGs, they receive a clear message on the guiding principles of tech justice to shape an inclusive and equitable digital future. They understand that technology can either foster digital sovereignty and local capacity or diminish them. Open source excites young people and channels their optimism for tech to create transformative solutions.

The intersection of open source and young people is the most important alliance for the future of digital transformation. It may be the only intersection that truly matters for achieving a fair and sustainable digital future.