Networking Session #95 Friends for Internet : Create Better Digital World

Summary

This discussion focused on youth participation and representation in internet governance, particularly from the Global South. Participants shared experiences and initiatives aimed at increasing youth involvement in international forums like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius described her efforts to ensure Latin American representation at conferences, emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities and being proactive. Marko Paloski highlighted the work of the Youth Coalition on Internet Governance in helping young people navigate the complex world of internet governance through webinars, newsletters, and networking.

Mariana Alves detailed Brazil’s youth program, which selects and sponsors young people to participate in national and international internet governance events. The program aims to promote diversity and empower youth to become leaders in the field.

The discussion touched on the tension between globalization and localization, with participants noting the need to address both global standards and local realities in internet governance. The importance of media literacy for children and young people was also emphasized, with suggestions for involving various stakeholders in education efforts.

Participants stressed the significance of including youth perspectives in discussions about internet rights and policies, as young people are heavily impacted by these issues. The conversation concluded with a call for greater awareness among parents and educators about responsible internet use to better guide children in the digital world.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– Importance of youth participation and representation in internet governance, especially from the Global South

– Challenges and opportunities for youth initiatives in internet governance

– Balancing globalization and localization in addressing internet issues

– Media literacy and combating misinformation, especially for children and youth

– Responsibility of various stakeholders (governments, companies, users) in internet governance

Overall purpose/goal:

The discussion aimed to highlight youth perspectives and initiatives in internet governance, particularly from Latin America and the Global South. Speakers shared their experiences organizing youth programs and advocated for greater youth involvement in shaping internet policies.

Tone:

The tone was largely enthusiastic and encouraging, with speakers passionately describing their work and urging other youth to get involved. There was also a sense of critical analysis, especially when discussing complex issues like globalization vs localization. The tone became more serious and concerned when addressing challenges like misinformation and children’s online safety toward the end.

Speakers

– Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: Works at the Chamber of Deputies in Argentina, organizes summits for parliamentarians from Latin America and the Caribbean

– David Okpatuma: Moderator of the discussion

– Marko Paloski: Coordinator of IGF in Macedonia, steering committee member at YACIG (Youth Coalition on Internet Governance)

– Mariana Alves: Represents the youth program from CGI (Brazilian Internet Steering Committee), researcher on algorithm discrimination and critical race theories

Additional speakers:

– Nirvana Lima: Facilitator of youth program, works with Mariana Alves

Youth Participation and Representation in Internet Governance

This discussion focused on youth participation and representation in internet governance, particularly from the Global South. Participants shared experiences and initiatives aimed at increasing youth involvement in international forums like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Gabriela Marcelja Sirius, who works at the Chamber of Deputies in Argentina, described her efforts to ensure Latin American representation at conferences. She emphasized the importance of seizing opportunities and being proactive, sharing an anecdote about advocating for better representation of Latin American voices at a global forum. Sirius also highlighted her work in organizing a network of Latin American parliamentarians on digital issues. She stressed the importance of considering local realities when developing policies and laws related to internet governance.

Marko Paloski, coordinator of IGF in North Macedonia and a member of the Youth Coalition on Internet Governance (YCIG), discussed the coalition’s role in helping young people navigate the complex world of internet governance. YCIG provides resources such as webinars, newsletters, and networking opportunities to support youth engagement. Paloski noted an interesting trend in youth participation, observing higher engagement from the Global South compared to Europe in the Youth Coalition’s internal governance.

Brazilian Youth Program

Mariana Alves, representing the youth program from the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI), provided a detailed overview of Brazil’s initiative to select and sponsor young people for participation in national and international internet governance events. The program aims to promote diversity and empower youth to become leaders in the field.

Key aspects of the Brazilian youth program include:

1. A selection process that considers diversity in terms of region, gender, and background

2. Financial support for participants to attend events

3. Mentorship and guidance throughout the program

4. Opportunities for youth to engage in policy discussions and contribute to internet governance processes

Alves emphasized that the program not only benefits the selected youth but also enriches the broader internet governance discussions by bringing fresh perspectives and ideas.

Media Literacy and Misinformation

Towards the end of the session, participants briefly touched on the importance of media literacy for children and young people:

1. Marko Paloski emphasized the need for media literacy education for both youth and adults, stressing the importance of fact-checking skills and critical consumption of online content.

2. Mariana Alves cautioned against placing too much responsibility on users, especially children, highlighting their vulnerabilities and rights in digital literacy efforts.

3. Gabriela Marcelja Sirius stressed the importance of educating parents on responsible internet use to better guide their children in the digital world.

Globalization vs. Localization

The discussion concluded with a brief exploration of the tension between globalization and localization in internet governance:

1. Mariana Alves offered a perspective viewing globalization and localization as parallel phenomena rather than opposites.

2. Alves also provided a critical view of globalization, framing it as a potential continuation of colonization and highlighting the shift towards localization in the Global South as a response to addressing specific regional issues.

