[Chapter-delegates] Application to start an Internet Society Chapter in Nepal: Peer-Review

Fri Feb 9 12:27:13 PST 2024

I am pleased to support the Nepal Chapter application and wish them well.

Regards,
Gunela Astbrink 

On 9 February 2024 2:17:34 pm AEST, Sarah Lake via Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>Dear Chapter Leaders,
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>I hope you're having a great week.
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>We have recently received the below application to start an Internet Society Chapter in Nepal. I would like to kindly invite you to review it and share your comments by 23 February 2024.
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>If you know of any active Internet Society members within Nepal who would be interested in joining this initiative, please let me know via lake at isoc.org. I would be happy to connect them to the volunteers who submitted this application. Please note, members of the former Internet Society chapter leadership group in Nepal (closed in 2022) have been notified of this application.
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>Your comments and inputs will help us make a final decision on this application and move to the next steps.
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>Thank you very much in advance for your feedback.
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>Best Regards,
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>Sarah
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>===================
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>A. Proposed name of the Chapter
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>Internet Society Nepal Kathmandu Chapter (ISOC Nepal Kathmandu Chapter)
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>B. Community of Interest the Chapter will serve
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>This Chapter will serve persons who live or work in Nepal and its adjoining geographic areas within the Country of Nepal. The chapter will adhere to inclusion by design principle and follow the motto of leaving no one behind while serving the people of Nepal.
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>C. Purpose and scope of Chapter
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>The chapter will fulfill the Internet Society's objectives by actively serving the interests of the local community through a strong local presence, dedicated focus on regional issues and developments, and the utilization of local languages. This commitment ensures that the Internet remains a force for good. In collaboration with the global Internet Society, the chapter in Nepal is dedicated to fostering the growth, resilience, and strength of the internet while contributing to the creation of an equitable digital future shared by all.
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>Nepal is currently in a critical phase of policy formulation and shaping its digital future. Despite the adoption of its first Digital Framework in 2019, Nepalese communities are still in the early stages of digital growth. The post-Covid era has accelerated Nepal's digital transformation, emphasizing the need for a multistakeholder model of Internet governance to prevent the further widening of the digital divide. The absence of local chapters in Nepal has made it evident that we lack multi-stakeholder platforms advocating for technological advancement that leaves no one behind while abiding by global principles.
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>The chapter's primary purpose is to bridge these gaps through meaningful connections, advocacy for policy reforms, and support for local communities and stakeholders by enhancing their capacity, conducting research works, and implementing pilot projects.
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>The scope of the chapter are the following:
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>1.    Advocacy and Awareness: Making people aware about internet issues and principles. Promoting an open, accessible, and secure Internet and advocating for policies that support these principles in Nepal.
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>2.  Community Building: Bringing together professionals, enthusiasts, and stakeholders in the local community who share an interest in the Internet. Bringing in multi- stakeholders and finding avenues to work together in a bottom-up approach.
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>3.   Empowering and Networking: Empowering and facilitating networking
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>opportunities for members to connect with others in the field and share knowledge and experiences at national, regional and international platforms.
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>4. Education, Outreach and Projects: Conducting educational programs and outreach initiatives to raise awareness about Internet-related issues and advancements. Identifying the local issues and priorities on internet and developing projects that support open, accessible and secure internet especially for the national priority development sector of education, health, agriculture, etc.
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>5.  Collaboration: Collaborating with other local and international organizations to work on common goals and projects.
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>6.   Policy Engagement: Engaging in discussions and initiatives related to Internet governance, policies, and regulations at local and regional levels. Representing local issues and success models with respect to the Nepalese context.
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>D. Outline of key priorities for the first year of Chapter
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>Shaping the internet of the future:
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>  *   Assuring that the Internet in Nepal is inclusive, stable, secured, trustworthy and global by developing Internet standards for digital education Nepal, encompassing guidelines and frameworks for various stakeholders from policymakers to end users. The standard is targeted to be a benchmark for adopting Internet for education in Nepal and chapter’s key project for Year 1.
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>Making the Internet Stronger:
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>  *   Conducting regular stakeholder engagement programs and capacity development training on Internet governance to  advocate for an open, decentralized, secure, trusted, and resilient internet. This will enhance user community awareness and resilience through conducting capacity-building initiatives, promoting cyber hygiene practices, and collaborating with the internet community in Nepal and global community.
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>Helping the internet grow:
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>  *   Fostering the development of a new batch of technical leaders in the community, with a particular focus on rural areas where the digital gap is significant.
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>The first-year priorities of the chapter are:
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>1. Establishment and Legal Status: Formalize the establishment of the ISOC chapter in Nepal, ensuring it is recognized and officially registered. Build relationships with the global Internet Society, other chapters and other local and international organizations.
