Internet Society’s Collaborative Leadership Exchange (CLX) | IGF 2023 Day 0 Event #95

Speaker 1

Ida, a Ghanaian activist, is passionately investing her efforts towards an initiative that concentrates on online safety for children. She is deeply vested in the endeavour to enhance digital literacy amongst children in Ghana through the execution of innovative workshops and engaging webinars. Her commitment to this sphere of child protection is commendable, supporting the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Quality Education and the 9th SDG of Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

She utilised this platform to convey her openness for collaboration and has made significant progress in this direction. Notably, she has established valuable connections with like-minded individuals including Marisha, Turi, and Umut during discussions. These developments advance the 17th SDG of Partnerships for the Goals, underlining the significance of global teamwork to achieve shared objectives.

Ida’s advocacy for the ‘Global Encryption Day’ is a testament to her belief in the role of encryption in heightening online safety for children. This vital conversation concerning digital security was initiated by Marisha, resonating with Ida as it aligns with her initiative’s goals and the 9th SDG of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

Furthermore, she champions the efficacious use of available resources, a strategy she intends to embed within her project execution. Her association with Umut has provided her with access to strategic resources indispensable for her projects, further aligning with the 4th SDG of Quality Education.

The significance of online safety and digital etiquette, particularly for youth, underpins Ida’s initiative. In the current digital age, navigating the virtual world poses both tremendous challenges and excitement. Hence, her project is designed to equip young minds with the crucial skills required to responsibly traverse this digital landscape. This commitment bolsters the correlation with SDG 4 for Quality Education and SDG 16 for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

In addition, Ida endorses the creation of additional resources such as webinars, workshops, and educational materials to enhance youth awareness about online safety and etiquette. This fortifies her commitment to the aims of SDG 4 for Quality Education and SDG 11 for Sustainable Cities and Communities. The objective is to enrich young people with necessary knowledge while ensuring their online experiences remain enjoyable, secure and respectful. Notably, the project plans to harness the potential of burgeoning technologies, such as virtual reality, to optimise the delivery and engagement of its educational resources. In summary, Ida’s initiative is a progressive compilation of ideas aimed to improve digital safety and literacy for children and young body in Ghana.

Speaker 5

The conversation is predominantly concerned with the worldwide issue of internet fragmentation and shutdowns, emphasising the pivotal role that governments and parliamentarians can play in addressing these challenges. It is posited that parliamentarians, by virtue of their power within governmental structures, are well-placed to raise awareness and effectively implement best practices. This could put due pressure on regulatory bodies to tackle the issues arising from internet shutdowns.

Internet shutdowns invite a wide spectrum of adverse consequences spanning economic, health, and societal aspects. To bring governments’ attention to these negative impacts, the strategic use of case studies and toolkits is profoundly endorsed by participants. These tools can clearly illustrate the potential losses and hardships resulting from these shutdowns, prompting governments to adopt preventative measures rather than resorting to reactionary practices.

The discourse rallies for extensive research into alternative solutions that can curb internet shutdowns. This call for action underlines presenting feasible solutions to the government, aiming to prevent such shutdowns and drive notable societal advancements.

Conspicuously, the discourse identifies political issues, particularly during electoral periods, as substantial triggers for government-led internet shutdowns. Consequently, a thorough assessment of the economic and societal repercussions of these shutdowns is stressed. These findings could act as a catalyst for a governmental re-evaluation of their internet policies.

The summary encapsulates a blend of sentiments, balancing an understanding of the government’s reasons for shutdowns, whilst voicing significant apprehension concerning the knock-on effects of these measures. Notably, there’s a consensus on the need to address the clear disadvantages of internet shutdowns, fostering discussions on forging partnerships for more foolproof and robust internet services. Overall, the summary echoes a pressing call for innovative solutions and strong institutions to mitigate the challenges of internet fragmentation and shutdowns.

Daniel Turra

The corpus of discussions underscore the pivotal role that open source software plays in promoting digital sovereignty and driving innovation, aligning perfectly with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. The consensus sentiment is universally positive regarding the potential contributions of state actors, the Fediverse – a network of interoperable and independently run social media servers – and alternative social media platforms, provided they adopt open source software.

There’s wide agreement that state actors can play an influential role in bolstering the development of open source software. This speeds up the emergence of a digitally sovereign ecosystem where control over the internet is disseminated amongst individuals, enhancing their digital autonomy.

Analyses underline the benefits attained from adopting open source software in the context of the Fediverse and alternative social media platforms. Open source communities are recognised for their key contributions to digital sovereignty through their inventions and commitments. This innovative software provides an alternative to mainstream social media platforms that can be managed by proficient individuals or organisations for the public benefit.

Significant emphasis is given to the Fediverse, seen as an exemplar of the major impact open source software can have on social media. The Fediverse is proof of digitally sovereign social media platforms with its interoperable and independently-run servers.

Additionally, open source software is acclaimed for its capacity-building opportunities. By enabling self-hosting and internet experimentation, it not only reinforces digital sovereignty, but also fosters an environment conducive to understanding the inner workings of the internet.

Lastly, based on the discourse, the closing standpoint seems to be that open source software is indispensable in the current internet ecosystem. Its ability to enable digital sovereignty and power the Fediverse confirms its significance and potential to incite wider-scale innovation. This analysis portends a move towards a more inclusive, user-controlled digital space facilitated by open source software.

Yug Desai

The discussions stressed the quintessential importance of human-centred design in developing and enhancing industry, innovation, and infrastructure (Goal 9). It was unanimously agreed that end-users should not only be prioritised in the creation of regulation standards, but they should also be given increased access and understanding of these.

In answer to the commonly expressed need for comprehension, it was argued that standards documents ought to simplify their technical jargon. This takes aim at facilitating a more robust understanding for the end-users and fostering a higher level of familiarity and awareness of such regulations. The potential implementation of key messages, akin to those in legal regulations, was specifically broached in this context.

To augment understanding of standardisation further, suggestions were made for the use of awareness campaigns; predominantly focusing on easily digestible, visually appealing infographics and informative webinars. The objective of these handy tools is to empower average end users to engage more deeply with standardisation processes.

The conversation also delved into the practicalities of standard implementation, underlining the direct and significant impact of this on the end-user, particularly in the context of the application layer. Highlighting the practical impact of this notion, it was proposed that standardisation at this juncture should be a notable focus of attention.

Casting a light on the open-source community, a positive sentiment reverberated throughout the discussions. The community’s active involvement – which extends from developing to maintaining and propagating open standards – was extolled for its pivotal role in making end users understand and feel more familiar with these standards.

The ethical implications of standards creation in the rapidly developing sectors of artificial intelligence and the metaverse were also acknowledged. These considerations were presented as crucially important in adding another layer to the key aspects of industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

The wide-reaching effects of standardisation were a pronounced theme, with distinct emphasis on its implications for Internet Governance. Standardisation’s ability to significantly impact various aspects of life was discussed, with the assertion that it is a technical form of governance capable of shaping the way the internet is utilised, affecting society, economy, system interoperability, human rights, and internet access.