Conclusion

The conversation highlighted the complex interplay between global and local perspectives in internet governance and the crucial role of youth participation. Speakers emphasized the importance of including diverse youth voices in shaping internet policies and governance structures. They also stressed the need for continued efforts to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to the internet across different regions. The discussion concluded with a call for greater awareness among parents and educators about responsible internet use to better guide children in the digital world.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: We are here, we came, like we, it was me, two or three Brazilian people, and two Colombians, and I was like, we are Latinos, we are Latin Americans here, and we don’t have one panel, so, and this is a little bit incorrect to say, like political incorrect, I got drunk to have the courage to speak to the director of the program, and I told her, it’s fine, I love what you are doing, thank you so much for inviting me, but you know what, if you are going to say in your program that you are going to talk, or this is going to be about the Global South, and you invite people from Latin America, you shouldn’t have a panel on Latin America, and she was like, okay, fair enough, we are going to have the panel, so the next week of the program, this was during the panel on Latin America, so, what I want to say with this, is basically sometimes, and I think it happens especially with the Global South, that even though we have some spaces where we can like go, and now we are more included in the Global South, let’s say, before, we didn’t have the space, or we have to took everything that came from the North Global, and now we can put ourselves there, and make our voices, the thing is like, sometimes, like here, it didn’t happen, that we had the space, but they didn’t even like take account into Latin America. After this happened, I went to the IGF in a couple of weeks, and I realized that the parliamentary track, now I am working at the parliamentary track in Argentina, while in Latin America, and I also realized there, that there were, I think, three or four parliamentarians from Latin America, then, in last year, in Kyoto, I realized that, because I didn’t go to Ethiopia, nothing happened between that two weeks, and Kyoto, nothing at all at the parliamentary track, and since I work at the chamber of deputies in Argentina, I said like, I should do something, like, we have this space, there are funds there for people from Latin America, and from all around the world, not only for Latin America, for parliamentarians to come here, and no one is doing nothing about this, I should do something, so I started this network of parliamentarians from Latin America and the Caribbean, who are working on digital matters, what I want to do is have our own vision, our own agenda of what Latin American Caribbean people think, want, and need, because it’s different, even though there are a lot of countries in the region, we share some things that are, for all of us, like institutionalized corruption, or poverty, I mean, we have so many history and so many things in common, that I saw this as an opportunity for us to have our voice and our needs in the parliamentary track, in, at the UN, in a global forum, so what I aim you to do, is when you see these opportunities, don’t let them pass, there are a lot of opportunities for us, for you to be in place, like, I’m 34, but when I started this, I was 30, and I had a baby of six months, so you can do it, you can put yourself over there, you just have to do it, to take the courage, maybe not get drunk, but to do it, because in the way since I started it now, I found a lot of people who wanted to help me, who wanted to be with me, who encouraged me, who gave me their knowledge, to share with me their content, like, for us, there is an opportunity, but we have to be brave and take that opportunity, and please, if you know any Arabian, introduce them to me, thank you. So, thank you so much, so one of the questions I have for you, is that, do you work on a bilateral base, or within some sort of integrational unities, so do you work on a bilateral basis with the countries of Latin American, Caribbean, or is it within some interpol, so UNASUR maybe, Yeah, no, so the thing in Latin America is that we don’t have, it’s Latin America and the Caribbean, the Caribbean sometimes it’s more difficult because they’re in the island and it’s not that reachable, but no, I don’t work like with an institution, it’s something that I just started by myself, I just saw the opportunity, it was like, I do not need any institution to do this, we are as we are, because it was like, we already have these institutions, we don’t have one institution for all Latin America and the Caribbean, so it doesn’t exist, but apart from that, it was like, we already have a lot of institutions, and they’re not working, and they’re not doing this, so why would I go to them to do something that they’re not doing, because they have a lot of bureaucracy too, like, I can do it by myself, quick here, and then they will come to me, and actually, right now, they’re doing that, like for instance, Parlasur, that is the, a ton of parliamentarians for the South, for the American South, well, they’re coming to me, some parliamentarians from there asking like, what are you doing, can you share your knowledge, can you share your best practices, and it’s like, sometimes you don’t have to wait for institutions, or you don’t need institutions, I mean, it’s a good thing to have institutions that back you, because it’s not the same being as, hi, my name is Agustina, and I want you to join my network, but the good thing, and maybe this is a Latin American, so, and because I come from the parliament, so I work at the Chamber of Deputies, and I think that’s also, even though it’s not that I belong there, but it’s an institution that can have my background, like back me up, they trusted me, and because I was here, so I think that’s another thing I want to say, here, there is a lot of people that can get into your network, or can join you, or can support you, and not even only financially, because for instance, this year, I organized two summits of parliamentarians, of Latin America and the Caribbean, one in Argentina, and the other one in Chile, but because I knew how the chambers of deputies in Latin America work, because you do not need money for parliamentarians to travel, and that’s something for you to know, so if you organize something, you only need to send them the invitation, like personalized invitation, because they can ask their parliament to fund them, because I knew that, because I work at the chamber, I just said like, okay, I want to do this, I asked Selim Bal, that is in charge of the parliamentary track, I said like, I want to organize this Latin America and the Caribbean about AI, so here, a deputy of Argentina, who is over there, we organized it together, and she said like, yeah, sure, let’s do it, what do you need? I just need the logo of the IGF and the parliamentary track, that’s it, I need the institution to support that we are doing this, and she was like, yeah, sure, let’s do it, and I just recognized it, and that was it, obviously, I didn’t need an institution, but having the IGF behind that, it’s a really good thing, so I also encourage you to join or meet people from the secretariat, or from the youth, or from something here, that could be your partner on what you are doing. Okay, so, inspiring speech, and I think that the majority of youth here can work on some issues, and that brings us to the better future.

David Okpatuma: So, yeah, thank you so much, and now I would like to give the floor to Marco Polosky, the coordinator of IGF in Macedonia, steering committee at YACIG.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: So, Marco, the floor is yours.

David Okpatuma: Yes, thank you very much for inviting me here.

