Criss-cross of digital margins for effective inclusion | IGF 2023 Town Hall #150

Mohammad Atif Aleem

The study conducted by Atif in collaboration with the Alexander von Humboldt Institute of Internet Society sheds light on the low internet access and digital inclusion in Southeast Asian countries, particularly in Vietnam. This finding highlights the pressing need to increase internet connectivity and promote digital participation in the region. On a positive note, the study acknowledges the potential of new digital technologies in improving internet access and inclusion.

Furthermore, Atif, a research analyst at a reputable IT consulting firm, emphasizes the importance of addressing digital access for disadvantaged groups in India. The study reveals that only 29% of rural areas in India have internet penetration, indicating a significant digital divide. The Digital India and Skill India initiatives have been implemented to improve access and bridge this gap. However, there remains a concern for the digital inclusion of disadvantaged groups, underscoring the need for innovative approaches.

In order to expand high-speed internet connectivity in remote or inaccessible areas, the study suggests exploring innovative solutions. Examples provided include Google’s Internet Saathi initiative, which aims to provide internet access to rural women through community networks. Additionally, the use of low earth orbit satellites, community radios, and collaborations between major integrators of digital networks and organizations such as MIT Sloan India Lab are highlighted as potential tools to overcome challenges in expanding connectivity.

The study also recognizes the importance of inclusive technology for people with disabilities. Carlos Pereira’s Livox app is highlighted as a prime example of inclusive technology, as it was deemed the best inclusion app by the United Nations. Developed for Clara, Pereira’s daughter with cerebral palsy, the app has since been adopted by individuals with various disabilities.

Collaborations between private entities, governments, and other companies are considered necessary for significant impact on digital activities and inclusion. The study cites examples of Google consulting the government of India and collaborating with Facebook for its Internet Saathi program, further emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to explore various modes of partnerships, including seeking guidance from academia and participating in internet governance schools. These collaborations can provide valuable insights and expertise in navigating the digital landscape and promoting digital inclusion.

To support digital inclusion efforts, the study suggests funding sources such as NGOs, such as the Internet Society, as well as participation in hackathons by IT software firms. These initiatives can provide resources and support necessary to address the challenges and barriers to digital inclusion.

In conclusion, the study highlights the low internet access and digital inclusion in Southeast Asian countries, particularly Vietnam, underlining the urgent need for increased connectivity and participation. It explores various approaches such as new digital technologies, inclusive technology for people with disabilities, innovative solutions for remote areas, collaborations between different stakeholders, and funding sources to address these challenges and achieve digital inclusion.

Anna

The discussions focused on the barriers that marginalised youth face in internet governance and the importance of inclusive participation. It was highlighted that these barriers stem from various social, economic, political, and cultural contexts. By identifying and understanding these factors, it becomes possible to develop effective practices and policies that promote digital inclusion.

One of the key points made was the need for concerted efforts to navigate and dissolve these barriers. It was emphasised that a collective approach is necessary to achieve the inclusive participation of marginalised youth in internet governance. Participants stressed the importance of unpacking these factors comprehensively in order to recognise and address the solutions that address the issue as a whole.

Anna expressed concern regarding digital access and participation barriers specific to certain regions. Unfortunately, no further details or supporting facts were provided on this topic, but it indicates that there are unique challenges faced by marginalised youth in different geographical areas.

Another important area of interest was strategies and practices that promote meaningful participation for young people in internet governance. Participants discussed the significance of engaging young people in decision-making processes and ensuring their voices are heard. It was recognised as a positive step towards reducing inequalities and empowering young individuals to actively contribute to internet governance. Unfortunately, no specific strategies or practices were mentioned in the provided information.

The discussions also touched upon the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation in advancing the inclusion and participation of young people in internet governance. Successful initiatives were highlighted, involving collaborations between the private sector and government to boost participation. It was considered ideal to have stakeholders from multiple sectors working together to address the challenges faced by marginalised youth.

In conclusion, the discussions highlighted the barriers faced by marginalised youth in internet governance, such as social, economic, political, and cultural factors. The importance of mapping these factors and developing comprehensive solutions to promote digital inclusion was emphasised. It was acknowledged that concerted efforts and a multi-stakeholder approach are necessary to enable the inclusive participation of marginalised youth in internet governance. However, more specific strategies and practices need to be explored to achieve meaningful participation and address region-specific challenges.

Pavel Farhan

The analysis includes several speakers discussing different aspects of internet access and inclusion. One of the main voices in this discussion is Pavel, a program officer at the Asian Institute of Technology. Pavel’s work is heavily grounded in technology and academia, and he also represents civil society. He is passionate about promoting equal internet access for minority groups and believes in the importance of youth participation in internet governance. Pavel strives to create opportunities for inclusive internet access and highlights the significance of youth involvement in the multi-stakeholder process.

Another topic highlighted in the analysis is the significant barriers to digital access faced by underprivileged and underrepresented groups in Bangladesh. These barriers include limited internet infrastructure in rural areas, prohibitive costs of internet access for those in low-income communities, lack of digital literacy skills, and the language barrier, as not all online content is available in the primary language of Bangladesh, Bangla. These challenges have a drastic impact on the digital inclusion of vulnerable communities.

However, there are government-led initiatives that aim to address these barriers. The ‘InfoLadies’ programme, for instance, involves women travelling to rural areas to provide internet services, thus improving digital literacy and access. Additionally, the ‘Bcash’ mobile finance initiative has provided opportunities for people without traditional bank accounts to engage in digital transactions, promoting economic inclusion. These initiatives play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide and ensuring that underprivileged individuals have access to the digital world.

Educational institutions are identified as key players in reducing the digital divide and fostering internet governance literacy among youth. While there is a push for more digital literacy in general, there is not enough focus on specific courses teaching internet governance. The analysis stresses the importance of equipping students with the necessary skills to navigate the online world and understand the implications of their digital actions. It suggests that universities should foster leadership and create opportunities for students to advocate for their online rights by hosting forums, clubs, and events related to digital inclusion and governance.