In conclusion, education was raised as a crucial instrument for helping end-users comprehend the importance of regulation standards and their direct impacts on daily life. By improving the general understanding of standardisation processes, it is anticipated that users will be better equipped to navigate both traditional and frontier avenues such as the metaverse.

Speaker 4

The analysis provides insightful solutions to the longstanding issue of underrepresentation of women in the field of coding, particularly within underserved communities. Two major solutions have been advanced, both eliciting positive sentiment and aligning with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The first proposition centres upon the creation of a coding programme, specifically designed for girls aged between eight and fifteen. This initiative, led by an African woman, addresses principles encapsulated in both SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 4: Quality Education. The programme not only imparts coding skills to these girls but also provides opportunities for them to deploy their skills and code for governmental departments. This prospect could pave the way for these young women to revolutionise the digital sector whilst benefiting their communities through governmental endeavours.

The second suggested remedy, advocating public policies and laws in support of coding programmes for women, hinges on the crux of legislative education on technological literacy for women. The need for such measures was underscored in the context of Colombia, indicating the necessity to overcome hurdles women encounter in achieving technological literacy. Furthermore, the significance of promoting projects that mitigate these challenges was publicly commended. This advocacy for legislative alterations, at both public and private levels, mirrors aspirations for a more inclusive digital community, embodying principles related to SDGs 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

A neutral sentiment has been expressed towards the integration of human rights and human development perspectives in an attempt to bridge the pervasive digital divide. However, the analysis does not furnish supporting facts or arguments for this. Nonetheless, this approach aligns with SDGs 10: Reduced Inequalities and SDG 5: Gender Equality, signalling an underlying importance in addressing the digital divide and underrepresentation of women in coding concurrently.

In conclusion, the analysis underscores the necessity of implementing solutions that not merely propel the inclusion of women in coding, but align with global objectives such as the SDGs. By appreciating the pivotal role women can play in the tech world, these proposed initiatives could help reshape the digital landscape into a more gender-equal and inclusive sector.

Nicolas Fiumarelli

The comprehensive analysis consistently underlines the paramount role played by youths in surmounting internet governance challenges and sculpting its future. They are lauded for their aptitude to generate innovative strategies and provide unique viewpoints, thus offering promise for the identification of pragmatic solutions to current internet governance issues, including the impending problem of internet fragmentation.

A particularly noteworthy dialogue was carried out with Atanasia and Mark, illuminating the ongoing predicament — facilitating youth participation in nations where governments seem reluctant about such involvement. It was also ascertained that understanding the ideas of, and working in concert with the younger generation, especially in regions displaying restrained youth involvement, is vitally essential for the youth engagement process and within the broader framework of conflict resolution.

Discussions led by young individuals have been recognised as a fundamental aspect of this engagement process. These conversations cultivate fresh and resourceful ideas, making them vital in strategising the future course of the internet and paving the path towards resolution of affiliated issues.

Reiterating his support for the cause, a former youth ambassador underscored the transformative role that young people can play in internet governance. He attested that the youth present distinct perspectives and inventive ideas to the table in the dialogue on internet governance. Importantly, he highlighted the various initiatives of the Internet Society that empower young individuals and enable their active involvement in internet governance. He further exemplified this aim by mentioning his own involvement with youth-led bodies such as the Youth Coalition and the Youth Standing Group.

In addition, the importance of cultivating relationships and fostering networks amongst current and former youth ambassadors and other respective participants was endorsed. These efforts, undertaken as part of the Collaborative Leadership Exchange, promote the exchange of constructive ideas on pivotal internet governance challenges.

In conclusion, the broader consensus advocates the vital need to utilise platforms that empower youthful participants in this dialogue, furthering the SDG 17 goal of forming effective partnerships. The delineated discussions above align notably with SDGs 4, 5, 9 and 16 — advocating for the attainment of quality education, fostering gender equality, endorsing innovation and infrastructure, and the establishment of peaceful, just and solid institutions, respectively. Through the collective analysis, the encompassing role of youths in internet governance shines through as indisputably positive, thereby justifying their inclusion and active engagement.

Carolyne Tyrus

Carolyne Tyrus, a renowned lawyer and advocate of the high court, is making substantial strides in the realms of youth empowerment, cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital rights. She centres on providing young individuals with a simplified understanding of complex legal concepts pertaining to the cyber world, hoping to bridge the comprehension gap in the youth’s everyday digital experiences. This initiative has sprung from her understanding of the urgent requirement to keep young people abreast with digital rights in the rapidly progressing online world.

Harmonising with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically ‘SDG 4: Quality Education’ and ‘SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions’, Tyrus is also making immense contributions to these objectives. An advocate for quality education, she devises and implements forward-thinking methods to make these complicated concepts more accessible to the youth. Her dedication to justice and peace is demonstrated in her unwavering commitment to granting young people a meticulous comprehension of justice principles within the digital sphere.

Tyrus employs innovative teaching methodologies to accomplish her objectives. She conducts diverse workshops, generates video content, and uses other strategies to elucidate these sophisticated concepts in an uncomplicated, engaging, and user-friendly manner. Her efforts resonate with positivity, marking her success in fostering understanding and awareness.

Additionally, Tyrus values collaboration and knowledge sharing, continuously seeking insights to augment her initiative. Distinct evidence of this is her interaction with Umut Pajero, Thio Dor, and a commendable alumnus of the Internet Society Youth Ambassador, during a breakout session. This constructive discourse provided her with invaluable perspectives, enhancing her work further. This strategic alliance also signifies her adherence to ‘SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals’, as she aligns with the United Nations’ blueprint for a sustainable future.

To conclude, Carolyne Tyrus’ movement serves as a beacon of transformation in the digital rights landscape. By empowering young individuals with a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity and data privacy, she is bolstering their digital literacy skills, shaping a more enlightened and secure digital world. Her interactions with fellow internet advocates continue to furnish useful insights, which she integrates into her work, demonstrating the potent impact of partnerships in attaining shared objectives.

Paola Corporan

Paola is currently making significant contributions as the head of Public Innovation within the Dominican Government – a role she uses to develop and reinforce public policies. Her laudable efforts to incorporate a collaborative perspective in strategy formation and execution are remarkable. This approach primarily emphasises industry, innovation, and infrastructure, aligning closely with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9. The fostering of this collaborative culture within public policies conveys a positive sentiment, given its potential to trigger extensive growth and sustainable development within various industries.

Additionally, Paola is actively promoting educational reforms, focusing particularly on encouraging coding education among girls. This initiative holds significant relevance to two key Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4, advocating for quality education, and SDG 5, emphasizing gender equality. Paola’s project involves engaging girls in coding, recognising the importance of this skill in today’s technological world. The case study central to her project depicts girls gaining skills in coding, further enhancing their technological knowledge and capabilities.