Marko Paloski: So, yes, I’m here, maybe more representative of the youth, I’m coming from Eastern Europe, but the topic is still relevant, because youth coalition intergovernance is, they have, I mean, in the leadership board, we have from each region one person, and I wanted to emphasize before I jump into the, it’s very interesting, because the people, the youth from the global south are more active, or more involved in, not just intergovernance, but we are here for intergovernance to speak, more active than the rest of the world, and they are still not, the topics presented at the IGF, especially the global IGF. I will give just a short example of what we are doing as a youth coalition intergovernance, voluntary initiative, so we are not established somewhere in the world, and our idea is to help the youth navigate to the internet governance world, sometimes we are organizing webinars, especially for the IGF now, we organize onboarding, also there is a group that we created, a youth in Riyadh, I don’t know. if some youth is not here, maybe we can later add the group, and there we discuss about what’s happening, some youth sessions that are there, some after the IGF, social gatherings or something like that. That newsletter that we are also sending with all the initiatives on a monthly basis, the idea is to help the youth, bring them together. Sometimes when we are organizing webinars or something, when we need speakers for specific region, we usually use the mailing list, I didn’t mention, but there is a mailing list, it’s open so everyone can join there and share resources, ask questions, so the whole idea is to help the youth navigate through this complex and big internal governance world, and everyone is helpful, like previously mentioned, if someone needs help, not just the youth, but also the other people are very helpful in this world. I want to revert to the issue that we tackled in the beginning, and what I mentioned before is because, for example, in youth coalition internal governance, the board is every year changing, so we have now elections in January, and the thing that I mentioned is we have a lot of youth that are from global, how can I say, submitting their candidacy, then from the rest of the world, for example, Europe, or, yeah, for example, the participation is on the lowest, I can say, I don’t know why, I mean, but that’s, I think, a big issue, and we are always trying to do some, to bring to the IGF some topics that are not covered, because usually, as you mentioned, if you saw the agenda, some of the topics are maybe each year a little bit changed, or coming to discuss the same, but because they’re not covered at all with the years, like you mentioned, from Poland to now to, which is, I think, four years from Poland, yeah, this is the third year, or, yeah, with Poland, fourth year, but, yes, youth coalition IGF is here to encourage also the youth, I mean, to submit the session, so organizing when the open call for session is open, maybe not on how to submit it, because it’s not, if you’re new to IGF, or second time, maybe, and never submitted a session, it’s really hard, because it’s, how to write in, of course, they are not selecting only a certain number, and usually, each year, we are trying to do those kind of calls, and also later groups, so we can organize between us, because there are a lot of people that want to apply, and if we have similar idea why to apply with two proposals, why not as one, there is more chances, and especially, because some of the session requests, this is a region participant, and sometimes it’s very hard, maybe you have the topic to discuss it, but don’t know someone, I don’t know, Asia, or maybe in Latin America, but I want to talk about Latin America, so we use this kind of groups and communication, so we can collaborate between us, and apply for that in this case. What I wanted to say with this is that if you have, if you see that something is not represented, do something about it, like you mentioned, maybe, yeah, you don’t need to be drunk to do it, or something like that, you will find some other way, but I would say do something, okay, you don’t see this year a session about Latin America, okay, next year, when it’s the proposal, apply with some kind of proposal, I don’t know, join the mailing list, we are here, always happy to plan to have a session on Latin America, if there is someone requesting that, and we see that it’s, I mean, needed, of course, because it’s not in the program, then, yeah, we’re gonna help with contacts, I don’t know, with maybe drafting, maybe other point of views, something like that, so we are, sometimes they say that we are the next generation, but yesterday, we also talked about, no, we are the present generation, I mean, we are using more technology, and the issues we are facing, we are, it’s more reflecting on us, than on the older generation, because we are, everybody is on the phone, on a tablet, we are learning on that, and everything, so I would say that if you see something that is not working, let’s do something, and yeah, take some action, I mean, we are here as a youth coalition, internal governance to help, I mean, we are not the only one, there is inter-society, standing group, there are other initiatives, but wherever we go with those kind of initiatives, so yeah, that would be, from my side, as an intro, and yeah. Okay, yeah, thank you so much.

David Okpatuma: So, it came to me that it looks like the start of a global civil society in this international, internal governance, in this sphere, and how can we maybe improve other spheres to be as efficient as you work? So, I think that’s a great example of interaction from all over the world, and I think that in some different spheres, it’s not the same, but we, everywhere, we need this sort of coordination, this assistance, just to be more proactive. So, maybe any advice, how to put it like that? In the other sphere, other than internal governance? Oh, that’s a good question. I would say also the space it’s

Marko Paloski: needed, because also when I joined it in internal related things, or internal governance in 2018, the whole space here, it’s very, how can I say, welcomed. Yeah, maybe we don’t have that much session also, I’m coming from Macedonia, which is in Eastern Europe, and we don’t talk about Balkan or Eastern Europe issues, but that’s also, I wouldn’t bring it now, it’s another topic, but everything, even when you ask, I’m new, they want to introduce you, there is also, I think the one good side here is that also many organization, or maybe institution, trying to get you involved here, like giving with the fellowships, giving, there are also schools on internal governance, now I don’t know, more than 20, which try to involve you, and everyone is very welcome. I know not every other sphere is like this, sometimes the people don’t want to help you, or they see you as a competition, but if you want to collaborate, and if you want to achieve something, I think that maybe not same like here, but be open, be transparent, and I don’t know, try to help, because even if it’s helping you to someone else, who you maybe don’t know, or something, both, or the whole initiative is going, so it’s not just you helping him, and he will know something, or he will, how can I succeed, and you don’t, or something like that, so yeah, the communication and sharing, I mean, I agree that in the other parts, in the sectors, it’s not like this, but I think we should change that, and maybe because this whole internal governance process is based on multi-stakeholderism, and bottom-up process, so maybe that’s why if we change a little bit the perspective on how we are seeing the things, and how we are approaching them, maybe it will change also how the stakeholders are reacting, because if it’s top-down, it’s more easy for me to say, I don’t know, not help you, or something like that, it’s, how can I say, I mean, it’s not, I will do and say that it’s different, also not to help you, but I don’t know, I think the process, and the whole approach, how we are giving it, playing the key role here, yeah. Okay, so it all starts with us, and we put a lot of efforts just to do something, but still, I think that’s the atmosphere, which we can create, will definitely help us in this, in all matters. I mean, if there’s a good example that you can get, some other sectors, of course, I think with the time they will start changing their minds. Yeah, for sure, for sure.

