The Voice of the Youth (VOTY) Network is about encouraging Filipino youth to believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the Philippines. It is a multimedia organisation that seeks to create environments where people are exposed to new thinking, a diversity of voices, and new opportunities. Driven by youth, the goal of the VOTY Network is to foster a sense of leadership and social entrepreneurship through the innovative use of technology and media, creating meaningful experiences for the youth in the Philippines. It seeks to facilitate youth participation and intergenerational partnership in national decision making, to support collaboration among diverse youth organisations, and to provide tools, resources, and recognition to positive youth actions in changing the country. It is part of the Global Youth Action Network International Youth Foundations' Youth Action Net. VOTY was founded in 1996 by a youth advocate, Mr. Pocholo Gonzales, with 4 other radio broadcasters, voice talents, and singers. VOTY Network is headquartered near the University of the Philippines in Diliman and currently has 15 regional networks under development.
Communication Strategies: 

VOTY is centred around youth engagement, partnership, and action. It consists of youth ages 15-31 who are dedicated to empowering their peers through leadership, advocacy, and education. VOTY links youth organisations in every province and region to assure that the youth voice is heard, and provides an opportunity to connect, participate, and act to change their own lives and the lives of their fellow community members. The goal is to make the sharing of information, knowledge, and resources among youth organisations and individuals more efficient to prevent duplication of effort and to facilitate stronger local, national and international collaboration and cooperative youth-adult partnerships. VOTY draws on youth energy to create a national platform for dialogue, self-expression, community involvement, and cultural exploration to ensure that the voices of youth are heard and that their initiatives are supported and acted upon - with concrete community impacts.

Specifically, the VOTY Network uses four main communication channels to facilitate information sharing, dialogue, and collaborative action among Filipino youth: the internet and email, text messaging to cell phones, AM radio, and face-to-face exchanges.

The VOTY website contains information on youth participation; a calendar of local, national and international events; newsletters; and relevant links and issues. It is interactive, providing access to e-mail discussion groups that enable youth to share what they know and network with one another. It also draws on various new technologies, such as online video, blogs, and podcasting to connect youth.

VOTY takes advantage of the extensive use of text messaging in the Philippines to connect youth. The network uses General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), which allows information to be sent and received across a mobile phone network. VOTY had informed and reached more than 100,000 youth through email, and another 5,000 through SMS and is continuously collecting more emails and mobile phone numbers.

The youth-centred VOTY radio programme "Lakas Kabataan, Tinig Kabataan! Recharged! " (Youth Power, Voice Of The Youth!! Recharge!!) airs every Saturday on DZME 1530 khz. from 12-1pm. VOTY believes that AM radio can provide an alternative source of quality information and entertainment. Click here for details about the particular segments.

VOTY also engages in various community-based activities in an effort to empower other youth "to duplicate, innovate or do something different that would have an impact to their communities". Driven by a spirit of cooperation and collaboration, VOTY organises various public policy and awareness campaigns in an effort to encourage and mobilise the energy, commitment, idealism, and experience of young people while highlighting their community contributions. For example, as part of the Clean-Up in Hinulugang Taktak (CU in HT), VOTY helped celebrate the 6th Global Youth in Service Day 2005 by engaging youth in local environmental clean-up projects.

The group also works to develop and support a peer-to-peer learning environment where youth teach each other through workshops aimed at skill-building, showcasing projects, and building mentorship relationships among the network.

Development Issues: 

Youth.

Key Points: 

"Young people - ages 15 to 30 - make up one-third of the Filipino population, they play an increasing large role in the development of Philippine society," says VOTY founder Pocholo Gonzales. "Their attitudes, values, mindset, and priorities have a critical role to play in shaping the future of our country." Technology is thought to be a key tool in facilitating that role: "We believe that media technology, regardless of its advancement, should be fully utilized to be able to reach more to communities and to the grassroots level. Radio and the Internet should go hand in hand in involving the often misrepresented and unrecognized youth [in] nation building."

Partner Text: 

Global Youth Action Network, Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines, Abot Kamay Foundation.

Related Summaries: 
Lakas Kabataan - Tinig Kabataan: Recharged! (LKTKR)
Youth Voices on Air: Walking the Talk on MDG
Source: 

VOTY Network website; and emails from Mr. Pocholo Gonzales to The Communication Initiative on October 5 2006.