These advancements in educational strategies not only promote gender equality but also equip the upcoming generation with vital skills required in an increasingly digital world. The public sentiment towards these transformative efforts led by Paola is overwhelmingly positive, indicating broad support for her innovative approach to public policies and her role in educational reform. Both these initiatives reflect strategic foresight; their successful implementation may have profound implications for the Dominican Government’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaker 3

The composite analysis perceptibly underlines a daunting issue christened the ‘gender digital divide’. This divide denotes a glaring disparity in digital access amidst men and women, an issue catalysed by fluctuations in socioeconomic standing and digital proficiency. The scarcity of opportunities, in tandem with affordability constraints, also exacerbates this predicament. These challenges marry with a few pivotal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as gender equality, quality education, and reduced inequalities, generating an inherently negative sentiment.

In combatting these difficulties, several strategies come to the fore. Primarily, the promotion of digital literacy for women, realised either via training or educational programmes. Promoting literacy in this manner is a necessary step towards fostering digital inclusion, serving as a potent mechanism aiding gender equality. Correspondingly, this meshes well with SDGs focusing on gender equality and quality education, producing a positive sentiment.

Additionally, the delivery of affordable internet services and digital devices plays a pivotal role in abolishing the gender digital divide. Lowered costs in accessing digital technology can empower a larger number of women to reap the rewards of online resources, thereby helping to achieve SDG goals centred on gender equality, poverty alleviation, and diminished inequalities. Likewise, crafting feasible job opportunities for women can escalate their socioeconomic standing, thereby enabling them to afford vital digital resources and services. This concept draws forth a positive sentiment and supports SDGs championing gender equality and economic growth.

The United Nations (UN) lends further impetus to new internet governance initiatives. These involve setting digital guidelines for online government languages, a notable leap towards a more inclusive, safe, and trustworthy digital experience. This manoeuvre promotes the SDG focusing on the advancement of industry, innovation, infrastructure, eliciting a positive sentiment.

Promoting internet governance for a meaningful, inclusive, trustworthy, and safe online experience is another principal point of discussion. This approach embraces raising awareness of internet governance policies, particularly amongst young individuals via the ‘Next Generation Forum’ (NGF). This method assists the youth of NYAMA in shaping the online realm and actively participating in internet governance. Empowering the future generation in such a manner exudes a positive sentiment and aligns with innovation and industry-focused SDGs.

Lastly, nurturing an open, transparent, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder collaboration is integral. Collaboration based on these co-values can breed a robust, inclusive internet community, aligning with the SDG dedicated to advocating peace, justice, and strong organisations.

In summary, the presented analysis underscores crucial aspects for rectifying the gender digital divide, and aims to construct a more inclusive, secure, and globally connected world in line with the fundamental SDGs.

Edgar Brutyan

Edgar embarked on an enlightening discussion regarding the potent role of generative AI in disseminating disinformation, specifically considering the socio-political challenges faced by Georgia. He noted disinformation as a chief contributor to the divisive issue of separatism within Georgia, predominantly induced by the ongoing hybrid warfare with Russia. Moreover, Edgar emphasised the necessity for both short-term and long-term countermeasures to this predicament.

In the short term, Edgar suggested lesser-known platforms, such as ‘X’, as potential solutions to combat disinformation. Despite not being as well-known as other resources, they were considered valuable immediate defence mechanisms against false information spread. Nonetheless, Edgar contended that to attain a comprehensive and lasting resolution, an urgent reform within the media system is incumbent.

Broadening the perspective, Edgar’s discourse revealed a profound need for media regulation implementation in Georgia. He identified troubling trends of authoritarian tendencies within Georgia’s contemporary governance. These tendencies could lead to unwarranted censorship, thereby curtailing press freedom. Thus, the introduction of stringent media controls could serve as a deterrent to this potential threat to journalistic independence.

Furthermore, Edgar championed the exchange of best practices between Georgia and Eastern European nations. An optimistic view was embraced, pinpointing the numerous similarities between these regions and the enhancement they could effect upon each other through mutual learning and cooperation.

Edgar’s arguments were contextually aligned with the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 16 and 17. The issues discussed resonate profoundly with these SDGs’ objectives, encapsulating the shared goal of fostering peace, justice, robust institutions, and global partnerships.

Through a comprehensive evaluation of Edgar’s discussion, essential insights were gleaned, chiefly concerning the issue of disinformation propagated via generative AI. Further exploration of immediate and long-term solutions, international cooperation promotion, and media regulation reform emerged as key observations. The negative connotations associated with Georgia’s governmental tendencies underscore the urgent need for focused attention and strategic intervention in the realm of media control and disinformation.

Speaker 2

Addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9 and 16 – Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure, and Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions respectively, the topic of Internet accessibility and net neutrality provokes considerable global attention. Focusing on the situation in Colombia, net neutrality is notably influenced by the adoption of civil rating measures.

A significant proportion of the Colombian populace, approximately 60%, benefits from Internet accessibility. However, enhanced and universal accessibility is obstructed primarily due to issues of affordability. The steep cost associated with Internet access emerges as a significant barrier, detrimentally impacting the nation’s digital connectivity.

The concern associated with civil rating measures pertains to their impact on the nature of Internet accessibility. These measures have inadvertently ushered in a two-tier system of internet access. On one side, users can access specific content without being charged; on the other, full-scale accessibility exists but is linked to a cost.

Given these circumstances, there persists an urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the interpretation and application of civil rating within the Colombian legal system, and the ensuing implications. Illuminating insights can be derived from a thorough examination of judicial contexts regarding civil rating measures. It is noteworthy that the Colombian Constitutional Court is presently engrossed in deliberations on this crucial issue.

In summary, while progressing towards actualising the SDGs, particularly in terms of comprehensive digital growth, Colombia faces substantial challenges. The debate surrounding net neutrality, exacerbated by the extensive implementation of civil rating measures, deeply affects the affordability and accessibility of the Internet and triggers relevant legal queries. The ongoing legal exploration of these measures by the Colombian Constitutional Court underpins the gravity of the issue and signifies a critical step towards its resolution.

Moderator

Discussions covered a broad range of topics relating to technology, underlining the vital role education, innovation, and equitable internet governance play in addressing digital inequalities. The dialogues frequently focused on the general theme of empowering young people and women in the digital sector, especially in terms of cybersecurity, digital gender equality, and internet governance.

One of the primary conversations centred around Carolyne Tyrus’s forthcoming initiative. Tyrus, a US-based advocate and lawyer, aims to equip the youth with knowledge and skills on cybersecurity and data privacy in her endeavour to lessen the gap between intricate legal concepts and habitual digital experiences. This proposal not only correlates with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Quality Education and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, but also resonated positively in discussions.

Digital gender equality was another significant subject, emphasised by the “Dabbed Empower Here” initiative by Nana Ama-Yabuado. This project targets rural women and girls, aiming to substitute barriers with bridges and offering them a platform to contribute to the digital revolution. It underscores the critical intersection of gender equality, quality education, and innovation in driving deserving societal change, reflecting the UN’s SDGs.