David Okpatuma: So, thank you so much, Marco. Now, I would like to give a floor to Mariana Alves Araujo Lopez, yeah, am I right? Lopez. Lopez, yeah. So, and she represents the youth program from CGI,

Mariana Alves: Brazilian Internet Steering Committee. So, Mariana, please, the floor is yours. Thank you. Well, I’m from Brazil, I’m 29 years old, and it’s nice to talk about my age, because this can be, can encourage another youth, right? I mean, I work with internet as a researcher, and as a promoter of internet governance between another youth, younger than me, and we promote to the digital skills to other Brazilians. As a researcher, I’m a master’s student in law, we focus in algorithm discrimination, regulation, and critical race theories. We have a special issue in Brazil about racial points, and I’m working promoting awareness about the algorithm discrimination impact. Mostly, it has been done promoting story groups, universities, collective publications, focus on civil society, and parliamentarianism. Therefore, in this year, I have the honor to be one of the five facilitators in the youth program of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee. The main goal of the program is to promote internet governance in Brazilian youth under 25 years old, and empower themselves to participate and act as leaders in the governance in Brazil and international space. Each year, the program receives about 300 participants. They are selected to participate in online forums. Ten of them are selected to go to the Latin America IGF, and other ten are selected to go to here, to the IGF. So, we have 10 of them here, and both participants, I mean 20, they are invited and they are sponsored to be in the Brazilian IGF too, we call it FIP. So, and in this year, actually, especially this year, we also managed to bring five to the IGF do Zófano, I mean, like the speakers’ community, and to enter the NetMundial Plus 10. That was an event promoted in Sao Paulo to rediscuss the NetMundial, NetMundial, I mean in English, but well, as facilitator, I and my other four colleagues helped the committee to help select these students. We work as mentors during all the course, and we evaluate the participants too, and we have workshops to train them about how to contribute during the sections, I mean the Brazilian sections, international sections. We have workshops to help them how to write, how to submit a session to the international events, so the youths’ coalition, actually, we have youths in the youths’ coalition too, and doing the distribution of the sponsorships, we consider not only the notion that we have, but the diversity too, so we analyze the distribution of the series in the Brazilian geography, we have a really huge, large country, so it’s interesting to us to bring here not only a hegemonic view of Brazil, but a diverse view of Brazil. We consider their gender, we consider their race or color, and the field of activity, I mean, it’s important to have not only engineers, but lawyers, and not only lawyers, but pedagogos, and other fields, so it’s really interesting. For example, in 2020, we had a, how can I say, a psychologist, thank you, sorry, asking help for a Spanish speaker, but we have a psychologist, and she, nowadays, she’s working with TikTok, so it’s really interesting to see how they develop their abilities and go to the internet. Well, so that’s it, and after selecting all the 20 students, we prepare them to participate in the other events, we encourage them to support, and to actually be collaborating on the sections, and it’s pretty interesting. So, we are here to talk about this program, to encourage you to have this kind of program in your countries, too. As Marco said, he told us that we have a lot of South people in the international events because of this Brazilian program, because maybe more than just South people, we have a lot of Brazilian people, and we want to have South people in other countries, too. That’s why we encourage the Latin American Caribbean IGF, but this program is really important, it’s kind of representative.

David Okpatuma: Okay, yeah, thank you so much. So, you said that your project is some sort of, making a good impact on the global South participation in IGF formats. Maybe you have some partnerships with different, some of the same entities all over the world, or are there any practices like that in your organization? The Brazilian Internet Committee has a kind of chair in the Latin American Caribbean IGF,

Mariana Alves: so it’s a partnership, an institutional partnership to promote this initiative like that. But still, I guess that’s the most important, and most likely action, is the youth themselves as part of the youth. Thanks, Naparro. I mean, as I told you, I know that we have a lot of youth that found a lot of other youth in another country in these events, I mean, in the middle of the space, and they just started to talk, and then two months after, they built another event, you know? So, talking about Latin America, for example, we have the official IGF, but we have the youth IGF, and this year, the youth IGF that was promoted by youths were bigger than the institutional events, and not because we have the institutional support, the institutional support was good, too, but more because of their own initiatives. So, it’s really important. So, we help them to put themselves here, to show each of them to you, to all the countries here, and then they will build a lot of other projects.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: Okay, thank you so much, thank you. So, I have one question for each of you. So, I’ve read in some newspapers and in some articles that today, instead of globalization as a trend, which stands for globalization.