Furthermore, universities contribute to addressing the digital divide by conducting research and gathering data on internet access and usage. This research helps identify gaps in access and usage, allowing policymakers to make informed decisions. Universities can also play a vital role in equipping students with essential digital skills through structured programs.

Overall, the extended analysis showcases the importance of various stakeholders, including individuals like Pavel, government initiatives, and educational institutions, in promoting equal access to the internet and fostering digital literacy. It highlights the need for collaboration and multi-stakeholder involvement to bridge the digital divide and ensure that underprivileged and underrepresented groups have equal opportunities in the digital world.

Jaewon Son

The analysis of the given statements highlights several important points raised by multiple speakers. Jeewon, for example, emphasizes the significance of including citizens and people in policymaking and urban development. This belief is supported by her PhD research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, which focuses on this very topic. Furthermore, Jeewon also recognizes the connection between internet governance and social/environmental issues. Her experience with the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Program has led her to understand that internet governance is not only a technological concept but also relevant to daily life and social and environmental issues.

In addition to these points, Jeewon advocates for the inclusion and increase of youth and citizen participation in internet-related matters. However, there are no specific supporting facts provided for this argument. Nevertheless, it can be inferred that Jeewon believes that the active involvement of young people and citizens in internet governance is essential for reducing inequalities and promoting industry and innovation.

Another notable observation made in the analysis is the emphasis on digital needs and stakeholder participation in advanced internet environments, particularly in South Korea. The supporting facts mentioned include the country’s strong internet connection and high smartphone ownership. However, it is also noted that while basic digital needs are met in South Korea, stakeholder participation is an additional stage that needs to be achieved. This suggests that there is a need for increased engagement and involvement of stakeholders in shaping internet governance policies.

Furthermore, the analysis brings attention to the impact of cultural barriers and gender imbalance on stakeholder participation in internet governance discussions. In the Korea Internet Governance Committee, for instance, Jaewon Son was the only youth and one of the few women representatives, while most participants were male IT professors. This observation highlights the need for addressing cultural and gender disparities to achieve more inclusive and diverse stakeholder involvement.

The analysis also points out a negative factor affecting youth commitment to internet governance – concerns about job security. Many Korean youths, it is mentioned, quit involvement in internet governance due to fears of not securing a job in their field. This suggests that job security is a significant barrier to sustained youth participation in internet governance initiatives.

Lastly, the need for more understanding and opportunities in internet governance for individuals from different backgrounds is highlighted. The speaker expresses the belief that skills learnt in internet governance can be beneficial in various fields outside of IT. It is also argued that it is important for more people to understand what internet governance is about. As such, the speaker supports the idea of promoting internet governance education and creating more accessible opportunities for individuals with diverse majors and backgrounds.

In conclusion, the analysis reveals the importance of including citizens and people in policymaking and urban development, as well as the connection between internet governance and social/environmental issues. It underscores the need for increased youth and citizen participation in internet-related matters and emphasizes the significance of meeting both digital needs and stakeholder involvement in advanced internet environments. The impact of cultural barriers, gender imbalance, and job security concerns on stakeholder participation is also highlighted. Furthermore, the analysis brings attention to the importance of more understanding and opportunities in internet governance for individuals from different majors and backgrounds. Overall, the insights gained from the analysis shed light on various aspects of internet governance and its implications for inclusive and sustainable development.

Audience

Throughout the conversation, there was repeated emphasis on the act of saying goodbye, with multiple individuals expressing their intention to leave. This repetition not only served as a common theme, but also underscored the significance of this action. The frequent utterance of “bye” could suggest a desire for closure or a need to conclude the discussion. It could also indicate a sense of politeness and respect among the participants, as they take the time to bid farewell before departing.

Furthermore, the repetition of “bye” might indicate a strong emotional connection among the conversationalists, as they repeatedly express their desire to part ways. It could be seen as a way of acknowledging the shared experience and expressing gratitude for the interaction. This repetition in saying goodbye could serve as a gesture of goodwill, reinforcing the positive nature of the discussion.

One could also interpret the repeated “bye” as a form of social ritual or convention. In many cultures, it is customary to exchange pleasantries and bid farewell before leaving a conversation or gathering. By adhering to this cultural norm, the speakers demonstrate their adherence to social etiquette and appropriate behavior.

In conclusion, the repeated use of “bye” during the conversation serves as a common and notable theme. It signifies the desire for closure, politeness, emotional connection, and adherence to social conventions. This emphasis on saying goodbye reinforces the cordial and respectful nature of the interaction, underscoring the importance placed on proper communication and social etiquette.

Tatiana Houndjo

Tatiana Houndjo is an IT professional from the Benin Republic in West Africa. She works as an IT system and infrastructure engineer in a private company with branches in Ivory Coast, Niger, and Togo. Her role involves helping businesses and governments implement digital technologies as part of their processes. Tatiana provides support and guidance in the adoption of digital tools and technologies, ensuring their efficient integration into existing systems, and assisting in the resolution of technical issues.

In addition to her work in the IT field, Tatiana is actively involved in the internet governance ecosystem. She was selected for the Women’s DNS Academy Fellowship in 2018, which marked the beginning of her journey in this domain. Since then, she has led various projects and programs to promote women’s participation in internet governance. Her efforts were recognized, and she was elected as the vice chair for a two-year term.

Tatiana firmly advocates for the importance of digital tools and technologies in today’s world. She believes that embracing these tools and technologies is essential for businesses and governments to stay competitive and drive innovation. Her work focuses on assisting organizations in implementing these tools and technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and overall performance.

However, Tatiana also highlights the need to consider the hierarchy of needs for young people. She acknowledges that many young individuals struggle with basic needs and are unable to actively participate in internet governance discussions. It is challenging for them to engage when their basic needs, such as access to food and shelter, are not met. Therefore, initiatives must address these fundamental needs before expecting their active participation.