Internet fragmentation led to fervent debates. Athnes, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, shed light on the societal and economic implications of governmental internet shutdowns. As co-chair of a project examining internet fragmentation in Galley, Athnes is exploring alternative solutions to tackle these issues.

Furthermore, the importance of standardisation in internet governance elicited a keen interest. The panel reinforced how standards, acting as a technical form of governance, can impact society, the economy, and supply chains multifariously. They urged end-users to be more cognizant of how standards mould their everyday internet use and essentially be a medium to impart values and ethics into technology.

The topic of coding as a professional development tool for women was also broached. Paola, Head of Public Innovation of the Dominican Government, reinforced the significance of female involvement in coding, highlighting the need to recognise it as an empowerment tool.

Daniel Turra’s endorsement for open source software usage and solutions like Fediverse hinted at a way forward in offering accessible and appropriately-managed social media platforms as a part of the broader movement towards digital sovereignty.

Lastly, the integral role of young people in digital governance matters was emphasised. Through Jeremy of Myanmar’s representation, the novelty and innovation of the younger generation were deemed crucial for the future of internet governance. His association with the UN in raising awareness of internet governance policies among youngsters underscores the significance of fostering youth participation in this field.

To sum up, the discourse identified the requirement for digital policies and practices that are globally inclusive, accessible and respectful. The conversations offered diverse viewpoints on digital inequalities, digital sovereignty, internet governance, and the importance of education and gender equality in the digital era.

Nana Ama-Yabuado

The conversations held over the recent period highlighted the intrinsic power and potential of collective efforts in driving change. This change centres around the complex issue of the digital divide in rural Ghana and places particular emphasis on women’s empowerment and participation. These collective actions strongly align with Sustainable Development Goal 17, which underscores the significant role of partnerships in reaching global goals.

Nana Ama-Yabuado, a youth ambassador with the Internet Society and the influential co-founder of the Dabbed Empower Here initiative, is at the heart of this forward-thinking campaign. Nana’s project exemplifies the commitment to bridging the gap between digital disparity in rural Ghana. A noteworthy focus in this initiative is empowering women, aligning seamlessly with Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, and 10 for quality education, gender equality, and reducing inequalities, respectively.

However, this initiative serves a purpose beyond merely imparting digital skills; it acts as a catalyst to nurture aspirations, foster independence, and fuel innovation amongst rural Ghanaian women. This comprehensive approach understands that empowering women involves fostering a sense of self-assuredness, creativity, and independence.

Imbued in Nana Ama-Yabuado’s vision is a profound belief in the transformative power of technology. Recognising the potential held by digital advancements, the initiative aims to provide each woman the opportunity to participate and shape the progression of the digital revolution, aligning with SDG 5 and emphasising the importance of gender equality.

Furthermore, Nana Ama-Yabuado’s commitment to digital gender equality compels her to encourage others to extend their assistance whenever feasible. This is fundamental for inclusive growth, as it calls for a collective effort from all sectors of society and seeks to create an ecosystem of change-makers influencing the digital revolution.

In conclusion, Nana Ama-Yabuado’s initiative embodies a comprehensive vision for a more equitable digital world. By drawing attention to the importance of fostering collective action and digital equality, she outlines a clear path for systemic change. By replacing barriers with bridges through digital empowerment, she aspires to create a brighter and more inclusive future. This insightful discussion demonstrates that focusing on inclusivity and helping others can make the world a better place, one digitally empowered woman at a time.

Moderator:
generation of internet leaders to collaborate and innovate for a better world. I’m happy to share that the applications for our 2024 cohort are also now open. Please do reach out to us if you have any questions about the program or the application process. Now I will invite the youth ambassadors to share the outcome of the discussion. And I will first request Tori to facilitate the outcome sharing by ambassadors who joined online. Over to you, Tori. Yes, thank you so much, Pranav. Really great conversations going on here online. So with that, I will bring it over to Nana, if you could share first your closing remarks, how the conversations went, share a little more about your topic and your initiative with us. Nana, can you hear us? All right, I think she might be having some technical difficulties. So I will bring it over to Caroline. Caroline, can you hear us? Hi, can you hear me? Yes, now we got both of you. Okay, Carolyne, you can take the stage.

Carolyne Tyrus:
Okay, good morning. Once again, this is Carolyne Tyrus from Kenya, a lawyer and advocate of the high court, currently based in the US. Like I said, my initiative is about empowering the youth with knowledge and skills on cybersecurity and data privacy. Since I have a legal background, my initiative is to empower individuals with comprehensive knowledge of digital rights and legal principles within the context of the online world. And the main purpose is to bridge the gap between the complex legal concepts and everyday digital experiences and fostering awareness and understanding. This is because the youth out here are afraid of reading the law and regulations because of the complex legal jargon. So my aim is to break it down to them and also give them the information in a plain, easy way through videos, conducting workshops, and all that. So I had a fruitful discussion during the breakout where I met Umut Pajero and also Thio Dor. Yeah, so I shared my initiative with them. They gave me insights on how I can also improve on my initiative. I spoke with one of the alumni of the Internet Society, Youth Ambassador, and she was really helpful in giving me the insights on how I can improve the initiative. So it was such an honor to speak with these people on my initiative, yeah. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Caroline. Over to Nana. If you can unmute now.

Nana Ama-Yabuado:
Hi, finally. Thank you, Tori. So basically, I just want to say that based on the conversations that have been had over the past two hours, it’s just like reinstated the fact that the power of change lies in our collective efforts because I came in here with a very clear picture of what I knew my initiative to be. But based on the conversations that I’ve had, I’ve actually had so much insights and a clearer perspective of it that I’m very grateful. So I just want to highlight that my project, although it focuses on bridging the digital divide in rural Ghana, specifically targeting women, it’s not just about, you know, teaching digital skills. It’s also about nurturing dreams, fostering independence, and just like flowing the flames of innovation. Because when you give women the tools, when you give women the opportunities, it’s not just going to just bridge the divide, but it’s also going to build bridges to a brighter future. So I just want all of us to have this at the back of our minds and, you know, extend a helping hand wherever we can in, you know, taking people along on this journey to make it a more inclusive and better world. Thank you very much. It’s been an insightful discussion.