Speaker: So, which point of view do you personally support? Is it still globalization as we all choose to perceive it? Now, it’s certainly localization. So, what’s your point of view on this? I don’t know. This is my opinion. Globalization is taking part very much, and already on some places, I think it’s like you mentioned, the globalization is localization now, but there are still certain things that are not under globalization. It’s a good thing about what we are specifically talking about, because I think to some extent it’s good to get to some basic level, some globalization, so some certain things which is standardized, or maybe everybody the same, but I don’t go that much to everything to be globalized, and to become the new localization or something like that, because that’s the beautiful sometimes on the local things or stuff. I mean, they are working on all those kind of things, because what a specific region, I mean, that’s, how can I say, remarkable for that region or country, whatever we are talking about. So, I was thinking that sometimes it’s maybe too much globalization, but I still come back, depends on what we are directly talking on the topic, because it’s for something, so maybe it’s relevant to be able to globalize or something like that, but for some, I would think that we need to be on the local thing, and it’s not able to just be global. Maybe the rest of the world working, it will work in the different region or country locally. I mean, different people, different, yeah. But still, depends on the topic. Yeah, I see. I see. So. Yes. This, what I experienced in Latin America and Argentina, and that’s why I wanted to have an agenda of Latin America. Obviously, since we all have a smartphone, we all have a future with here, like here at the IGF, and probably in Argentina, 70% of the population, but there is 30% of the population that do not have connectivity, that they are in rural areas, and it’s completely different from the other 70%. And this is a reality that is not only in Argentina, it’s in Latin America, and it’s around the world. So, obviously, we are connected. Globalization is something that we cannot escape from. But at the same time, I think, and this is more governmental, but I think policies and laws should also, should address local issues, even though we are talking about here, for instance, in a global level or an international level, you always have to take into account the people that is from your country and your reality. That we have a saying that says, like, don’t let the forest for you not to see the tree. It would be something like that in this nation. So, you don’t think if you are here, like, globalization is everything, and we all have to be in harmony.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: Because even here, like, for instance, I will give you an example. The other day, we were discussing about the AI bill in, what’s the name, right? European Union. And we were discussing about that in Latin America. And it was like, yeah, maybe in Europe, the thing is like, hey, let’s speak, or maybe, I don’t know, algorithms, or because they’re in a different level. And I don’t mean, like, in development, because I don’t want to see it that way. But their issues are different from ours. So maybe in India, it would be in the US. It’s not the same as in Latin American countries. So in that sense, what I mean is, like, even though we need to have, and what I propose here is, like, minimum standards for everyone, when we develop technology, or when we do these kind of things, we always have to take into account in the bills that we draft, or in the policies that we have in our countries, the reality of our countries. Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you.

Mariana Alves: I guess it’s a trick question, and really hard question. Maybe I have a polemical opinion about that. Well, as I see the globalization is a global project, maybe a little bit continuously project of colonization project, I mean, as general way. And I know that global north, it’s a really huge area, we have a lot of different views of life and problems in the global north. But nowadays, I guess that the south are looking more about their own problems, as you told us. So, the localization, it’s maybe a new strategy of to really work on our problems, but I don’t think so that the globalization and localization, it’s like concepts that are opposed. There are parallel phenomenons, because even we can find, we have a problem in Latin America, that other country in the west of the Europe, maybe it’s the same problem, and the globalization maybe in a more democratical way can have solutions to both regions. So, there are complex phenomenons, and that’s what I see. At the same time, I see the localization phenomenon in the north as some political strategies to protect themselves of the south movements to have more independence, more economical, education, and political independence. So, maybe it’s a polemical opinion, but it’s a complex opinion too. So, it would be better to talk more if you want, if someone want to talk, but that’s what I see, thinking about the Latin America region.

David Okpatuma: Yeah, okay. Thank you so much. Thanks so much for your opinion. Now it’s maybe a Q&A session. So, does anyone have any questions to our speakers? Maybe just to discuss something about the activities for Friends for Internet? Are there any? Okay. So, it’s still morning, and people are still… Ah, you have questions. Okay. Yeah. To our audience to wake up a little bit. Oh, yeah. That’s great. That’s great. Change things. The question is from us to you. If you have any initiative as youth, or not youth, because not only…

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: If you have any initiative that you want to share with us, that we can contribute with you, with what we mentioned, or, I don’t know, if you want to say or share an initiative that you have that you can share with us. So, are there any? So, once again, the same question here. Ah, yeah. Yes, thank you. I’m not audible from here. Wait a little bit. It’s not… Yeah. …specific initiative, but rather legislative proposal that in some countries was developed regarding to the right to Internet, which is a very interesting concept if you go a little bit deeper into this. Some countries actually did put that into their constitution.

