More than 100 Participants Sponsored Each Year

26/10/2016

Through its sponsorship program, each year LACNIC provides financial support to more than 100 members of the Latin American and Caribbean Internet community in order for them to be able to attend the conferences and forums organized annually in different countries of the region.

The program has now been in place for 13 years and has allowed more than 1,000 members of the community to participate in LACNIC meetings, where they have had the chance to attend various training activities and interact and share their experiences with colleagues from across the region. Sponsored participants also get the chance to participate in the organization’s key decision-making spaces: The Public Policy Forum and the Annual Member Assembly This sharing of experiences has allowed sponsorship program participants to further their knowledge and be better prepared to deal with the daily operations of their organizations. In many cases, it has also helped them with their own professional endeavors.

Through this program, LACNIC provides financial support to help members of the community attend its two annual meetings. The second meeting held each year is co-located with LACNOG. LACNIC also donates to the fund that sponsors participants to the Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Internet Governance Forum (LAC IGF).

Any member of the community can apply for these sponsorships. Recipients are decided after a process carried out by the Selection Committee based on the following criteria:

• – Promote the participation of women
• – Facilitate the participation of youth and students
• –  Sponsor participants from disadvantaged economies throughout the LACNIC region
• – Give priority to applicants who have never participated in a LACNIC event
• – Ensure the greatest possible diversity in terms of sectors represented

Sponsorship recipient testimonials

Gregorio Manzano (CNTI, Venezuela) applied for and received his airfare to attend the Costa Rica meeting. Without this support, he would not have been able to participate in LACNIC 26 LACNOG 2016. “The sponsorship allowed me to participate in the event,” he said. “In the past, I covered my airfare and accommodation expenses myself on several opportunities. This is no longer possible for me, hence the need for sponsorships and financial support,” added Manzano.

Luciano Minuchin (ARCONSIT, Argentina) has also benefited from LACNIC sponsorships. His reason for applying was his interest in LACNIC related activities and the community it represents, as well as his desire to learn more about the issues addressed at these events. “My experiences have always been very positive, as the level of organization, coordination and the topics addressed during the meetings have always met or exceed my expectations,” he observed.

Sirley Ferreira (Conatel, Paraguay) applied to the LACNIC sponsorship program with the main goal of gaining a better understanding of IP version 6, its implications, the policies governing the Internet, the Internet of Things, and how she could get involved in research within the IETF and the Internet Society. “My experience was very stimulating, as it allowed me to learn more about emerging technologies and actively participate in either the policy or the Internet of Things communities,” said Ferreira.

In her case, the sponsorship allowed her to attend the event in person; otherwise, she would have had to follow the event via streaming and would have missed “the integration among people of different cultures, which tends to be better when face-to-face rather than online.”

Marcela Orbiscay (Conicet Mendoza, Argentina) applied to the program because she felt it was a good opportunity receive technical training, attend tutorials, and interact and share experiences with colleagues from different parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. She also wanted to participate in the Public Policy Forum.

“This is the fourth LACNIC event in which I’ve participated. The experience has always been very rewarding, the tutorials and conferences have been excellent, and the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and meet new people, learn about their experiences and concerns regarding the Internet in the region has been invaluable,” noted Orbiscay.

She highlighted the work of Max Larson Henry and Jorge Villa, tutors of the sponsorship program, who were available at all times to help sponsored participants make the most of their participation.

She concluded by saying that, in her case, it would not be possible to attend LACNIC events without the financial support provided by the sponsorship program.