Moderator:
Thank you. So many amazing quotes there. I love that. Thank you so much for sharing. Lastly, we have Ida. What would you like to share from your discussions today? Ida, if you’re talking, I see two of you. You’ve multiplied yourself, but you’re muted. I see one of you is unmuted. Hi. There you are. I had to get a backup plan. That’s why there’s two of you. All right. So, yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Speaker 1:
Yeah, so like I mentioned earlier, I’m Ida from Ghana, and my initiative is on online safety for young people and for kids. And I’m really excited that I was here, and I got to connect with other alumni and other resource persons here. In my breakout room, I connected with bureaus, and Marisha, Turi, and Umut, and through CROC’s discussion, I realized that she was working on a similar project, but hers was for kids, and she was working on an encryption coloring book and was really inspiring. And I also got more information about the Ghana ISOP team since I’m in Ghana, and I’m looking at ways in which I can collaborate with them in terms of the resources that I need to ensure that I’m able to execute my workshops and webinars here in Ghana. I also spoke with Marisha, who told me about the Global Encryption Day, which I hope to engage with and also learn a thing or two to inculcate on my project. And I spoke to Umut, who was connecting me to resources that I can also use in executing my projects. So it’s been very insightful, I’ve learned a lot. And if you’re still here and you have some resources that would benefit my project, I’m open to connect with you here, you collaborate with you, and even to my other youth ambassadors, if you’d like to collaborate, you can always hit me up, and we can work on projects together. So thank you, thank you, Tori.

Moderator:
Thank you so much. Sounds like great conversations all around. We really appreciate everyone online who was able to join and give input. This is really what it’s all about, everybody sharing their ideas and making the projects and the internet better. So really heartening to hear that. So thank you all so much. And with that, I’ll bring it back to Pranav. Thank you, Tori. And thanks to Caroline, Nana, and Ida for sharing their thoughts. It was so nice to understand how the discussions enriched their understanding and their work around the project initiatives. And now let’s reignite the discussion back in the workshop session. And I will first ask Harman to come up and share more about his project initiative and the discussions he’s had today. Over to you, Harman. Okay.

Speaker 2:
Well, thank you. Thank you very, very much. It’s really a pleasure. Ah, okay. Thank you very much, Pranav, Nicolas, and all my colleagues and friends from the Jude Ambassador Program. It’s really a pleasure to be here with you all after a very short trip of 30 hours to Japan. So yeah, just to be real quick and then give back the award to all of you, mainly I’ve been working on internet fragmentation and particularly the topic that I’m interested in is how net neutrality might be affected with some measures regarding civil rating in Colombia. What we’re seeing is a particularly, let’s say, ambiguous trade-off in some developing countries, such as Colombia, where we have to choose between net neutrality and civil rating in order to provide some sort of connectivity for our citizens. So the issue is that in Colombia, we have around 60% of the population connected to the internet, and one of the main barriers that we’re seeing is that connectivity is just too expensive for most of them. So a solution that has appeared is civil rating. That is, that some applications, some programs, some contents might be accessed at no charge to the consumer. Of course, that’s a reasonably good solution, but when we look around the implications of these kind of measures, we realize that we need to have a more wide understanding on what’s going on. Because in the end, what’s happening is that we end up having two levels of the internet. One level, that’s the internet that everyone can paste and that has access for all of its contents, and then we have a different level where only applications and contents under civil rating might be used by the users. So we have to face this challenge because in the end, the problem is not that civil rating exists because it’s solving an issue that it’s in the way that we use internet in Colombia, but rather how we can make connectivity more accessible and how we can make it more affordable for everyone. So the point of my investigation is dwelling into a conversation that is happening in the Colombian Constitutional Court regarding that issue and see what might be the impact that this decision might have on how civil rating is being understood in the Colombian legal system, as well as what the implications might be regarding the civil rating measures that are being studied by the Constitutional Court. And thank you very much.

Moderator:
Thank you, Herman. It was nice to hear about your project initiative. And with this, I would now like to invite Yug Desai, and he will be sharing more about his work on making standards relevant to end users.

Yug Desai:
Hi, everyone. Thanks for the insightful conversations that we had in the last hour. I got some very interesting ideas about how to take this forward. One of the discussions was about having a human-centered design and also prioritization of the end user in the process itself. There’s also the question of translating the technical language, and an interesting suggestion was to have these standards documents also create some key messages, as is done in the case of legal regulations. But perhaps we can also… also include that in these technical documentations so that the end user can understand the broad message application and impact that standards are having. Obviously, there is a need for awareness campaigns using infographics, webinars, so that your average end user can get involved in standardization. And also, it can be easily demystified for them. Design standards are also important. So standardization at the application layer is something that directly impacts the user. And therefore, issues such as deceptive patterns become important. So standards around design practices are also crucial for ensuring that the end user can interact with the applications properly. There is also the open source community at large and their participation in creating and maintaining and propagating open standards. So their role in ensuring that the end user understand what standards are about is quite critical. So that was also underscored in the discussions. So yeah, those are some of the thoughts. And also, the ethical implications of standards, especially in the context of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and metaverse, are crucial. So through these discussions around ethics, we can find a way to make sure that the technical standards that come out of various processes related to these emerging technologies are robust and can actually address the challenges and the needs of the end users. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Yug. You covered quite a few many bases, impact, ethical considerations, awareness, and deceptive practices within the standardization remit. It was a very nuanced discussion. Great. And with this, I’ll now call in Daniele. And he’ll be sharing on aspects of the Fediverse. Thank you so much.

Daniel Turra:
The conversations were so heated, I had to take off my jacket. Yeah, so our conversations mostly moved towards the idea of digital sovereignty and how open source can actually sustain it. And of course, we also talked about the relevance of open source communities in this specific context. So the idea is that also in the supply chain that is backing up the development of open source software, we have to consider all kind of actors involved in this and how this may actually relate to digital sovereignty. So state actors can have an important role in all of this. And therefore, they can actually be used and participate effectively to sustain the usage and the adoption of open source software, also regarding the Fediverse and alternative social media. So also, there are some still open questions we couldn’t really discuss, such as if the application layer in this specific context might be used for leveraging education on the lower layers of the internet. But also, if there are opportunities to teach people and introduce them to internet governance by talking about social media and moderation in general. So there are still other open points. So please feel free to reach out to me to the email we showed us before. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Daniele. The relevance of the open source community cannot be highlighted enough. And it’s so interesting that you’ve also left us with some open questions to engage with. And we’ll definitely be sharing the email IDs again. And we’ll reach out to you. And with this, I’d now like to call in Jeremy to share about his work on youth IGF in Myanmar.

Speaker 3:
Yeah. So now, actually, I’m not sharing about the youth IGF. Firstly, I want to be sharing about the discussion that was I just discussed with the graduate student from Osaka University. So her research topic is kind of like how the Japanese young people use the social media platform, especially the Twitter, in their daily life communication. So we have discussed a lot about this issue. So today, mainly, I would like to talk about the gender digital device. Previously, I just mentioned about the digital device and inclusion. So gender digital device is kind of like the different access to the technologies between the men and women. Of course. And also, there are a lot of reasons that cause the gender digital device, kind of like the differences in the socioeconomic status, kind of like the level of digital scale, and also like the opportunities for the women to get access to the digital devices, and also like the affordability of this kind of stuff. So now, while we were preparing for today’s session, we talked about having two ways. The first alternative solution is kind of like we can promote the digital electricity. literacy skills for the women through trainees or the education programs, and the second alternative way is to make sure connect the Internet by providing the affordable Internet services and digital device, and also like the last alternative is to create the job opportunities for the women to be able to purchase the digital devices and afford the Internet services, so through this action we can kind of like promote the role of participation of the women in kind of like the accessibility digital technical career. So, yes, that’s all for me.