Furthermore, Tatiana stresses the need for meaningful participation of young people in the internet governance ecosystem. She believes that their insights and perspectives are valuable and should be considered in decision-making processes. She advocates for partnerships between stakeholders to create inclusive environments that empower young people to contribute and have their voices heard.

An important challenge highlighted by Tatiana is the inequality in internet usage. There is a clear divide between those who have access to the internet and information and those who do not. Additionally, there is a discrepancy in the efficient use of the internet. Bridging this divide is crucial to achieve SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Efforts should be made to ensure equitable access to the benefits of the internet.

Lastly, Tatiana raises concerns about the lack of meaningful data to monitor and evaluate actions in the internet governance ecosystem. She emphasizes the need for young people, private companies, and governments to collect relevant data that can provide insights into internet usage and its impact. The Internet Society’s initiative, Internet.Beijing, is an example of a project aimed at monitoring internet usage. Such initiatives are essential for informed decision-making and evidence-based actions.

In conclusion, Tatiana Houndjo, an IT professional and an active participant in the internet governance ecosystem, advocates for the importance of digital tools and technologies. She supports businesses and governments in implementing these tools and technologies. However, she also recognizes the need to address the hierarchy of needs for young people and ensure their meaningful participation in internet governance discussions. Additionally, she highlights the inequality in internet usage and the lack of meaningful data to monitor and evaluate actions. By addressing these challenges, stakeholders can work towards achieving SDG 9 and SDG 10, promoting industry, innovation, infrastructure, and reduced inequalities.

Rashad Sanusi

Rashad Sanusi, a technical support at Digital Grassroots, is taking the initiative to commence a discussion centered around the crucial topics of digital inclusion and Internet Governance. This discussion will involve four speakers who will share their personal experiences and insights on the issue of digital inclusion within their respective communities. Through this, Rashad aims to shed light on the barriers to internet access and explore potential solutions in order to promote widespread inclusivity.

Rashad’s emphasis on understanding the barriers to internet access highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of these challenges and finding ways to overcome them. By delving into the root causes of limited internet access, Rashad aims to generate discussion and brainstorm practical strategies that can empower individuals and communities to navigate and overcome these hurdles effectively.

Moreover, Rashad’s goal is to foster an interactive and inclusive environment during the discussion. This creates an atmosphere where participants feel encouraged to contribute and exchange ideas freely. By promoting dialogue and collaboration, Rashad seeks to cultivate an atmosphere that is conducive to exploring innovative approaches to digital inclusion.

Rashad’s advocacy for inclusivity in Internet Governance signifies the importance of ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard, especially those at the grassroots level. He believes that by comprehensively understanding the challenges faced by individuals in these communities, policies and initiatives can be developed that align with their needs. Rashad contends that through inclusivity, the decision-making process will be more representative and effective in addressing the collective needs of all stakeholders involved.

In conclusion, Rashad Sanusi’s discussion on digital inclusion and Internet Governance aims to tackle the barriers to internet access and promote inclusivity. By bringing together speakers to share their experiences and perspectives, Rashad hopes to foster an interactive and inclusive environment that facilitates collaboration and generates innovative solutions. Through his advocacy for inclusivity in Internet Governance, Rashad emphasizes the need to consider the voices of those at the grassroots level, ensuring their needs are prioritized in decision-making processes.

Rashad Sanusi:
you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you Okay, can you hear me online? Okay, hi everyone. Okay, good morning, good afternoon. Depending on where you are, I am Rashad Sanusi, technical support at Digital Grassroots, and I am thrilled to welcome you all to this session on digital inclusion. So for this session, I will share my screen before we start. Our session will follow this outline. Let me share my screen. Okay, I want to share my screen. Sorry for that, I just want to share my screen. It’s okay now, thank you. We can continue. So I am Rashad Sanusi, and I’m super happy to have you all for this session, for this session on digital inclusion, and this session will follow this outline. First we have the welcome and introduction, and after we have an introduction and a nice breakout before the panel discussion, where we have four amazing speakers. They will share their experience about digital inclusion in their own community, and after that we will go for Q&A and participant insights before the closing remarks. So as I was saying, I’m super happy to have you all today for this session, and I am here with my colleague Anna, and we are happy to moderate this session. So to start, today we embark on the journey to explore digital inclusion and how this intersects with our participation in Internet Governance. So this session is about to know how we are faced, how our community are facing the barrier to access to Internet, and also what are the challenges we are facing in our community about Internet Governance. So by understanding this challenge, we will make sure that we know how we can be more engaged in this space, so we can have our voice heard and also know the challenge we are facing at the grassroots level. So our aim today is to create an interactive and inclusive environment where everyone can be invited to share their own view, and how we can break this barrier to help everybody to be engaged in Internet Governance. So I will invite Anna for the

Anna:
next part of the session. Thank you. Thank you. Hi everyone, thank you so much for joining us. I’ve been having some issues with my audio, so please let me know if you can hear me well. Yes, we can hear you. Amazing. Yeah, thank you so much to all of you for joining us. And as Rashad mentioned, navigating through intersectional access and participation in Internet Governance, we recognize a vast area of barriers, notably impacting marginalized youth. And this challenge is streaming from different factors, social, economic, political, cultural, and other contexts present distinct obstacles in different environments. And we believe that unpacking these factors is vital in enabling us to recognize and map solutions that fully grasp the issue and also leverage our collective insight toward effective practices and policies. And to start the session on the note of a collaborative exploration, we invite you to share words or phrases that come to your mind when you think about the barriers faced by the marginalized youth. Through the Menti, I’m going to screen share. Rashad, would you mind to stop screen sharing for a moment so I can screen share? Thank you. So we invite you to join us in Menti and share some of your thoughts about this issue before we proceed to the panel. I believe you should be able to see my screen. So please use the code that you can see 1525 4103 and let us know your thoughts. Thank you so much for for contributing your ideas. I can see that quite, quite an array of issues. And yeah, I think that this work cloud reflects the collective acknowledgement of these barriers. And also we can see how diverse they are. Something that I was mentioning earlier that the intersection of different factors and contexts that come into arena when we talk about inclusive participation and access. And this is something that we hope to discuss today during the panel discussion with our amazing speakers and to see how we can leverage this knowledge. Keeping in mind is this visualization and this map that we have on the screen and how we can navigate these issues to promote the meaningful participation of young people in internet governance across different contexts. And I will now give the word to Rasha to present our guest speakers that will dig deeper into this conversation and guide us through this discussion.

