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‘Governments which try to rule through fear will fail,
because people like you will resist them.’ —Michelle Bachelet
TIM BERNERS-LEE
A letter to Nigeria’s STEM studentsThe World Wide Web has improved
millions of lives and transformed how we
communicate, collaborate and create. But
almost half the world’s population remains
unconnected, and digital platforms don’t
work equally well for everyone, with many
women and girls particularly underserved.
When I visited you at the Women’s
Technology Empowerment Centre in Lagos
during the web’s 30th birthday, you filled
me with hope. As you become business-
people, policymakers and content
creators, your skills and perspectives will
help make the web richer for everyone.
You can already make a difference.
When you go online, write about your
experiences and hopes for the future.
Make sure your culture, beliefs and
local languages are represented on the
web. And use your coding skills to solve
challenges specific to Nigeria and WestMICHELLE BACHELET
A letter to young activiststhis is not an easy time to be young,
but it is a great one: a time you, your
ideas and your activism can make a
real difference to humanity. Across the
world, young people are becoming alive
to the urgent need that they participate
in decisions, safeguard human rights
and save our world. I pay tribute to their
brave and peaceful activism. Already,
some governments have responded to
mass protests with significant reforms.
Others have not—not yet. But I am con
fident that your demands will prevail.
As a young woman in Chile, I expe
rienced dictatorship and a deeply po
larized society. I saw what it does to a
country when people are forced to live
in deprivation and fear. But I was also
fortunate to live among people who
manifested compassion and generosity,
even in the face of violence and poverty.
Africa. When you do this you will make life
better for yourself and others in Lagos,
while improving the web as a whole.
Today’s web has challenges we all
need to fix. That’s why I’ve launched a new
Contract for the Web as a global plan for
a web that serves all humanity. We need
tech leaders to design systems that are
safe, empowering and that protect your
rights and democracy. We need companies
to think beyond short-term revenue and
user growth and to develop sustainable
business practices that people trust.
Ambitious, coordinated action and new
web technologies are vital. With your
leadership, the web’s next 30 years will be
greater than the last. I can’t wait to explore
the web that you all create.Berners-Lee is a computer scientist, inven-
tor of the World Wide Web and Inrupt CTOVOICES
Among the many lessons learned: Ha
tred is not baked in to human nature. It
can be healed. And governments which
try to rule through fear will fail because
you, and others like you, will resist.
Remember this: no matter how grave
and tangled the crisis, core values will
steer you to the path of solutions. We
are not alone. Other people matter. Jus
tice matters. By understanding others’
points of view; by acting with integrity
to advance justice; by seeking to build
on your respect for other people and all
forms of life; by looking to construct,
and advance—rather than to destroy—
you will be able to achieve greater
human dignity and human rights.Bachelet is the U.N. High Commissioner
for Human Rights and a former President
of Chile