Líderes Program to Prioritize New Youth Internet Governance Spaces and Initiatives
30/01/2020
This year, LACNIC’s Líderes program will prioritize support for budding Internet Governance initiatives in the countries of the region and for young people who wish to include emerging topics on the regional discussion agenda.
In a year when major changes are anticipated at global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) level, Líderes is planning to accompany proposals for national meetings that have held fewer than four editions, whether by providing consultancy services, financial and logistical support, or the transfer of knowledge.
“We want to strengthen local or national initiatives and in turn share all our know-how and knowledge on Internet governance issues,” said Kevon Swift, Head of Strategic Relations and Integration at LACNIC.
The reformulation that LACIGF —the regional space for the discussion of Internet governance issues— and the Global IGF have in the works for this year will promote a broader agenda of topics and services. “We are ready to support the organization of forums in countries of the region where there has been no dialogue in recent years. Those countries are our priorities,” Swift added.
Líderes is interested in working with regions where few editions of a national IGF have been held (less than four) or that have not yet had any meetings to discuss these issues.
In 2019, the program supported the IGFs of El Salvador, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina. LACNIC tried to contribute its multistakeholder vision to these discussion spaces to enrich the learning of Internet Governance.
Young voices. The program also plans to strengthen the visibility of young Internet Governance leaders, just as it has done in its most recent editions. For instance, during the latest LACIGF, an initial session was held specifically by the Líderes program where young, sponsored participants presented their local challenges and opportunities.
“In the fourth year of the program, Líderes is consolidating the young voices of emerging local initiatives.” We want to continue to bring their voices to the regional stage and to generate progress in the issues on the agenda,” said Paula Oteguy, Strategic Relations Officer at LACNIC.
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