[Chapter-delegates] [SEEKING INPUTS] IGF 2011 Program Proposals: Deadline February 2

[Bill Graham]

Dear all,

I see on the IGF web site <intgovforum.org> there is a call for ll stakeholders to submit proposals for the programme of the 2011 meeting, which is almost certain to be in Nairobi, Kenya in late September.  Inputs received by 7 February 2011 will be reflected in the first draft of a programme paper being prepared by the Secretariat.  The paper will serve as a rolling document during the course of the preparations.

As in past years, I will prepare an input from the Internet Society, and I am seeking your thoughts on the program.  If you send me your ideas before February 2, I will try to work them into a coordinated input by the deadline.  Of course, as in past years, you are welcome to make your own contribution directly to the IGF process.  Please note: this is not the call for proposals for specific workshops or other sessions for the IGF, but rather for general themes that should be for discussion in 2011.

I know from talking to the Kenyan hosts that they are planning a very ambitious program for the Kenya meeting, with a particular focus on East Africa.  It is very likely there will be a youth event, focussing on youth and entrepreneurship, before the IGF.  It is also probable that there will be a Ministerial meeting between the youth event and the IGF itself.  Ministers would receive inputs from the youth event, and also talk about broadband and Internet to transform research and academic institutions.  Those meetings would, of course feed into the IGF.

Some ideas I have thought about putting forward are:

-- IGF 2011 to focus on youth
-- Advocate an increased attention to particular technical issues, perhaps around site blocking (emerging globally and in different countries, a genuine threat, clearly a governance issue)
-- Have a main session concentrating on entrepreneurship, especially on the governance issues that are relevant to promote entrepreneurship
-- Being the first IGF in sub-Saharan Africa, emphasie the development link,  which also ties in with youth theme
-- Continued emphasis on inclusion, capacity building
-- Serious consideration of the governance issues around freedom of speech and expression on the Internet.  This would be timely, given the ongoing issues provoked by wikileaks, the developments in Tunisia, etc.

I would appreciate hearing your opinions of these suggestions, as well as your own.

best regards

Bill
 
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Bill Graham
Strategic Global Engagement
The Internet Society
graham at isoc.org