Audience: Some of them, of course, are, you know, valid concerns over the sovereignty of their national, you know, security, if you will. So, this is also something that perhaps, you know, from a legislative perspective could be also interesting to just develop and think, you know, in which country is that acceptable? Is it acceptable for everyone? If yes, like, you know, in which type of concept? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, thank you. Um, and that is a little bit of, you know, interesting situation because like if your phone dies, you’re no one like you cannot get back to the hotel, you cannot pay. You cannot authenticate yourself somewhere. You cannot do anything so people don’t prefer cash so cash is not even a thing. So it’s a very interesting concept in general on how you know the right to internet is something you know, to, to work on. And of course it’s connected to the digitalization to the satellites to the, you know, to how we cover certain regions that are eventually less developed, we of course have, you know, a Starlink and one world and you know other companies related that they’re doing of course they are fair share but on another. I would say moment they are companies that are private companies right so they have for their own interests. And this is a little bit of more of a broader topic connected to space law so what do we do with the brazen and, you know, many, many different things so I think if this is something to be developed in generally many different countries, perhaps, you know, I personally am very interested to move forward on some of these type of brainstorming activities. Okay, thank you so much for this. So, question and proposal.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: So yeah, maybe any comments on this matter. Let’s talk later but one of the things that you said, pardon me this question because I, I work at the Congress but also I went when you draft bills, you always have to think on the policy, like, how it’s going to impact on how they’re going to implement that and control that. And one thing that you raised, for instance in Argentinian Parliament, we vote for the internet to be an essential service. But then it’s like, who is the one that is bringing the service of the internet. You know, so it’s a private company. So, how this is going to work. If it’s an essential service, like we need to connect all the countries like we need to have, you know, the infrastructure that we do not have. So, it’s tricky, because even though the access to internet should be a human right right now, like, obviously, you also need infrastructure and money to guarantee that right. And should that be public. Yes, but can the public sector do that. I don’t know. So, it has to be, like, it’s super tricky in these things that the public sector doesn’t have enough money to build these things that’s why private companies do it. And also, as you said, as you mentioned, they have their own interests, like, for instance, it happens with water, like you know like the service of water, or for hygienic I don’t know how to say in English like when you go to the toilet, and the things like, why the government or the public sector is the ones that do it. Because they have interest in, in people, because if you will have to do that, a private company probably they won’t do it. Like, I don’t know, in the rural areas, because it’s a lot of cost. It’s also with communications. So, I think it’s tricky. discuss more about this thing between private sector and public sector, and how we can achieve that goal of having internet as a human right, as a public service, as an essential service, but how can we balance exactly the private and the public sector? So actually in this case it seems to me that we can refer to the notion of ESG, and we’re talking about the private sector in all these matters. But however, still the discussion will be already outside in this workshop room. Yes, please. Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. Good morning, everyone. I’m kind of late, so I don’t know if you spoke about it before, but I’m going to ask you, okay? My name is Nirvana Lima.

Audience: I’m a facilitator of youth program. I work with Mariana, and I wanted to ask you about your opinion regarding the importance of media literacy for children and young people, even to boost youth internet governance initiatives in the world and mainly in the global south. What other do you think should provide this type of initiative?

Marko Paloski: Thank you. Yes, I think with the rise of the, not the internet, but the social media and especially the disinformation and fake news, this is very relevant in coming from my country, from Macedonia. It’s a big topic, especially because of TikTok, short videos, YouTube shorts, or whatever, and also a lot of byte clicks on the news media portals, which are just for clicks and for advertisement money. Well, it’s a big topic, and with the question who should address this, I would say everyone, because for starting also, this needs to be addressed also from the public institutions, maybe the schools. I’m not saying that it should be a separate subject or something like that, but it should be addressed and should be worked on this, because you understand how to see and what to believe. Of course, I have a nephew, and he is watching TikTok, and he told me a lot of things, so this is possible, this is possible. And it’s hard for him at that age. There are a lot of trainings, or non-formal education, or stuff that could bring to the point for the youth to understand, not just the youth, but also the adults, because there are a lot of people that don’t understand, I mean, they don’t know how to fact-check, they don’t check also other relevant news, I mean, only read one portal or one channel. And they are not producing those kind of news, and they, of course, they don’t want you to, I mean, this way, but to have what we have in our country, they are now starting to do it, some of the biggest media, newspapers, TV, and all those kind of things are agreeing on some kind of, not a license, but a proof that you are relevant media, and you have checks or those kind of things, but still the people, I think it’s a process, still go to others, because we have portals where they don’t write the author, so you can read the whole story, it might be true, it might not, but you cannot see who wrote the story, and there is nobody in the page to see, to contact, or to anything, it’s a news portal, but there is no one who you can find and, of course, read about how it’s done. So, I would say anyone is here, and especially, I would say, I mean, even if those old institutions are doing something, which is not true, but even if this is happening, I think it’s still also, to some extent, a responsibility to the user. Because, yeah, I know we are too much now in technology, but everything becomes everyday job, or everyday thing, I mean, we are using social media more than we sleep sometimes, so I would say that it’s also a responsibility to the user to see new ways, to learn about this, sometimes they’ll say, I cannot learn, it’s too hard for me, or I don’t want it, but this is the way how we are going to the future, and more and more we’re going to relate on technology, and on internet especially, so it’s going to be my responsibility to see how can I get better, or how can I get the right information, okay, I need to fact check what I can do, how can I prepare it, let’s check the site if it’s relevant. Not tech stuff, it’s like the normal stuff, how to use the internet, it’s same like for security, I mean, now you need to know that your password must be long, must be hard to guess, we are using two-way authentication, nobody wanted this, I mean, it’s overloading, but that’s how it goes with the security, because there are a lot of problems, and I think it’s going to be the same with those kind of news, until we find a solution, how can we mitigate those kind of disinformation, misinformation, fake news, however we, but yeah, I think that’s enough from my side, so I will.