Moderator:
Thanks Jeremy, thanks for sharing that, and thanks for sharing with us the solutions towards bridging the digital divide and the gender digital divide, and that’s a perfect segue to invite Paula, who’s been working on aspects of women in coding, and really looking forward to hearing.

Speaker 4:
Thank you so much. For you that didn’t hear my exposition this morning, my project is about women in coding, and it’s a program that was I first met this program with a woman of Africa. She has this program called Girls in Coding, where they teach women from underserved community, especially girls from 8 to 15 years old, how to code, and then the program was held in Dominican Republic. It has like one year where young women learn how to code, and we’re integrating this program, giving them the opportunity to code for the government, to use the perspective that they have from underserved communities, and putting the solutions in governmental problems, in governmental solutions that are needed. And the conversation were so interesting, because I got the perspective of your man, where he told me that in Colombia they needed to teach the parliamentarian people, the congress people, and also the people that work for the government, this concept, because they don’t always know those topics about fragmentation, about women in coding, and we need to create laws, we need to create public policies, in order to promote this kind of projects for them to conquer the women literacies in technology. So it was so interesting for me to hear that, and also to hear this perspective of other fellows about the digital divide, bridging the digital divide, and also integrating human rights and the human development perspective. So it was so interesting. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you Paula. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on bridging the digital divide and connecting the unconnected is a priority area for Ethnic Society as well, and thank you for sharing a deep dive into your interaction. And with this, I would now like to call Athanis to share more about his discussion on internet fragmentation.

Speaker 5:
Thank you so much, Pranav. I had a very good discussion actually with many of the colleagues and Marco just mentioned something very important to me, and I think that I have to implement in my project as working around internet fragmentation and alternative solution to internet shutdowns. And what he just mentioned is how we can use parliamentarians as our speakers to the government, as the people to whom we speak to the government, to actually raise more awareness at the government level, so that at least when the government knows what are the best practices, they can implement and they can also put pressure on the regulators. One other thing that was mentioned here is that we can have case studies and toolkits, at least with case studies and stories, we can showcase to governments how bad is these shutdowns and what we are losing from maybe a health perspective, from an economic perspective, and from a civil society perspective. So having case studies is really a very good way of expressing the idea to the government. So those are a few of the solutions I’ve got in the cloud, and my idea is to do more research and have implementable solutions, and I think that I can present that challenge to the government, saying that okay, to avoid these other alternatives we can use. And actually, we will be going forward and tackling these international doubts in the region. That is from me. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Athanis. And it’s definitely, working with parliamentarians is definitely a very effective way of furthering one’s advocacy on any policy or legal issue at hand, and building toolkits and case studies is another one. And as part of your training at the international study, you have also worked on certain internet impact briefs, which we often use for advocacy and research, and those serve as a very good briefing points for parliamentarians and other policy makers. And with this, I would now like to call in Edgar, who would share about his work on generative AI. Yes, I didn’t forget you this time.

Edgar Brutyan:
Well, we talked, actually, I was engaged in many conversations about internet fragmentation, sovereignty, et cetera, but I have to talk about my topic. I talked to former and current ambassadors and other colleagues here about generative AI media and disinformation. And we talked about short-term solutions and long-term solutions as well, like community nodes of X. X is not popular, like Twitter, Twitter doesn’t exist anymore, X, it’s not popular that much as Twitter, but it has a very good solution of short-term solution for disinformation that’s community nodes. But we also have to think about long-term solutions as well, that is like reform of media system in general. So it’s quite good if we learn best practice around the world to fit to Georgian reality, but also one very important thing is that since Georgia shares many things in common with Eastern European countries and with Caucasus region countries as well, so the work done in Georgia can serve as an example for Eastern European countries as well. Yeah, that’s very briefly about our conversation. Thank you. Thank you, Edgar. And I thank all the ambassadors for sharing their thoughts. And that was very insightful and this does call for a round of applause for all the ambassadors here. Thank you everyone for joining. And with this, I will now invite Tori for a closing remark for the online joinees. Thank you so much.

Moderator:
It was so great to hear a little bit about your conversations in person that we cannot be there. So thank you all so much for sharing and thank you to all the online participants. Really wonderful getting to jump into all the different conversations here. The breadth of your work is really astounding. A lot of work to be done in the internet as we can see, but with you guys on the case, I know we’re in good hands here. And so if any of the participants are interested in hearing more from our ambassadors, we will be having our end of program symposium on November 14th. So look out on the Internet Society social media channels for more information about that. So you’ll get to hear even more from our amazing ambassadors if you join us there. And with that, I will leave you with Nana’s words. I think they really encompass everything I learned today myself. The power of change lies in collective efforts. Really beautiful quote. So thank you so much. And back to you, Pranav. Thank you, Tori. And for the joinees in person, I would now like to invite Nicholas, who is our alum from the Youth Ambassador Program and the steering committee member of the Youth Coalition on Internet Governance. Over to you, Nicholas.

Nicolas Fiumarelli:
Thank you, Pranav. And thank you to all the youth ambassadors here for your contributions. Being in the room and hearing all your discussions were very important to showcase the importance of the youth engagement, right? I was hearing the discussions with Atanasia and Mark about internet fragmentation, and well, these alternatives, these solutions that you came up are the important part, because we are discussing here what are the different methods we can solve the challenges we have. Also when talking about Jeremy with the Youth IGF Myanmar, how to deal with countries that sometimes the governments are very reluctant on discussing the important things or having the conversations with the younger generation, but it’s very important to maintain this youth engagement, right? To have the youths there. So having the youth discussing is really important. These fresh ideas and ways of thinking is what we, this is a key for the future. And well, the idea is to listen and work with the younger generations, and thank you all for joining today. And well, this is, see you in the next time in the Collaborative Leadership Exchange. Thanks. Bye. Bye.

