Webinar-participating-at-eurodig-and-connecting-locally
16 April 2024 | 16:00 - 17:30 CEST, YOUthDIG webinar
YOUthDIG 2024 details | EuroDIG Draft programme 2024
Session description
The YOUthDIG Call for Applications closed recently and we received 275 submissions from all over Europe. 159 applicants are women, 113 are men and 3 are non-binary, of which 30 are offered funding to participate.
The question we want to address is: how can we include the 245 applicants who did not receive funding?
In previous years we invited them to attend EuroDIG and sent follow up emails with links about opportunities such as the ISOC Ambassador programme, NextGen/ICANN Fellowship or how to reach their local NRIs, including our How to get involved guide. However, we identified that the conversion rate was low, and we understand that it can be difficult to access these spaces when there is no active call to participate or contribute.
Therefore we would like to present to you our upcoming EuroDIG webinar on “Participating at EuroDIG and connecting locally”. In order to participate in this webinar please register here.
The intended audience are applicants who are newcomers, but we will also be inviting all the European NRIs. Should you be part of communities who may be interested in also attending this event, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Agenda
The room will be open for speakers at 15:45 for soundcheck and at 15:55 for participants.
16:00 Welcome by the Secretary General of EuroDIG
A warm welcome from EuroDIG with a short introduction of the EuroDIG community and the importance of meaningful youth participation.
16:05 How to participate in EuroDIG onsite and online
YOUthDIG Coordinator Nadia Tjahja will be explaining how you can join EuroDIG on site and online. Give you some examples of how other participants are able to fund their participation and information about how to stay informed about YOUthDIG and EuroDIG.
16:20 Panel with German IGF and Digital World Summit Greece
During this panel, we ask coordinators from national Internet Governance Fora's about their communities, what they do, but also how newcomers can learn about and contribute to digital policies!
16:50 How to get involved guide
Besides YOUthDIG and EuroDIG, there are many other funding programmes and Internet governance spaces where you are welcome to join. We'll be going through the How to get involved guide to show you how you can find these opportunities.
17:00 Youth Coalition on Internet Governance The Youth Coalition on Internet Governance (YCIG) is an open group for organizations and individuals, representing all stakeholder groups, willing to collaborate together in order to encourage and enrich youth participation in local, regional, and international Internet governance discussions and processes. YCIG was established to advocate for the voice of children, young people, and young professionals in Internet governance fora and processes.
17:10 Global Internet Governance Academic Network The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) is an international association of academic researchers in Internet governance. Members include researchers from a wide range of disciplines and locations who are contributing to research, teaching, and engagement in local, regional, and international debates on Internet governance worldwide. Membership is free, and GigaNet welcomes early career and senior researchers.
17:30 End
Further reading
- EuroDIG How To Get Involved Guide
People
Moderators:
- Nadia Tjahja, YOUthDIG Coordinator, EuroDIG Secretariat
Speakers:
- Sandra Hoferichter, Secretary General of EuroDIG
- Sabrina Heber, representative of IGF Germany (IGF-D), DENIC eG
- Haris Kyritsis, representative of Digital World Summit Greece (IGF Greece)
Rapporteur:
- Francesco Vecchi
Report
On Tuesday, 16th April 2024, the first Webinar on “Participating at EuroDIG and Connecting Locally” was held. Sandra Hoferichter (EuroDIG Secretary General) and national and global Internet Governance Forums and group representatives explained how to get involved with the local and international communities working on digital governance and policies to a diverse European and global youth audience.
This webinar was inspired by the spirit of EuroDIG, a yearly conference that aims at fostering engagement of European stakeholders across multiple sectors, and that will take place in Vilnius on 17th-19th June. Before the Conference, 30 promising young people from a variety of different backgrounds are selected to join the YOUthDIG program, a process to raise awareness about the digital landscape and its challenges and prepare newcomers to these spaces to actively participate in them.
Unfortunately, EuroDIG cannot accept every applicant due to the high number of applications, this year an unprecedented 275 applications. However, EuroDIG is an open community which is keen to have anyone interested to actively participate. This is why the webinar took place: to familiarise applicants with the ‘How to Get Involved Guide’; help them find other ways to participate, in person and online at EuroDIG, and connect them to local initiatives
We held a panel with Sabrina Heber (IGF Germany, IGF-D) and Haris Kyritsis (Digital World Summit Greece, IGF Greece) who gave precious insights on two national branches of the Internet Governance Forum. They are impressively diverse – the former more institutionalised taking a top-down approach to contribute to high-level discussions, the latter taking a bottom-up process of community building and raising awareness – but both widely rely on their communities, especially on the contribution of young participants. They are also essential to bridge the gap between high-level forums and a wider audience, by building public awareness on compelling issues.
Finally, attendants were given an overview of two global networks, starting with the Youth Coalition on Internet Governance (YCIG). Marko Paloski (YCIG Steering Committee Member representing the Eastern European Group) explained that YCIG represents all stakeholder groups willing to foster youth participation in local, regional, and international discussions and processes related to Internet Governance. Navigating the global IGF might be chaotic for a first-starter, and YCIG provides webinars and meetings to familiarise youth with this context and a community to engage with while attending the event. On a different note, if anyone is interested in ongoing academic research and upcoming themes and topics to Internet Governance, they can join the Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) as members (academics) or observers (wider audiences). Berna Akcali Gur (GigaNet Membership Committee Chair) highlighted the GigaNet’s Annual Symposium as a space where junior and prominent senior scholars meet to discuss pertinent Internet Governance issues. This is an opportunity to engage with scholars globally to reflect on issues from different perspectives. They also engage with activities globally and endorse events such as the upcoming Trusted Internet Summer School on Internet Governance and International Law, an excellent kickstarter for youth interested in these domains.
The session concluded with the “How to get involved” guide from the EuroDIGwiki, where there is an overview of the variety of activities, spaces, and opportunities youth can engage with to enter and develop themselves in the Internet Governance space.
[You can still register to attend EuroDIG 2024 by going to eurodig.org and stay updated by subscribing to the newsletter. https://www.eurodig.org/get-involved/ ]