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>2. Membership and Financial Sponsors: Initiate a membership drive to attract professionals, experts, and enthusiasts interested in Internet-related issues. Develop strategies to engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including academics, industry professionals, and government representatives. The chapter will also focus on securing funds for the planed activities
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>3. Development of  Pilot Project and Community Building: Develop a pilot project for holistic digital resilience by building e-resilient standards for the education ecosystem. Organize local events, workshops, webinars and seminars to foster a sense of community among members. Create online platforms for communication and collaboration, such as a website, social media accounts, or forums.
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>4. Events: Host events such as conferences, webinars, or panel discussions to address relevant Internet-related topics and local issues that need attention. Discuss on emerging technology and trends and how it can be beneficial for our local context.
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>Participating in or organizing events on global Internet-related awareness days.
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>5. Programs and Advocacy: Identify local internet related issues on Digital Literacy/competency, cybersecurity, e-Education, Digital Citizenship and Digital Accessibility. Conduct research, programs and projects tailored to address the identified issues on the Internet. Conduct advocacy based on the findings of those researches, programs and projects
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>6. Networking and Youth Engagement: Establish connections with other ISOC chapters, as well as local and international organizations working in the field of technology and the Internet. Collaborate with Academia, Private Sectors, CSO’s and Government agencies for mutual initiatives. Encourage the involvement of young professionals and students in
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>ISOC activities. Develop mentorship programs or initiatives to support the next generation of Internet leaders.
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>7. Evaluation and Future Orientation: Collect feedback from members and stakeholders to continually improve the chapter’s activities and initiatives. Regularly evaluate progress
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>towards the chapter’s goals and adjust strategies accordingly. A good communication is foundational to the success of the chapter for the first year and beyond. So making a strong communication and feedback mechanism from the outset is important for sustainability of the Chapter.
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>The timeline will be decided after a green-light from Internet Society.
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>E. Founding members of the Chapter
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>S.N
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>Names List
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>1
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>Ashirwad Tripathy
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>2
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>Deepa Bhattarai
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>3
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>Surendra Tiwari
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>4
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>Ananda Gautam
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>5
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>Suman Sharma
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>6
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>Ismaran Duwadi
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>7
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>Bharat Bashyal
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>8
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>Usha Bhattarai
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>9
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>Mamta Siwakoti
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>10
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>Priyanka Jha
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>11
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>Divas Paudel
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>12
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>NIkesh Balami
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>13
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>Sadikshya Silwal
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>14
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>Paribhasha Pradhan
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>15
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>Sanjina Chettri
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>16
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>Kabita Rai
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>17
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>Ranjan Koirala
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>18
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>Raman Pradhananga
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>19
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>Unnat Sapkota
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>20
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>Surendra Bajagain
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>21
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>Binod Basnet
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>22
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>Deebas Lamghade
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>23
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>Rupak Malla Thakuri
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>24
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>Aayush Paudel
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>25
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>Suyash Nepal
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>26
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>Pradip Raj Poudel
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>27
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>Alisha Bhandari
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>28
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>Ishara Dhakal
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>29
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>Suman KC
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>F. List of supporters and partner organizations
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>  1.  Youth IGF Nepal
>  2.  Educating Nepal
>  3.  Digital Rights Nepal
>  4.  Open Knowledge Nepal
>  5.  Empowering Asia
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>====================
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>Sarah Lake (she/her), Community Engagement Manager, Asia-Pacific
>lake at isoc.org
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>Join the global movement today.<https://bit.ly/3O6wxkc>
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