September 13, 2002—The World Bank Institute launched a new distance learning program this week called "Youth for Good Governance," with participants from schools in Ghana, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Russia, Tanzania, Yugoslavia, and Zambia.

This program is innovative for the World Bank in that it hopes to motivate young people to become agents of change within their own communities by addressing present challenges to good governance. It is will help encourage youth participate in development, which is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming societies.

The program will highlight the important role that young people can play in improving governance in their countries. Students between the ages of 16 and 18 will study important principles of political and economic organization, and how those ideas relate to governance and anti-corruption strategies. Senior government officials, media representatives, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, private sector representatives, and community-based organizations will be invited to participate and interact in some of these sessions.

This is the first phase of a global program designed to be delivered in three phases over a two-year period. The second phase, which will begin early next year, will consist of an Internet-based course in collaboration with the World Links education program* for students and teachers. The third phase, also starting in 2003, will be a social action component in which students from phases one and two will participate in community governance. For example, students will use information and communications technology to monitor how decisions are made in their communities.

Planned activities will expose students to information, evidence, and key components of governance and anti-corruption, and highlight the challenges in addressing corruption and improving governance. Specifically, this program is designed to stimulate a dialogue on governance issues by emphasizing the important role youth can play in demanding accountability and concrete actions from their governments in addressing problems of corruption.

* The World Bank and its partners have established the World Links for Development Program (WorLD) in over 1,000 schools in 23 developing countries.