Rashad Sanusi:
Thank you, Anna. We continue our session, and the next part is about the panel, and we have four amazing speakers, and I will let them introduce themselves, but before I will introduce themselves shortly, and also let them to say something before I will give them the floor. So, we have Muhammad Atif Alin. He’s from India, and he is currently engaged as a research analyst in TCS, and also he has a relevant background in research, consultancy, information technology, and sustainability, and internet governance. Also, we have Jeroen Schoen. She’s a doctoral researcher at the Kaushik Institute of Technology with a passion for multi-stakeholder model in internet governance. She’s also an ICANN fellow, an APNIC fellow, and also a PGA fellow. We also have Tatiana Fungio from Benin, an IT professional who works to protect, she advocates for women’s rights, and also Tatiana serves as a digital expert at the AU, AU Youth Corporation Hub, monitoring and advising development projects in IT. We also have Pavel. He works as a program officer at the Internet Education and Research Lab at AIT in Thailand. He has been strongly involved in internet governance since 2019. So, I will let them to introduce themselves better, so I will give the floor to Mohammed after Jeroen can continue, and Tatiana, and after Pavel. So, Atif, over to you. Okay, so thank you so much, Rashid, and I’m really excited to be here on this panel to speak on digital access and inclusion. So, is this just an introductory remarks that we have to give, or is there any topic you have in mind that we need to? Yes, just introduction, and I will guide you to the session, to the panel after. So.

Mohammad Atif Aleem:
Okay, because you already gave such a nice introduction of everyone.

Rashad Sanusi:
Yeah, I want you to talk more about you before we continue.

Mohammad Atif Aleem:
So. Okay, yeah. So, yeah, my name is Atif, and as Rashid introduced me, I have been working as a research analyst for Tata Consultancy Services, which is one of the major IT consulting firm based in India, and it has offices across the world. So, as in my current engagement, I am based out of Sweden. I’m working in the Stockholm office of the TCS, where I research on the latest technologies that have been evolving in the banking, in the retail, or in the innovative digital sector, and how it can help businesses to bridge the gap in bringing modern technologies to the public and the forum. And in my previous experience of internet governance, I have been working on various issues like privacy, digital divide, access, inclusion, and I also collaborated with Alexander Wohn Humboldt Institute of Internet Society recently in studying about the Vietnamese digital inclusion sector and the state of farmers working in Vietnam. So, we did a holistic study on Southeast Asia countries where digital access has been minimum and how to increase that, how new digital technologies could act as lever is something we pondered about. And I would like to share those insights as well when the discussions would go on during the deliberations of this session. So, I’m excited for this session as it would not only bring about how these technologies could help all of us, which of course have been the discussion of IGF as always, but from a gender lens, from a youth lens, from a holistic inclusion lens, how it could manifest into something which can be a purpose-driven approach to help all the stakeholders that are there in the multi-stakeholder approach that is being given in the internet sector’s domain is something I’m really excited to talk about. So, look forward to this interactive session. Thank you.

Rashad Sanusi:
Okay, thank you so much, Atif. I will let Jeewon to tell more about herself. Thank you, Jeewon.

Jaewon Son:
Hi, I’m Jeewon from Korea, and currently I’m based in Germany. I’m doing my PhD at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Before that, my master was more focusing on how do people assess in basic needs, such as internet and water in developing countries. And now I’m more focusing on how do we engage more citizens and people when we are making such policies and development for the urban settings. So, I think my first internet governance experience was when I joined APICA, Asia Pacific Internet Governance Program in Korea. And I think during that time, I learned how actually my work and research can be also related to internet governance, because I think in Korea, as I use internet governance was not a familiar topic that everyone knows. And I think it was great opportunity for me to learn about it and see how internet issues are not only like technological concept itself, but also linked to our daily life and social and environmental concepts. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to talk with all the other speakers and see how can we also include more youth and increase more citizens in internet. Thank you.

Rashad Sanusi:
Okay, thank you so much, Jiwon. Tatiana, you have the floor.

Tatiana Houndjo:
Hi, everyone. Can you just confirm that you can hear me clearly?

Rashad Sanusi:
Yes, we can.

Tatiana Houndjo:
Thank you, amazing. Hi, everyone again. My name is Tatiana Wunjo. I’m from Benin Republic, which is a West African country. So, creating from Benin, if you come to Benin every day, every day in West Africa, make sure you put Benin in your list of country to visit. So, as Harsha said before, I’m an IT professional. I work as an IT system and infrastructure engineer in a private company here in Benin, but also with branches in Ivory Coast, in Niger, and also in Togo. Basically, my everyday work focus on how to help businesses and also government to implement digitalization, digital tools, digital technologies as part of their processes. And as part of this work, I’m happy to have worked on various projects, including public services and so on in Benin. But besides my, I would say my cap as a professional, I’m also engaged in the internet governance ecosystem. This journey started in 2018, when I got selected for a fellowship, which is a Women’s DNS Academy Fellowship in Benin. Because of this, it was like a five days training. And after that, I got engaged with Internet Society. And since then, I’m happy to have joined different projects, different programs. I also got, became the program lead of the Women in Internet program. I’m happy to talk about that later as part of the discussion. And I also got elected to become the vice chair for a mandate of two years that finished few months ago. So thank you, everyone. I’m happy to join you for this discussion. And yeah, looking forward to it. To express more.

