Chat Youth Advisory Board
- Jason Atkins, Global Youth Action Netwok
Jason is a friendly and optimistic individual always willing to offer a smile and helping hand. He is an employee of The Associated Press, occasionally co-hosts a public access television variety show and performs as an Artistic Supernumerary in productions at LincolnCenter’s Metropolitan Opera. An avid animal advocate, Jason has been a pure vegetarian since 1999. His affiliation with the Global Youth Action Network has enabled him to help and support major events such as Global Youth Service Day. He is excited about Chat the Planet and contributing to its advisory board.
Dan Bittner, USA
My name is Dan Bittner, I am 20 years old and currently live in New York City and attend MarymountManhattanCollege. I was born in Anchorage, Alaska and lived there until I was 18. My parents divorced when I was 11 and my father re-married. Out of that marriage I now have a 2 and a 1/2 year old little brother named William. I also have an older brother who is 24. I am studying acting at Marymount and hope to be on the stage working for the rest of my life. In the mean time I get work as a DJ in random clubs and parties. Music is a big inspiration in my life and since I can't play any instruments, I thought playing someone else's music would be a happy medium. Hip-hop is my favorite style of music, but I am open to all forms and enjoy listening to anything. I like to consider myself a political activist and take part in any forums, protests, speeches that I can attend if I believe in the cause. I am a strong believer in knowledge is power. If I had any advice to give to anyone it would be to listen and learn from the rest of the world as well as people right here in the USA. We live in an amazing place filled with people who seem to not care anymore. I think this show is taking a step in the opposite direction and I urge you to take their example and run with it.
- Jennifer Corriero, TakingITGlobal (View Profile)
Jennifer Corriero, Co-Founder and Executive DirectorAn innovator and youth leader, Jennifer is committed to making a difference in the world. She was by far the youngest of 100 people recognized in 2002 as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. Prior to TIG, Jennifer consulted for numerous companies including Xerox, Swatch, and Microsoft, for whom she spent six months at their Seattle headquarters advising senior executives on how the next generation will use technology. She has attended and spoken at numerous events including the World Economic Forum, the State of the World Forum, TED, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Presently Jennifer is a member of the Campaign Committee of the Youth Employment Summit, and an ambassador for Pollution Probe. She was named Canada's Young Wired Woman of the Year in 2001, and was honoured with a 2003 Management Achievement Award from McGillUniversity in 2003. - Bridgette Dunlap, USA
Hailing from San Jose, California, I moved to New York City to attend NYU where I studied drama and comparative literature. Before graduating, I raveled throughout Eastern Europe studying alternative theater and folk drama. My favorite directing projects include The Vagina Monologues for the V-day College Initiative to raise money and awareness to stop violence against women, The Frog Prince and The Little Prince for the Atlantic Theater's kid's series, and my adaptation of Sylvia Plath's Johnny Panic an dthe Bible of Dreams in the New York Fringe Festival. This summer I will be leaving the EastVillage where I reside and the law firm where I work and heading for the Williamstown Theater Festival.
- Fahim Farook, Young Asia Television
Fahim is a computer professional who has been involved in networked communication from the electronic Bulletin Board System (BBS) days and has been involved in. He has been online and an active participant in the Internet phenomena since the early 90s. In addition to working with computers, Fahim has also been a freelance journalist and involved in television production work. He has been working with YA*TV since its inception and has been involved in youth related media in his work for them – both as a writer and a producer on several television programmes. - Dan Freilich, Teenline TV/Unspoken
Dan is currently a sophomore at DukeUniversity in Durham, NC. He has produced TV documentaries, studio interview shows, print and radio news stories, and sports broadcasts. He first started working in television at age 15, when he created the "Teenline" cable TV series. He recruited friends, contacted sponsors, and pitched the TV concept to a local cable station. Two years later, "Teenline" won a national award for youth TV, reached over 8 million potential viewers in 10 cities, and involved over 50 youth producers. Before creating "Teenline," Dan was a member of the journalism organization Children's Express. He produced print, radio, and TV stories for USA Today Online, NPR's All Things Considered, PBS Online Newshour, and ZDF German TV. He co-produced a TV program for PBS on diversity, co-anchored alongside ABC's Carole Simpson on an internet TV show called Space Day, and covered the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. He is currently working at the Durham Bulls Baseball Club as broadcast producer of televised games for FOX 50 in Durham, NC. He has also worked as a broadcast production member for the Duke Men’s Basketball Team. Dan is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. - Ha Lan Anh, Young Journalists Group - Vietnam (View Profile)