Moderator:

Nicolas Fiumarelli:
I am Nicolás Fiumarelli, 33 years old, and proud former youth ambassador. I was a youth ambassador as you in 2019, in the cohort of the Internet Societies Programme. Today, as we convene to this significant session, we are reminded of the cardinal role of youth play in shaping the digital world, right? Particularly in Internet governance. The youth’s presence in the realm of Internet governance is not just pivotal. It’s transformative, right? With your unique perspectives and innovative ideas, and your inherent ability to passion and adaptability, to inject into these IG processes, ensure that this evolving framework that we are seeing is not only technical, but also socially relevant, right? Inclusive and forward-looking. The Internet Society recognises the immense potential, has been tireless in its efforts to uplift, mentor and champion the young voices. The Youth Ambassador Programme is just a facet of these endeavours. Beyond this, there are a myriad of initiatives, collaborations and projects that are tailored to cultivate this harness of the power of the youth, as we say. The Society’s commitment extends to the creation of platforms that are actively involved in dialogues, decision-making, and also in leadership roles, as we have seen. The Youth Coalition, that I am part of, and the Youth Standing Group, that is this ISOC special interest group that now is with a standing status, are shining examples of this that I am saying. These platforms are for youth, but are led by them, right? Creating this synergy of ideas, aspirations and actions in the Internet Society, exploring and underlining the Internet Society’s mission and ambition, right? To have this global, open and interconnected network. The youth voice isn’t just an addition, it’s essential for this future. The Internet Society’s mission, as you know, at its core, is about inclusivity and empowerment. So, fostering these youth-centric platforms and initiatives, and the collaboration between these initiatives, is investing in a future where the Internet governance is diverse. So, let’s focus on today’s session. We are here at the Collaborative Leadership Exchange. This session has been taking place several years at the ICF, and the main objective is, as you know, networking, creating and fostering relationships between the ambassadors and also the alumnus, right? Because there are people that are former youth ambassadors as well, and keep continuing participating, exchanging these revolutionary ideas about community networks. We have projects related with Internet fragmentation, a lot of topics addressing these crucial Internet governance issues, right? So, designed with these presentations and the collaborative discussions we will have, and now Prana will mention a little, we are committed to translating these conversations into tangible actions, right? So, many of the insights today will emanate from the new cohort of the youth ambassadors, as I said. There are 15 people, so I am very glad to be here with you. And, well, with these interactions we ensure this global perspective, right? The idea is to forge ahead and remember us that the collective mission is to shape an Internet that remains open, trustworthy and beneficial for everyone. So, you, the youth, are not just participants, make sure of that, because you are the driving force of the Internet governance. So, with this I take the floor to Pranav. Thank you. And, well, thank you for being part of this transformative journey together. Hello everyone joining online and in person. I’m Pranav, I’m an empowerment advisor at the Internet Society. And, more importantly, I was myself an early career fellow of the Internet Society.

Moderator:
I’m so happy to be hosting the youth ambassador program and the collaborative leadership exchange of the Internet Society, where we have 15 of our youth ambassadors joining us. Some of them are joining online. It’s important for them to be empowered. Thank you. Thank you so much, Caroline. The next one to introduce their topic is Ida. Ida, can you talk? Okay. Hi, Tori. So, I was struggling a bit to unmute. Can you hear me?

Speaker 1:
Yes, we can hear you. Awesome. So, hello, everyone. My name is Ida. And I’m from Ghana. And I’m excited to join you all today. So, my topic is on online safety and etiquette for young people and for kids. As a youth ambassador with the Internet Society and with other organizations, I’m really passionate about young people. So, I’m going to start by introducing myself. My name is Ida. And I’m from Ghana. And I’m excited to join you all today. So, my topic is on online safety and etiquette for young people and for kids. As a youth ambassador with the Internet Society and with other organizations, I’m really passionate about young people. So, my topic is on online safety and etiquette for young people and for kids. and about the work that you are doing and their impact on the society. And that is why I chose this topic. So to start with, in today’s digital era, navigating the online world can be both exciting and challenging, especially for us as young people and for kids as well. As technology enthusiasts and as a generation that breeds the internet, we often find ourselves exploring the vast internet landscape, connecting with friends, sharing data, and learning new things. However, amidst the fun, it’s crucial to prioritize our safety and practice proper online etiquette. So this project aims to discover the do’s and don’ts of online interactions, from safeguarding personal information to fostering a respectful online community. This project also aims to equip young people with essential skills to thrive in the virtual realm responsibly. So in simple terms, my project is supposed to help young people gain knowledge and ensure their online experiences are not only enjoyable, but also secure and respectful. And I’m hoping to achieve this by having workshops and webinars and educational materials that I’m going to share amongst young people and also use to educate young people. I also want to take advantage of emerging technologies such as virtual reality to provide educational resources for young people and make sure that they are safe online. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you so much, Aida. Lastly, that I see is Nana Ama. Nana, can you share your topic idea, please? All right. Hi, good morning, evening, afternoon, wherever you may be. It’s currently dawn in Ghana, so my voice may sound a little bit hoarse, pardon me.

Nana Ama-Yabuado:
So my name is Nana Ama-Yabuado, and I’m Ghana and the current youth ambassador with the Internet Society. My initiative is Dabbed Empower Here, which is a groundbreaking initiative at the forefront of driving digital gender equality. Given the rapidly evolving digital landscape, and of late, there is also increasing awareness that standardization goes beyond this. It also has human rights implications. It has implications on how people are able to connect to the internet. So, I’m Nana Ama-Yabuado, and I’m the co-founder of Dabbed Empower Here, which is a global initiative that is focused on gender equality. Given the rapidly evolving digital landscape, which is abundant, but barriers persist, I believe it’s important that I set up an initiative that is focused on gender equity and gender change. So, with this initiative, the aim is to have a path to a more equitable and inclusive digital world. And I believe this starts with empowering women. My initiative is not just focused at addressing the gender gap but sharing it, you know, especially starting from Ghana, where I currently reside. So I’m passionate about making a community of change-makers and advocates who are dedicated to unlocking the full potential of the average Ghanaian woman. The mission of this initiative is to provide rural women with skills, knowledge, and supports to help them thrive in the digital realm. So I would encourage everyone to join me on this journey. Technology has become a tool for empowerment and my initiative is solely focused on replacing the barriers with bridges where every woman or girl has the opportunity to not only participate in the digital revolution but also to shape it. So collectively we can change the story as it stands now and have a more gender-equal and digitally inclusive world. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you so much. All these topics sound fascinating. So for our online participants, you can join our breakout rooms to pick one of our amazing ambassadors and get to talk more about their idea. And with that, I will send it back over to Pranav and the ambassadors there in person in Japan. Thank you, Dori. And with this, we now come to the ambassadors who are joining us in person. And first I would like to call upon Yugdesai, and he’s working on a project initiative titled Making Standards Relevant to End Users. Over to you, Yug.

Yug Desai:
Hi, everyone. Welcome to today’s session. So my topic is making standards relevant to end users. And by this, I don’t mean that we need to create standards that end users can use. What I’m trying to do here is to make sure that end users understand the importance of standards and they educate themselves about standards and standardization processes. Standardization prima facie is a very boring topic. And as a non-technical person, you would probably run away from it. But it impacts all aspects of your life. And especially in the context of the internet, it impacts how you use the internet and how internet goes on to shape your life. So standardization of late has multidimensional impact on the society as a whole, on the economy, the supply chains, on how things interoperate. And of late, there is also increasing awareness that standardization goes beyond this. It also has human rights implications. It has implications on how people are able to connect to the internet, how they are able to access the internet. And standardization is also seen as a technical form of governance. So at the Internet Governance Forum, we’re obviously talking about regulation. But it is also possible to govern the internet through technical standards. So it is very important that we realize how standards, how values are being embedded in standards or how ethics are being embedded into standards. And so these are some of the ideas that I’m beginning with. And what I want to do today through our exchange is to get your point of view on how standards are relevant to people. Why should end users concern themselves with standards and whether they should do this in the first place or should it be left to the people who know the technical integrities of the technology? And second question is, of course, how do we do this? How do we do this together? How do we ensure that we can make an average end user aware of standards and how it is impacting their everyday life? Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Yug. Thank you so much. Now I’d like to give the floor to Daniel Turra from Italy. Please share with us your experiences and perspectives. Thank you. Hello there, everyone.