Rashad Sanusi:
Okay, thank you so much. Tatiana, happy to have you here. I will let Pavel now to introduce himself.

Pavel Farhan:
Hi, good afternoon to all. This is Pavel for the record. And thank you, Rochelle, and thank you, Hannah, for giving me this opportunity, of course, to be a part of such an amazing cohort of members who will be talking about a very important session today. As Rochelle mentioned before, I’m actually based in Thailand. I work as a program officer for the Internet Education and Research Lab at a university here called the Asian Institute of Technology, AIT for short. I actually have a very technical and academic background, but at times I also do wear the hat of civil society as well. And therefore, I have been strongly involved in the Internet Governance Academy, I would say since APNIC 48 in 2019. As Rochelle mentioned, at that time I was a conference fellow. It was also the first time I met J1. So, you know, fond memories. And since then, you could say I didn’t look back and I’ve been part of several other exemplary fellowships as well, like ICANN and APGA back in 2021. And even INSEC, the Indian School of Internet Governance back in 2021, I believe. And I’ve also been an individual member of the APRALO, which is the Asia Pacific regional at large. And I’m quite eager, I would say, to make valuable contributions to the Internet ecosystem in the Asia Pacific region. And my passion for ICT and ICT for development is what drives me into striving for equal access to the Internet for minority groups. And as a result, I actively promote inclusive Internet and emphasize the importance of youth participation in the multi-stakeholder process. I’m glad that I got to be a part of Digital Grassroots ambassadorship program back in, I believe, 2021 as well for Cohort 5. And that’s how I got involved with Digital Grassroots. So thank you so much to them. And thank you for having me today.

Rashad Sanusi:
Thank you so much, Pavel, as well. So, Anna, over to you.

Anna:
Yeah, thank you, Rachad. And thank you to everyone for presenting themselves. Yeah, I believe that we have a very unique platform with so many experiences and backgrounds coming together. So I’m really excited about our discussion. I would like to start with a more general space. And maybe you can share how do barriers to digital access and participation in Internet governance manifest in your own regions and contexts, particularly for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. And whether you’ve seen a strategy or a practice that has proven or you’ve seen to be successful in increasing meaningful participation in young people in Internet governance. I think we can maintain this order, if no one minds.

Mohammad Atif Aleem:
So is it back to me or?

Anna:
Oh, yeah.

Mohammad Atif Aleem:
OK, so then I would go on the first one. Yeah, you raised a very pertinent concern when you mentioned about the digital access and participation for especially the disadvantaged and underrepresented or the minority groups in our regions. So especially speaking about my region, when it comes to meaningful and affordable access, it is still a very big challenge with millions still unconnected, especially from the marginalized communities in different countries of Asia, be it India, Vietnam or any Bangladesh, Pakistan. So there is an urgent need for multi-stakeholder dialogue to focus on providing infrastructure and access to all of them and to further enable the use of emerging technologies that have become so famous as of now for the socioeconomic development as well. One of the studies to just to quote statistics, there was a study by MIT Sloan. And as per that study, internet penetration in rural India stands at roughly 29%, which means that over 700 million citizens are still living in the digital darkness. So we understand that universal and meaningful access deserves further consideration and it is not just limited to connectivity and infrastructure. It encompasses other aspects like digital literacy or general access to information, which I could see on the screen when participants typed in the Menti quiz run by the moderator here. So it is important to adopt ways to measure access and identify current methods to empirically measure, track, assess and evaluate the benefits from increasing access inclusivity. And many companies, many private firms have seen that when they do that, they have seen a purpose-led driven growth in their revenues as well. So we will talk about that part later, but here I can say that with rapid development of emerging technologies, these technologies should provide an enabling platform for everyone to participate, to raise their voices and to partake in the benefits as well. When it comes to India, there have been several initiatives from the government of India, like Digital India, Skill India, which tries to abridge the access and technology divide among the masses. And likewise, there have been initiatives from private firms as well. For example, there was one initiative, which was a big hit, was Google’s Internet Saathi Initiative, which empowered female ambassadors to train and educate women in more than three lakh villages of India on the benefits of internet in their day-to-day lives. So that was one good initiative from Google, which tried to abridge the connectivity gap by building a chain of women entrepreneurs and women farmers to propagate the knowledge of internet among other community members as well. So there have been community initiatives with the help of private firms, governments and other stakeholders in the multi-stakeholder group that we can see in Asia-Pacific region. So these were some of the examples that I wanted to share. Also, it’s important to understand that in an increasingly interconnected society, lack of access to internet can tremendously impact day-to-day activities. And in the lure of making it more digitally, we might make some actors in the long run, we can make them aloof of the technical fruits that it can provide. For example, some organizations, I was just reading one report yesterday, like some government banks, they withdrew the physical provision of services to push for web-based services, justifying closure of offices in small communities. I mean, I’m sure some of us have seen in their country, I mean, I’m sure some of us have seen in their countries also that many banks are closing their physical offices just to push for web-based services. So such decisions also affect the daily operations and lives of communities. So there is a need to identify innovative approaches to connect the population in remote and geographically inaccessible areas. It’s not just about withdrawing physical offices and pushing for web-based services, because sometimes it hinders the overall success of giving out the digital services as well. So when it comes to empirical parameters, which should be considered here, the first would be the technical, which is the distance and remoteness of the areas, and other would be adoption challenges as well. There could be language barriers, there could be, beat a disability. The literacy rate differs among people of diverse age groups for for young people say 18 to 30 it is easy easy to you know court get hold of those web-based informative technologies that have but for a person who is above 60 years of age or above 70 years of age it is hard to you know get accustomed to those services which are not as new for him or which are not as exciting so we have to think of ways in which we can include those and those genders as well. So in many areas with the no Internet or Internet a very bleak Internet connect connectivity community radios used to serve as a medium of communication so that can be one area where we can think of how to you know bring community to the radios in an innovative manner to bring along other other people as well and not one not only our age but include them and scale them and educate them about how they can contribute to the digital for and become the digital ambassadors for their communities. So there have been technologies like low earth orbit satellites which are tools for cost effective Internet access to remote and inaccessible areas. So such technologies also have the communication divide. Then I mentioned about a study of mighty Sloan there was one. Industry leading integrator of digital networks called still light technologies which collaborated with the mighty Sloan India lab for helping developing a business model for for profit initiative with the goal of expanding high-speed Internet connectivity in more than 20 villages of India. And its target is to you know do this. Across 3 lack villages by 2000 and 24. So these are some innovative approaches that have been going on in the rural areas. But along with these innovative approaches what we as you can do that is also a very important question has to bring along society which is just and okay is about also that there was one very motivational story that I came across in 2019. And it made me also think up on the lines of Internet governance which I would like to share with you all. So there was this man called Carlos Pereira who was driven by the passion to empower people by enabling them to have a voice. He did something innovative through a mobile app. So he was a computer scientist and his 10-year-old daughter Clara could not walk or talk because she was born with cerebral palsy which is a group of disorder that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance. So basically to give his daughter a voice. But what he did was he quit his job as a computer scientist and developed an app to help her communicate. That app was called Livox. The app’s algorithms could interpret motor, cognitive and visual disorders and it used machine learning algorithms to predict and understand what the person would want or need. So that Livox app could be used by people living with a range of disabilities including be it cerebral palsy or down syndrome or multiple sclerosis or even a stroke. So for Clara the app had given her a voice that her daughter, his daughter when her dad asked her what she wanted for breakfast the app recognized his voice and gave Clara the options on the screen allowing to select what she wanted. So that app also gives disabled children a more inclusive education. For example if it is used at a school the software can hear a teacher’s question and provide appropriate multiple choice answers for the students to select. And that app was named the best app by United Nations best inclusion app in the world. So if you can Google more about it you will see that how multiple software companies adopted the idea behind the app and went on to bring on softwares which would be more inclusive. So that is one example where an individual through his mind could change the holistic viewpoint of the society and made people understand that how gender divide or how people of other with disabilities could be brought into the fore of digital inclusion. And in my panelists as well I see very erudite computer engineers. I’m sure across the board and these participants there would be people with multiple talents and skills who can you know think of innovative ideas doing for inclusion. So that is something I wanted to highlight and I would be happy to hear the insights from other panelists as well.