Lan Anh is an 18 year old woman full of youth spirit and positive energy from Vietnam who is entering university this year. She has been a child's rights activist from the age of 13. In 1998,at 14, she co-founded the Young Journalists Group -Voice of Vietnam, a group of 300 children and youth who broadcast nationally, reporting on news pertinent to youth, including the children’s rights, environment, gender issues and youth empowerment. The programs air twice weekly to 30 million listeners . They also publish the monthly Voices of Youth Newsletter which is distributed to various organizations working on youth and children issues in Vietnam. One of the current project she is working on is to establish a youth media team that involved working, street and differently abled children and youth. Besides, Lan Anh is a youth columnist for the Student Magazine which has 10 000 student readers all over Vietnam. She also serves as youth adviser for the minister of Vietnam on children's issues and youth advisor for the Global Youth Action Network. She loves music, techology, culture, adventures, dreams, food, writing and inspirations. - Nick Moraitis, Youth Creating Digital Opportunities (View Profile)
I am a 20 year old Australian, but right now I live in Toronto, Canada, where I work at the headquarters of TakingITGlobal. We are a global network of youth spanning 190 countries. At TIG I coordinate strategy, partnerships, and "Youth Creating Digital Opportunities", a project to involve young people in action to bridge the digital divide. As part of this project, I'm helping facilitate youth involvement in the UN's upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). I'm involved in a number of other UN activities too. Last year, the Foreign Minister appointed me to the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, which is the UN's education and culture organization, and I've participated in the Australian delegation to WSIS preparation meetings and the UNESO General Conference. I got involved in international projects when I was 15, after I wrote an essay and was selected to attend the Junior Summit 1998, held at the MIT Media Lab in Boston. At the Junior Summit we launched a project called "Nation1" to empower youth online, and after I finished high school I moved to New York to help make it happen. Along the way, I've become a big advocate for youth's potential with technology, writing a book called "Cyberscene" to help teenagers get online, speaking at lots of events (like the National Innovation Summit, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and Asia Telecom), and travelling to meet up with my new "global friends" in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. - Talia Sanhewe, South Africa
My name is Talia Sanhewe and I am 21. I was born in Zimbabwe, raised in England and live in South Africa. This makes me a pretty interesting and diverse person due to the many countries in which I have lived. I am presently studying towards a BA Film and Media degree at the University of Cape Town. I host a talk show on the campus radio station and absolutely love the energy of being on air! I am equally passionate about global issues, continental issues and national issues. I want to make a constructive contribution to arguments, comments and debates. I want to be someone that uses the media as a catalyst for change. A catalyst that makes people change their paradigms and explore new horizons. And Chat the planet is such a vehicle, and I am extremely happy to be involved with a media project that tackles global issues head-on, direct and candidly. - Markette Smith, YouthNOISE
Markette Smith is a 22 year-old journalist and teen advocate from Los Angeles, CA. She is currently the Content Producer for YouthNOISE, a teen action web site in Washington, DC. Prior to YouthNOISE, Markette worked with teens from all over the world as a summer program coordinator for the Foundation for Teaching Economics and as a volunteer at L’Heritage Francais, a French immersion school in Los Angeles. Always up for an adventure, Markette lived in France (and out of her backpack at times) for a while before graduating from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a B.A. in Communications and minor in French. She loves to travel and would someday like to take off on a backpacking tour of Costa Rica. For now, Markette is focusing on her writing and her passion for empowering teens.
Auskar Surbakti, Australia
Auskar Surbakti is 19-years-old and comes from Melbourne, Australia. He is currently studying Journalism and Politics at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University. As well as studying, he is actively involved in a number of other extra-curricular activities. Namely, he is an Executive member of the United Nations Youth Association (UNYA) in Australia- an organization for youth, run by youth. As well educating young people on the United Nations, UNYA works to inform and engage young people in the local and global issues that affect them, whether directly or not. Auskar is also involved with other organizations in Australia, including Amnesty International; Future Leaders Australia; and is a peer counselor for Kids’ Helpline, an organization that offers advice and referrals for young people with any problems. He has also attended various youth forums, including The Hague International Model United Nations and the Youth Assembly, both in the Netherlands; the United Nations Youth Conference in Australia; and other youth initiatives on various social justice issues. Auskar appeared on the Australian-American edition of Chat the Planet, and was on the "Immigration" discussion panel. He enjoyed it immensely and said it was an extremely innovative and worthwhile experience. He looks forward to his involvement in the Youth Advisory Board and can’t wait to see what this has in store!