Daniel Turra:
My name is Daniel Turra. And I would like to talk today about open source software in social media, also known as the Fediverse. And I would like to tease you with a couple of questions. For example, what if we had multiple different social media platforms based on open source software and what if those could be managed and moderated by any skilled organization or individuals for the benefit of everyone? So the Fediverse is a collection of interoperable and independently run social media servers that are able to communicate with each other. So the underlying protocol makes this possible, just like the same concepts underlined for emails, but also for social media. So this free and open source software promises to give users back some control of the Internet by allowing self-hosting and experimentation. This also makes possible learning about the inner workings of the Internet, not only at the application layer. So can we achieve digital sovereignty and learning in the meanwhile? So in this session, I would like to discuss together open points regarding the use of open source software for digital sovereignty, opportunities for capacity building, and what can every one of us do in this context regarding open source software. So if you’re interested, just join the session.

Moderator:
Thank you, Daniel. I would now like to call upon Jeremy and share about his work around youth IGF Myanmar. .

Speaker 3:
I’m Jeremy. I’m from Myanmar. Today I just would like to point out the digital guidelines about the online government whole��는 languages which cannot be transnected because of the internet. So the UN just like the one of the new internet governance initiatives like the other nations we are just trying to organise the specific for us that are particularly to the internet from the international community. So the first mission is to advocate internet governance for a meaningful inclusive trustworthy and safe internet through YMG and NYAMA. So we have like the four missions to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people to create the internet governance community and NYAMA youth from shaping the future of the internet. So the second mission is to promote the use of the NGF to discuss and raise internet issues and the last one is to empower future generation to organise the NYAMA youth internet governance forum in NYAMA, with our co-values, open, transparent, inclusive, and multistakeholder collaboration, so that is the preintroduction of NYAMA. So the third mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people to create the internet governance community and NYAMA youth from shaping the future of the internet. So the third mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the third mission. So the third mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the third mission. So the fourth mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the fourth mission. So the fifth mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the fifth mission. So the fifth mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the fifth mission. So the last mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the fifth mission. So the last mission is to promote the use of the NGF to raise awareness of internet governance policies and issues among young people, so that is the fifth mission.

Moderator:
Thank you so much, Jeremy, it’s really great to hear about your youth NGF initiative, so now we’ll hear from

Paola Corporan:
Paola Corporan from the Dominican Republic, so Paola, the floor is yours. Thank you, Jeremy, and thank you for inviting me to be part of this initiative. I learned something in Nigeria that you need to make an impact, and I would like to say that by five years from now, I’m maybe going to be the next ministry of public innovation of the Dominican Republic, so nice to meet you. I’m Paola Corporan, and I’m the head of public innovation of the Dominican government, and working in public innovation, I’ve seen that it’s important the collaborative perspective in building strategies, building public policies, and I’m in charge of promoting the culture of public innovation, and my project is about engaging girls in coding, girls in the public initiative, and I will be using a case study of a group of girls that are now learning how to code, and that’s the purpose is to massificate that initiative in all the Dominican government, using, and then analyzing how it’s engaging girls in coding, and how it’s engaging girls in building the public innovation of the Dominican government. So I will be glad to be talking about this topic, and nice to meet you all.

Moderator:
Thank you, Paola, we look forward to hearing more about your project initiative.

Speaker 5:
And now I call in Athnes, he’s from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will be co-chairing the project, and he will be presenting the project to the commissioners about how they will co-chair the project, and a certificate for him as commissioner, which he will be presenting the project to the next houses in state and country, and to tell us a little about the program and its use, and we are covering the internet fragmentation in Galley, and having him on the panel about covering internet fragmentation. Thank you. I’m going to talk about internet fragmentation. I’m going to talk about internet fragmentation in Galley. I’m going to talk about the impact of internet fragmentation in the form of internet shutdowns. At some point, the internet is just being shut down by the government just because of some political issues or in election periods. So, what I’m trying to do is to assess the economic and societal impact of internet shutdowns and what are the solutions that we can have to tackle these issues without having to shut down the whole internet. So, the idea is to have alternative solutions that we can present to the government, showing them how much we are losing when we are having shutdowns, and what are the solutions we can use to prevent these shutdowns. So, I will be very happy to discuss with you all if you have some tactics, or some cases you have gone through, or what we can do to make sure this is no longer a problem. So, I will be very happy to discuss this with you all.

Moderator:
Thank you. Thank you, Atniz, and it was so nice to hear from all the fellows. Let’s energise this room with a round of applause. Thank you. Awesome. So, now that we’ve heard from Edgar is here. All right. Hi, Edgar. Would you please come up and share about your project initiative on generative AI? Please, my apologies.

Edgar Brutyan:
So, hi, I’m Edgar from Georgia, country, not state. So, the problem in my country is generative AI and disinformation, actually, which comes mostly from Russia. As you might know, my country is occupied by Russia, as now Ukraine, so we are in hybrid warfare with this country, and in my country, there are many ethnic minorities. I’m also a representative of ethnic minority in my country, and Russia always use generative AI. Especially to pit people against each other, and to cause separatism in Georgia. That’s why I decided to work on, I have, like, desk research to work on initiatives, how we can regulate, for instance, media in Georgia to ensure that there is no disinformation, but at the same time, there is no disinformation. So, I’m working on this, and I’m also working on, like, initiatives, how we can regulate, for instance, media in Georgia to ensure that there is no disinformation, but at the same time, since Georgia is hybrid democracy, and is very vulnerable to authoritarian tendencies, we also ensure democratic development of this country. So, it’s very tricky, I mean, so it’s very tricky, because, like, when you have censorship of media, you have censorship of the media, and you have censorship of the country, but on the other hand, there might be authoritarian tendencies in your country, and unfortunately, current government of Georgia has authoritarian tendencies, because it’s pro-Russian. I will speak broadly during roundtables. Yeah, that’s it. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Edgar. We’ve heard from the ambassadors, and they’ve been covering, as we said, we heard about generative AI, we heard about internet fragmentation, we heard about women who code, we have heard about youth IGFs. So, it is now the time when these ambassadors will be moving towards breakout sessions. The ambassadors joining us online will be having breakout sessions virtually, and those in person will be taking spots within this room, so whoever’s topic, whichever topic really interested you, please move towards those ambassadors, and have a discussion with them. And I will then remind you all in 15 minutes at 10. a.m. JST to then shift to another ambassador, and then we can have another round of discussion. So this is your moment to, again, take feedback, give recommendations, build networks, so over to you, folks. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.