Jaewon Son:
Thank you. Yeah I agree with many of your points. So yeah when I was thinking of what to say I was thinking of this psychological theory about this mass loss hierarchy of needs. I think many people knows it that like facing discomforts like food water then the psychological need and self-fulfillment something like that. I thought like yeah of course we need to try to assess to have our basic needs. But then after that we need our digital inclusion and the right to participate as a stakeholder. And at the top of the hierarchy maybe we can think of like some ecological impact of the Internet or sustainability as a long term. And yeah I think in Korea while we have like strongest like Internet connection and many people are owning a smartphone and so on. So I think we fulfilled the first basic needs. But however the second stage of having like stakeholder participation I think is another stage that we have to achieve because yeah I believe since Internet the decision on making like how to do about this Internet are influencing in so many factors and we really need to like hear from other people as well. But from my experience even in the like such high tech country when it comes to the discussion about Internet I think there are still very few stakeholders who are having a say. So for example in when I was joining this Korea Internet Governance Committee for managing the Internet Governance Program and so on after finishing the APICA I was the only youth who were there and also yeah like beside me there were only like two or three people who were like female. So mostly was the male IT professors who knows a lot and I don’t know if it’s only like Korea or Asia but the youth were considered as someone who doesn’t know much who should learn from the others so that even though I might have a saying they were not really like taking it seriously and say like I will tell you you know. And so when the environment was set like this I think even though I was trying to encourage some other youth who has finished this program together not many people were willing to join as they knew how will be the discussion environment like and they think when they cannot be heard anyway what’s the point of like going there and have a stay. So I think there’s also some cultural barriers that make us having a hard time having a saying in this participation but also I think there some of the youth were having a hard time as they are really stressed about getting a job in the future after they graduate and when they are not like directly met majoring in IT they were afraid even if what if I like spend so much time in internet governance and not being able to get a job how will I be managed to like you know look for another job if my only activities has been in internet governance and so on. So many of the Koreans who have finished this APICA program even though some of them got award and everything in the end they suddenly like quitted all the internet governance program as they like so like since I do not have much expertise in coding or so maybe still I cannot get a job in this so I should like switch to something else something like that. So I think it would have been really nice if we could have shared like in a soft skill or in like some indirect way how can like involving in internet governance actually can also benefit them because for me even though I’m like not like majoring in IT or so I think many of the like skills that I’ve learned throughout the internet governance really benefited me in research and many perspective. For example I think by learning about the importance of multi-stakeholders and like paternal approach and so on I think I was also been able to or see like how can I involve in into my research doing more surveys to the public and try to do some stakeholder interview to include them in the decision-making process and I think it’s not only about like computer science or so on so yeah I wonder why it was either A or B and yeah also I think when I think before COVID we were usually like expected to be at this forum in person and so on but I think many people had a hard time like yeah asking their supervisors or professor if they can have a leave for such an event where not many Koreans were understanding what is even internet governance about so I think to continue their journey I think it’s really beneficial if more we’ll be able to know what actually internet governance is and I think we have like quite a long way to go about many people understanding about it then also giving them one more opportunity in participating regardless of major or background then then we will get to think about some of these environmental impact or sustainability yeah I will stop now