Mariana Alves: Thank you, I would like to add something, actually about your last point, you told us about the user, and the Nirvana question was about the childhood at all, and it’s interesting to, are you listening to me, okay, it’s interesting to think about them, because, for example, they are not here, teenagers from Hong Kong here, maybe there are three or four, I don’t know, and it’s, when we talk about everyone, we think about everyone, but we mostly don’t think about them, I mean, everyone who, everyone who is up to 18 years old, but it’s in the teenagers, they have strong opinions about their rights, so it’s important to address them, and to have them, to listen to them, about how to address all of them, they are too, yeah, so, and we use it to talk about the youth, but we use it to don’t think about them, we don’t include them, and more than that, we need to be, like, a kind of, we need to take care when we think about the responsibility to the users, I mean, the technology changed a lot, in a quick way, we don’t have our chair in the companies to choose what we have, what kind of content we have, they use it to talk that, oh, the algorithm cannot be arbitrable, so, it’s hard, and I don’t think it’s fair to share the responsibility, have the right of to choose what we are using, so just to add something, and more than that, we are talking about childhood, and teenagers, and they have their rights to have an opinion here, but they are still vulnerable, in, I guess, in mostly of the countries, in most of the nations, so it’s strict to talk about their responsibilities, too, so it’s just to add to some of the comments. I also want to add something, that is kind of the same thing, but now, the responsibility of users, I have a 4-year-old kid, and I try every day, because I’m in internet, governance forum, and all these things, every time that we walk, I was like, oh, Felix, Felix is his name, there is a camera, so he’s a lot, he’s super aware of security, of why people are watching us, like, he’s like, why is this camera pointing at me and filming me, if I’m not a bad person, you know, like, he’s really aware of everything, I think one thing that happens, and in this case is the perfect example, parents are not aware of how to be responsible users, so they cannot share that information with their kids, and therefore, their kids do not know how to use internet, but that’s because parents don’t know how to use internet, so I think that would be, like, the first thing, like, and that could be governmental policy, to first teach parents how to use internet, because even parenting, they, people, I have friends who are all over internet, all over, send their pictures with their babies, please do not do that, please do not do that, and now with deep fakes and all that, it’s getting worse, but parents do not realize that, even at school, I, sorry, sorry, sorry, UNICEF, it’s one stakeholder that you can use, the embassy of the United States, they give a lot of money for these kind of programs, so talk to the embassy, and if you want more, then we can, I can share with you and other stakeholders. Okay, thank you so much for the fruitful discussion, thank you.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius: Okay, thank you. Thank you. Bye-bye. Yeah.

Agreement Points

Importance of youth participation in internet governance

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Marko Paloski

Mariana Alves

Creating spaces for Latin American voices in global forums

Youth Coalition on Internet Governance helping youth navigate the field

Brazilian Internet Steering Committee’s youth program promoting participation

All speakers emphasized the importance of creating opportunities and platforms for youth to participate in internet governance discussions and decision-making processes.

Need for media literacy education

Marko Paloski

Mariana Alves

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Importance of media literacy education for youth and adults

Considering children’s rights and vulnerabilities in digital literacy efforts

Educating parents on responsible internet use to guide children

The speakers agreed on the critical need for media literacy education for various age groups, including children, youth, and adults, to combat misinformation and promote responsible internet use.

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of balancing global standards with local needs and maintaining regional distinctiveness in internet governance.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Marko Paloski

Need to balance global standards with local realities and issues

Importance of maintaining local distinctiveness while standardizing some aspects

Unexpected Consensus

Complexity of implementing internet access as a right

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Audience

Challenges in implementing internet as an essential service or human right

Considering internet access as a constitutional right in some countries

Both the speaker and audience member highlighted the complexities of implementing internet access as a right, touching on issues of infrastructure, private sector involvement, and national sovereignty. This consensus was unexpected as it bridged the gap between a speaker’s practical concerns and an audience member’s legal perspective.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The main areas of agreement centered around the importance of youth participation in internet governance, the need for media literacy education, and the balance between global standards and local needs in internet governance.

Consensus level

There was a moderate level of consensus among the speakers on key issues. This consensus suggests a shared understanding of the challenges and priorities in internet governance, particularly regarding youth involvement and education. However, the speakers also brought unique perspectives based on their regional experiences, indicating that while there is agreement on broad principles, the implementation and specific approaches may vary depending on local contexts.

Different Viewpoints

Approach to globalization vs localization

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Marko Paloski

Mariana Alves

Need to balance global standards with local realities and issues

Importance of maintaining local distinctiveness while standardizing some aspects

Globalization and localization as parallel phenomena, not opposites

While all speakers acknowledged the importance of both global and local perspectives, they had slightly different views on how to balance these approaches. Gabriella emphasized addressing specific local challenges, Marko stressed maintaining local distinctiveness while standardizing some aspects, and Mariana viewed globalization and localization as parallel phenomena rather than opposites.

Unexpected Differences

Responsibility for media literacy

Marko Paloski

Mariana Alves

Need for fact-checking skills and critical consumption of online content

Considering children’s rights and vulnerabilities in digital literacy efforts

While both speakers discussed media literacy, there was an unexpected difference in their approach to user responsibility. Marko emphasized individual user responsibility for developing fact-checking skills, while Mariana cautioned against placing too much responsibility on users, especially children, highlighting their vulnerabilities and rights.

Overall Assessment

summary

The main areas of disagreement revolved around the balance between global and local approaches to internet governance, strategies for promoting youth participation, and the distribution of responsibility for media literacy and digital education.

difference_level

The level of disagreement among the speakers was relatively low, with more partial agreements than outright differences. This suggests a general consensus on the importance of youth participation, media literacy, and balancing global and local perspectives in internet governance. The nuanced differences in approaches and emphases reflect the complexity of these issues and the need for diverse strategies to address them effectively.

Partial Agreements

All speakers agreed on the importance of promoting youth participation in internet governance, but they proposed different approaches. Gabriella focused on organizing a network of parliamentarians, Marko emphasized the role of the Youth Coalition, and Mariana highlighted the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee’s youth program.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Marko Paloski

Mariana Alves

Organizing a network of Latin American parliamentarians on digital issues

Youth Coalition on Internet Governance helping youth navigate the field

Brazilian Internet Steering Committee’s youth program promoting participation

Both speakers agreed on the importance of media literacy and education for responsible internet use, but they had different focuses. Gabriella emphasized educating parents to guide their children, while Marko stressed the importance of media literacy for both youth and adults.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Marko Paloski

Educating parents on responsible internet use to guide children

Importance of media literacy education for youth and adults

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of balancing global standards with local needs and maintaining regional distinctiveness in internet governance.

