- Khadija Hamouchi
Introductory
Event Organizer(s)
Description
The Arab region is home to one of the world’s youngest populations, yet young people remain under-represented in the processes that shape ICT and telecommunications policy. This three-day, face-to-face bootcamp, delivered by the ITU Regional Office for the Arab States in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications of Djibouti, equips young Djiboutian participants with essential diplomacy skills for 21st-century technologies.
Participants learn the foundations of technology diplomacy, policymaking, negotiation and consensus-building. They then put these skills into practice by reviewing a mock-up Meaningful Engagement Policy and Strategy for Arab Youth in the ICT and Telecommunications Sector (2026–2031), deemed as the first youth-led policy framework of its kind in the Arab States and the UN system. Working in breakout groups, they review and refine policy actions across five pillars to find consensus among five stakeholder groups. Through debates, role-play and group presentations, participants leave with practical skills, a concrete policy contribution and a place in a regional network of young Arab technology leaders.
Target population
This course is designed for 25-30 young Djiboutian people aged 18 to 24 who reside in Djibouti, with gender parity (half young women, half young men). It targets students and young professionals in ICT and telecommunications, and in international relations and public policy, who want to take part in national, regional and global digital policy processes. The cohort includes Generation Connect Youth Envoys from 2026-2029.
Entry requirements
Qualifications or experience needed to participate in this training course:
- Djiboutian nationality, aged 18 to 24 and residing in Djibouti.
- Current studies or early professional experience in ICT and telecommunications, or in international relations and public policy.
- Working proficiency in French.
- Completion of the pre-class reading/listening materials (podcasts, videos) on technology diplomacy before the bootcamp.
Selection criteria:
- Nomination by the Ministry of Communications of Djibouti.
- Gender parity: half young women and half young men.
- A balanced mix of technical (ICT/telecommunications) and policy (international relations/public policy) backgrounds.
- A history of social impact and volunteering, ideally.
Number of available places for the cohort: 25 - 30 participants
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the concept of technology diplomacy, identify its main actors and distinguish it from traditional diplomacy in terms of actors, speed and tools.
- Explain and apply the main stages of policymaking to technology-related challenges, from identifying policy problems and priorities to formulating policy responses.
- Analyse the five pillars, objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) of the Meaningful Youth Engagement in the Technology Sector Policy Framework, including the interdependencies between the pillars.
- Apply interest-based negotiation and consensus-building techniques in a structured role-play, and evaluate proposed compromises against stakeholders’ interests, priorities and alternatives.
- Draft and present a concise policy statement representing a chosen stakeholder group's position on meaningful youth engagement in the technology sector, supported by clear rationale and actionable recommendations aligned with the policy framework.
Methodology
The bootcamp follows a participatory, youth-led co-creation methodology that combines capacity building in technology diplomacy with hands-on policy development. Every concept introduced in plenary is immediately applied in group work, so that participants learn by producing a real policy output.
The approach combines:
- Self-study: pre-class reading/listening materials on technology diplomacy completed before the bootcamp.
- Interactive plenary sessions: short expert presentations with real-world examples of technology diplomacy, ethics, negotiation, governance and stakeholder engagement.
- Debate and group discussion: participants argue positions and weigh trade-offs between ethical principles.
- Simulation: a structured negotiation role-play applying interest-based and consensus-building techniques.
- Collaborative policy design: breakout groups use templates to review and refine policy actions for each of the five policy pillars to apply diplomatic engagement principles.
- Peer learning and presentations: groups present their outputs in plenary for feedback and discussion.
- Reflection: daily recaps and wrap-ups, and a closing session on key takeaways and the way forward.
Assessment and grading
There is no formal graded assessment for this training workshop. Progress towards the learning objectives is checked formatively throughout the bootcamp through the debate, the negotiation role-play, the group outputs and the group presentations, with feedback from the facilitators and peers.
Acknowledgment of participation will be issued through the ITU Academy Learning Management System.
Acknowledgement of participation
Learners who attend and engage with the course will receive an ITU Academy acknowledgement of participation.
Training details and instructional approach
Programme Overview
Day 1 – Foundations of Technology Diplomacy and the Policy Framework
Introduction to the ITU and its role in technology diplomacy, key concepts and actors in technology diplomacy, policymaking fundamentals, and the five pillars of the policy framework for meaningful youth engagement in the technology sector.
Day 2 – Negotiation and Co-creation of Policy Actions
Negotiation and consensus-building techniques, stakeholder mapping and interests, and collaborative review and development of policy actions under the first three pillars of the policy framework.
Day 3 – Implementation, Governance and Stakeholder Engagement
Review of policy actions under the remaining pillars, presentation and discussion of proposed policy statements, and identification of key takeaways and next steps.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