Tatiana Houndjo:
you then I want to say something you can yes I can do this thank you Joan and Mohammed for for already putting so many things on the table so far I think talking about the inclusion and participation of young people in the internet governance system we we need to think about a way to figure it’s many initiatives to get us because when you talk about inclusion of youth and also the engagement in this kind of topic in this kind of discussion the question is do they have the access do they have the information about this today are they using the internet J1 I’m so happy that you talk about the needs of young people to be able to you know surpass the the way of saying okay I don’t have a job I don’t know how to eat I don’t know how to we have something because I cannot be engaging in discussion today we are here for like one hour one hour and have discussion but the young people who doesn’t know what to eat today at lunch or what to eat at dinner I’m sure he won’t be interested in coming here on this table to talk about something like that that’s one point we we need as internet governance ecosystem to partner with initiated that I’m making sure young people are able to sustain themselves that’s one points another point is the meaningful assets what you realize is that every day we have usually the same people coming this every year to talk about the same thing the question is how do we make sure that this information these knowledge this capacity these skills are spreads outside of the general I would say the you need to get to work that we have talked about how do you think organizations and part of the society organization how are we making sure that people do not have yet. But of these discussion how do you make sure that people who are leaving the disability at the impact of the discussion. I would be sure that you know people as seeking on the decision-making table how we make sure but of the decision-making processes and at the end of the society we had this idea was that it I think in 2018 or 2019. The name of the whole point is 5 8 down it’s in English it is. We made it into an 8’s and the basic idea behind this program of which it is to make sure. You mean we mean in the Internet governance ecosystem. Seeking to continue to she was a show in the system because we we get to the point that you have that that is only. Me that to see them come to the idea for me come to the. We’ve been doing this for all of you go to me for me again this can be mean or so even 20 visit when you have only. Many people come in here. I mean that just for the 20 also back to the 20 organizing the 20 buses. So we we use this program and it has been on going until 2022. And we’re happy to see now that we may not know more interested about this discussion about this topic and that’s one thing we need to think about and also as part of reaching the digital divide because I’m sure that’s in countries in that country as well as in the end it is just device between people who have access to the information people who do not have access to the information people who have the skills to be online to be interacting to be using Internet efficiently in people who do not have the skills so that isn’t really in this 20 that between both of these people so we don’t just look at which is a new law and it is a platform who has these capability to be done with the offline so even if you’ve got some to look at the way we live on the Internet access you can see access to those policies into those you know the formation of the 2 of the people from all that he chose on the in the country’s. Unfortunately, we just put it didn’t go for them because there was a lot of support. If you want to do something as part of the money as part of the making sure it’s that’s of the education process we need the support of the government’s that’s one thing we also need the support of the private companies of the Internet service provide that so I think talking about digital inclusion of young people in Internet ecosystem. There is a need to figure it’s many initiatives to get that and make them from the case that’s this should be done in a way that we think sustainability as part of the process one thing is to to be launching initiatives and on that thing is to make sure that’s it that these initiatives are sustainable and can long can be can have an impact on the long term. And I’m not asking them to to talk about these days. Is the lack of it that the lack of meaningful data that we need to focus on we need to take action on if I need to start to put it in front of the nation to start to put it off if the private company need to support an organization who is working with young people also put to young people who is working on. If you’re still picking the question is how am I how we as but not I mean I’m sure that’s what I’m so what is what is going to put on the community what is going to happen to people in that’s on the society in general. So that is a need for but you know people first because. from the, you know, the statistic agencies in every country to provide data that we can post and that we can use in order to make sure that the projects we are working on are going the way we want them to go. At Internet Society, we launched a project in 2020, which is Internet.Beijing, and this project is in two different, I would say two different parts. The first part is to reconstitute the history of Internet in Benin at one point, and the second part is to have a big platform which is communicating on real time with the different Internet Society, Internet providers in Benin. We have in Benin, we have MTN, we have Moon, we have Celtis, and we also have the optical fiber provider like SBN. The idea behind this project is to to have a platform when we see how Internet is working in different areas of the countries, how many people are using them on a daily basis, how many people are using Internet in Kotonou, how many people are using Internet in Baraku, in Natitengu, and also what’s, how are they, I mean, how are they using the Internet? Are they using the mobile phone, or are they using the optical fiber? Are they using the BLM? So these are data we are trying to work as part of this project, and yeah, I think talking about the inclusion of young people again is not something we can tackle as just on one initiative or one project, but it has to be something that we think broadly about, we think sustainably about, and we need to partner together, we need to work together, and make sure that one and other, we are trying to work toward the same

Pavel Farhan:
goal. Thank you. All right. Hi again, this is Pavel for The Record. I guess the benefit of going last is Atif, Jaewon, and Tatiana have pretty much checked all the boxes on what I would like to talk about, but it makes my job easier though. So I am based in Thailand, but I’m originally from Bangladesh, so I’d like to spotlight a little bit about the barriers that we face in Bangladesh, the barriers to digital access, and the participation for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, especially the youth, which are multifaceted. And these challenges manifest in several ways, but I’ll keep it short due to the time limitations. There are four barriers which I feel are significant to address, the first being the limited infrastructure. So in many rural areas of Bangladesh, the lack of proper internet infrastructure remains a significant barrier. People in these areas often struggle with slow or unreliable connections, or carrier services are reluctant to go and set up phone towers in these areas, because they simply do not have the infrastructure to set them up in these remote areas. The second barrier that I would like to talk about, which is very important to address in the modern world, is the affordability factor. So even though the internet has been a basic human right now, but the cost of internet access can be really prohibitive to Bangladeshis in general, and of course the Bangladeshi youth, particularly those in the low-income and marginalized communities. And even though Bangladesh has adopted many affordable data plants and devices as well, they have only played a percentage of, they’ve only been beneficial to a percentage, and not really covered the broader side of accessibility for the people. And thirdly, of course we have to address digital literacy, because a lack of digital literacy and awareness is a significant challenge. And many individuals, especially in rural areas, lack the skills and knowledge to use internet effectively. There is still, you’d be surprised, some people who forget the internet, they probably have never seen a computer before. And to them, it doesn’t really, it doesn’t affect their lives in any way, but it is for us to go and make them aware that this should be affecting their lives. And finally, the language barrier. So, you know, while Bengali, or I would say Bangla, is the primary language spoken in Bangladesh, not all of the content that is online and available is in Bangla. And although there has been a lot of push for universal access in the last few years, the language barrier can actually limit access to information and services for those who aren’t proficient in English. And if somebody, if a youth or if a marginalized community is okay with not learning English, what can we do, right? This is where we have to come up with these successful strategies, you know, we have to overcome these barriers. And the Bangladesh government has been doing something similar. They have an initiative for the past decade or two decades, actually, it’s called Digital Bangladesh. Similar to what Atif mentioned about Digital India, you know, the government-led program aims to address the digital inclusion by providing the various services and promoting digital literacy. And there’s this one particular project they have, and it’s called InfoLadies. So, basically, it’s an initiative where trained women travel to rural areas with their bicycles and with internet-equipped laptops to provide information and services to local communities. And, you know, this initiative was, I think, started back in 2013, so it’s been 10 years now. And they have played a crucial role in improving digital access and literacy for not just marginalized communities, but for youth who probably would have never been aware of how the internet affects them or how they can contribute to the internet community. And additionally, we also have another project, which is a mobile financial service, such as Bcash. And it has made it easier for people, even who don’t have a traditional bank account, to engage in digital transactions, just to show them that just because you don’t have a bank account doesn’t mean you cannot still use the internet to make transactions with your finances. So, this fosters economic inclusion as well. And, you know, there have been other efforts to improve digital Bangladesh or digital access in Bangladesh, which are ongoing. And, yes, there will be challenges. Challenges still persist, and we have a long way to go. And I think this is probably the third decade that digital Bangladesh has been working on. But we have made some significant strides in bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusivity. But this is still the beginning, and we have a long way to go. Back to you, Roshan.

