The Davos Lab Dialogue builds on the momentum generated from Reset! at The Media Lab conversation series conducted at the end of 2020. The Dialogues provide a space and platform to inspire, empower and connect young people around the world in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic through a grassroots response to shape the future. The Dialogue was carried out in partnership with Global Shapers Thimphu Hub and focused on themes such as Digital Literacy and Future of Politics.
1. Digital Literacy
Views on the current digital consumption and behaviour scenario were discussed which revealed some insights into the lack of awareness on privacy and rights as digital citizens. Speakers also highlighted the need to exercise our responsibility and ethics while generating and consuming information online as citizens. Although policies/legislations can help reduce the incitement of online threats/misuse, individual responsibility is a crucial aspect of digital literacy as well as targeting media literacy programmes to the most vulnerable sections of our population.
2. Future of Politics
Some of the suggestions for what the future of politics and future politicians could look like generated some interesting insights; the need to contextualise ourselves within the fourth industrial revolution helped support the need for future politicians to be flexible, open-minded, calculated risk-taker, and be well-versed in the digital realm. A speaker also emphasised that politics should unite people under one umbrella rather than creating divisions: “We are looking forward to a time where people unanimously come together in spirit and action to elect the right candidates and form the right government”.
Another speaker also mentioned that decision-makers must do away with the “Alu Zhoem with no/less experience” mentality because the policies they are making at the moment will affect the youth in the near future. This only mandates the need to have consultations/dialogues between the people including the younger people and their representatives.