Article, by Michael Dezuanni & Prue Miles
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA—————–
The 5th World Summit on Media for Children and Youth held in Karlstad, Sweden in June 2010 provided a unique media literacy experience for approximately thirty young people from diverse backgrounds through participation in the Global Youth Media Council (GYMC). The council aimed to provide its young participants with an opportunity to present their views on global media and youth in the early 21st century. The GYMC brought together youth from approximately twenty countries, including Sweden, Angola, Australia, Bolivia, Germany, Qatar, the USA, and the UK. These represented a range of economically rich and poor countries and included female and male students aged from about fourteen to twenty one. Rarely has a group like this gathered to discuss the impact of media on young people’s lives. The GYMC ran in parallel with the main World Summit sessions, and culminated with a fifteen-minute presentation of recommendations to the Summit delegates during the closing ceremony.