Rashad Sanusi:
Thank you so much, Pavel, Tatiana, Jiwan, and Atif, for the great contribution. I really enjoyed hearing you. And now we go to the Q&A session. And also, if some people want to share some ideas or insights, we are happy to hear them. I don’t know. You can raise your hand also as well. Okay.

Anna:
We have one question from a community member who’s watching us online, John. And he’s asking, it’s a question to all panelists. And he’s saying, thank you so much for sharing the perspective. And his question is, how can we streamline the cooperation between different sectors to advance the inclusion and participation of young people in internet governance? He’s saying that there were some successful initiatives mentioned by Atif and Pavel about the private sector and government boosting the participation and inclusion issues and how we can advance that and make sure that there is a true multi-stakeholder approach in these solutions.

Pavel Farhan:
I think I can just go ahead and answer this first, and I can pass it on to Atif afterwards. So, if I have to say from an academic perspective, educational institutions obviously play a significant role in reducing the digital divide and nurturing internet governance literacy and leadership among youth. The way I see it, digital literacy education, we talk so much about it. We push so much for digital literacy. But are academic institutions doing enough? Because, yes, they are instrumental in equipping students with essential digital skills. But if you go and check any university, is there a specific course where they’re teaching internet governance? Like, what is internet governance? Do the students actually know what internet governance is? They’re in a world where internet governance is affecting so much of their daily livelihoods, and they’re on the internet 24-7. But how much of the skills do they have to navigate the online world and understand the implications of their digital actions? So, through structured programs, I believe students can actually gain a more proficient understanding of how they should put themselves online. We are lucky to live in a world where research and data is so advanced that academia contributes to our understanding of the digital divide through research and data. There are people who are going around creating surveys and conducting surveys and research, which helps us understand and identify the gaps in internet access and usage, which in return then helps inform the policymakers and organizations how they should structure and make their informed decisions. So, this is another thing, I believe, the research and data capabilities of academia to implement policy development, of course. And finally, as we keep pushing, we talk about youth engagement. So, the universities itself cannot just have a course, right? There has to be youth who want to, out of their own self, want to engage and talk about internet governance with their peers. Academic institutions can provide a platform, and this can actually include hosting forums, clubs, and events related to digital inclusion and governance. And what this does is actually it fosters leadership and helps students understand how they should be advocating for their rights online. So, yeah, these are some of the points I believe can answer the question that has been asked. And I guess, Ape, if you can go ahead and speak a little bit more.

Mohammad Atif Aleem:
Yeah, I think I agree with Pavel. And from an academia point of view, he has, I mean, already stated what needs to be done to foster more participation in order to include people. So, from a private perspective, I think the question was that how can more partnerships be made to cater to inclusion and digital activities. So, I can say that it is not, it is very difficult for any private entity to do on its own. Okay, it can take one initiative. So, for even a company like Google, which is headquartered in the United States of America, in order to implement its Internet Saathi program, it had to consult the government of India. And it had to collaborate with another company called Facebook to implement that, to deploy that program into around 3 lakh villages. So, it’s not an easy task, especially as young entrepreneurs, you guys should seek two different modes of partnerships that is available to you. And that can come through guidance from academia, as Pavel has stressed upon. And it can also come by taking active participation in various internet government schools that are there. There’s a for-profit entity called Internet Society. There’s Internet Foundation, which calls for every six months, it calls for people to submit a project proposal. So, that also answers the question of Joshua, which he has on how to source for funding. I think Tatiana can also give her inputs. But there are many calls from entities like NGOs or like Internet Society. They are hackathons, if you are in the IT industry, from many major IT software firms, which you can project your ideas and you can win some ransom money and take your projects forward. So, there have been these initiatives and I think other people can also put… Yeah, we are running out of the time. So,

Rashad Sanusi:
thank you, Atif. And thank you, everyone. I think for further discussion, we can stay in touch and you can send your question as well for us, so we can see how we can help as well. So, I want to thank Pavel, Tatiana, Jiwon and Atif and all the people who participated to this session. We learned a lot about how we can tackle digital inclusion and digital inclusion is a complex issue, but we can do more for it. And thank you all for the participation and I hope to see you for the future engagement as well. Thank you and have a good day. Bye. Thank you so much.

Audience:
Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.