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

Marko Paloski

Need to balance global standards with local realities and issues

Importance of maintaining local distinctiveness while standardizing some aspects

Key Takeaways

Youth participation and representation in internet governance forums is crucial, especially for the Global South

There’s a need to balance global internet governance standards with local realities and issues

Media literacy and education on responsible internet use are important for both youth and adults

Implementing internet access as a human right or essential service faces challenges in balancing public and private sector roles

Resolutions and Action Items

Encourage youth to take initiative in creating spaces for their voices in global internet governance forums

Promote and expand youth programs like the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee’s initiative to other countries

Utilize existing networks and coalitions to help youth navigate and participate in internet governance

Unresolved Issues

How to effectively implement internet access as a human right or essential service

Balancing globalization and localization in internet governance policies

Addressing the digital divide and ensuring internet access in rural or underserved areas

How to effectively educate parents and children about responsible internet use and digital literacy

Suggested Compromises

Establish minimum global standards for internet governance while allowing for local adaptations

Collaborate between public and private sectors to provide internet access as an essential service

Involve multiple stakeholders (government, schools, NGOs, parents) in media literacy education efforts

I got drunk to have the courage to speak to the director of the program, and I told her, it’s fine, I love what you are doing, thank you so much for inviting me, but you know what, if you are going to say in your program that you are going to talk, or this is going to be about the Global South, and you invite people from Latin America, you shouldn’t have a panel on Latin America

speaker

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

reason

This comment highlights the importance of representation and inclusion of diverse perspectives in global forums, especially regarding the Global South. It demonstrates proactive advocacy for meaningful participation.

impact

This anecdote set the tone for the discussion about the need for proactive engagement and advocacy for representation in global internet governance forums. It led to further discussion about creating spaces and opportunities for voices from the Global South.

I want to revert to the issue that we tackled in the beginning, and what I mentioned before is because, for example, in youth coalition internal governance, the board is every year changing, so we have now elections in January, and the thing that I mentioned is we have a lot of youth that are from global, how can I say, submitting their candidacy, then from the rest of the world, for example, Europe, or, yeah, for example, the participation is on the lowest, I can say, I don’t know why

speaker

Marko Paloski

reason

This comment brings attention to the disparity in youth participation between different regions, particularly noting higher engagement from the Global South compared to Europe. It raises questions about the reasons behind this trend and its implications for global internet governance.

impact

This observation shifted the discussion towards examining regional differences in youth participation and engagement in internet governance. It prompted reflection on the factors driving higher participation from certain regions and how to encourage more balanced global representation.

As I see the globalization is a global project, maybe a little bit continuously project of colonization project, I mean, as general way. And I know that global north, it’s a really huge area, we have a lot of different views of life and problems in the global north. But nowadays, I guess that the south are looking more about their own problems, as you told us.

speaker

Mariana Alves

reason

This comment offers a critical perspective on globalization, framing it as a continuation of colonization. It highlights the shift towards localization in the Global South as a response to addressing specific regional issues.

impact

This perspective deepened the conversation by introducing a more nuanced and critical view of globalization. It led to a discussion about the balance between global connectivity and local problem-solving, particularly in the context of the Global South.

I think it’s tricky. discuss more about this thing between private sector and public sector, and how we can achieve that goal of having internet as a human right, as a public service, as an essential service, but how can we balance exactly the private and the public sector?

speaker

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

reason

This comment raises important questions about the role of public and private sectors in ensuring internet access as a human right. It highlights the complexities involved in balancing different interests and responsibilities.

impact

This observation shifted the discussion towards the practical challenges of implementing internet access as a human right. It prompted consideration of the roles of different stakeholders and the need for innovative approaches to balance public good with private sector involvement.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by highlighting critical issues in global internet governance, particularly from the perspective of the Global South and youth engagement. They brought attention to the need for diverse representation, the challenges of balancing global and local interests, and the complexities of implementing internet access as a human right. The discussion evolved from personal anecdotes to broader policy considerations, encouraging a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities in global internet governance.

How can we improve other spheres to be as efficient as the internet governance sphere in terms of global civil society coordination and interaction?

speaker

David Okpatuma

explanation

This question explores how the successful model of collaboration in internet governance could be applied to other areas of global cooperation.

How can we balance the roles of private and public sectors in achieving internet access as a human right or essential service?

speaker

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

explanation

This question addresses the complex issue of implementing internet access as a right, considering the limitations of public funding and the profit motives of private companies.

What is the importance of media literacy for children and young people in boosting youth internet governance initiatives, especially in the global south?

speaker

Audience member (Nirvana Lima)

explanation

This question explores the role of media literacy in empowering youth to participate in internet governance and navigate online information.

Who should provide media literacy initiatives, and how can we ensure they reach both youth and adults?

speaker

Audience member (Nirvana Lima)

explanation

This follow-up question seeks to identify responsible parties and effective strategies for implementing media literacy programs.

How can we better include and listen to teenagers (under 18) in discussions about their digital rights and internet governance?

speaker

Mariana Alves

explanation

This area for further research highlights the need to incorporate younger voices in internet governance discussions.

What strategies can be employed to educate parents about responsible internet use so they can better guide their children?

speaker

Gabriella Marcelja Sirius

explanation

This question addresses the need for parent education as a key component of promoting responsible internet use among children.