Kottayam: Young Malayalee Engineer Jayanth Justin Mundackal won The World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) – a unique global contest which brings together young developers and digital entrepreneurs – under 30 years of age – who use internet and mobile technology to put the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into action and make a difference.
The WSYA selects and promotes best practice in e-Content. It demonstrates young people’s potential to create outstanding digital contents and serves as a platform for people from all UN member states to work together in the efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals – in 6 CATEGORIES:1. Fight Poverty, Hunger and Disease! 2.Education for All! 3. Power 2 Women!4.Create your Culture! 5.Go Green! and 6. Pursue Truth!
Friends2Support is the winner under Fight Poverty, Hunger and Disease!. Friends2Support is the world’s largest voluntary blood donors’ organization which brings together voluntary blood donors and those in need of blood onto a common platform. the organizations main aim is to have a society wherein there is no shortage of blood when required. Friends2Support was founded as an effort to tackle the problem of blood unavailability at the hospital. The organization also promotes the concept of donating blood to save lives, by organizing rallies, events and other activities to spread the word amongst the people. Friends2Support has more than one lakh donors across the country at present and soon targets to reach greater heights and get up to one crore donors in the near future. This website has also launched its mobile applications on various platforms like Windows, iOS, Android and Java, which are absolutely free of cost. This step is a milestone as it is a promising venture to reach a larger number of people and saving a life can be just a touch away. Jayanth Justin is the producer of this application. Abhilash Reddy Kallepu and Ashton Richard DSa are the Co-producers of this project. You can download this application FREE here.
The award winner Jayanth Justin, the grandson of Late M.S Mathew Mundackal and son of Justin Mathew and Theresa Justin (Kochurani -Nadackal), is currently working at Infosys, Trivandrum. He has 2 brothers: Jithin (Engineer) and Jerome (Engineering student).
WSYA winners had the unique opportunity to be part of an international high-energy networking event (with all related costs covered by the organizer). This year’s winners’ event took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from the 24th-26th of October. Hosted by the Sri Lankan Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and in partnership with the World Summit Award (WSA), this 3-days event featured world-class keynote speeches, hands-on workshops and engaging panel discussions about social entrepreneurship and the content industry.
All YA winners had the opportunity to present their projects on a world stage, exchange ideas with their peers and network with renowned experts in the field of ICT for development. Winning the WSYA allows young social entrepreneurs to become part of an international network of young dynamic people, leaders of the ICT industry, academics, govermental organisations and members of the civil society.
The WSYA is organised as a follow up activity of the World Summit on Information Society and its action plan towards the year 2015. The Youth Award is being organised by the World Summit Award Network for the sixth time after 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. It is promoted in all UN member states through the networks of the World Summit Award (WSA) the UN Global Alliance for ICT, other participating UN Organisations and Agencies such as UNESCO and UNIDO, governments and NGOs, youth organisations, and all those committed to making a real difference in the achievement of the MDGs.
The WSYA Team is based at the International Centre for New Media (ICNM), an independent non-profit organisation in Salzburg, Austria.
This is the 6th time the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) will bring together the world’s best e-content producers at this international event designed to be an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange and networking.
Report by: Jaison Mathew [WNN]