On Tuesday July 18 2023 at 7:30pm-8:30pm EDT (23:30-00:30 UTC) the Accessibility NYC Meetup (A11yNYC) hosts a meetup ‘The Future of Technology Runs Through Accessibility. No, really!‘. The success of AI Large Language Models in 2023 begs a rethinking of not only assistive technology but what disability is anyway. Joe Devon, Head of Accessibility and AI Futurist at Formula Monks, and also Chair of the GAAD Foundation, will take you through upcoming developments that will change the world. The exciting part is that accessibility will be at the center of this revolution.
On Wednesday June 28 2023 at 5pm-6pm EDT (21:00-22:00 UTC) the Interplanetary Networking Special Interest Group (IPNSIG) presents an IPNSIG Academy keynote talk: ‘Space – Unlocking the Future – A conversation with the ITU Secretary General‘.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin will join Vint Cerf for a fireside chat exploring space’s potential as a driver of sustainable development. They will discuss promising opportunities in the space economy, striving for “Space for All,” and balancing space-based benefits with risk management to ensure space sustainability. Bogdan-Martin will share insights from ITU’s extensive experience managing the international treaty governing global radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit management.
SPEAKER Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
On Tuesday June 27 2023 at 12:00-14:30 UTC the West Africa Peering Forum (WAPF) will be held online. WAPF is an annual event that brings together Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Content Providers (CPs), and other stakeholders in the telecommunications industry to discuss issues related to Internet interconnection and peering in West Africa. The event is organized by the West Africa Peering community in partnership with the Internet Society (ISOC) and other organizations.
PROGRAMME (UTC)
12:00 Session 1: Growth and Investments in the West African Datacenter Market Dr. Kris Ranganath – ADC Regional Director Ike Nnamani – MD, Medallion Sunday Opadijo – Head, Data Centre and Infrastructure Operations (Chief Engineer), Rack Centre Silas Peprah – Technical Support Engineer, PAIX
Moderator: Kyle Spencer – Chairman / Executive Director, Uganda Internet eXchange Point (UIXP) / Co-Coordinator, African IXP Association (Af-IX)
13:35 Session 2: The Evolution of West Africa’s Peering Ecosystem Muhammed Rudman – Founding CEO, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria Donald Jolley – Network Engineer, Workonline Communications Obinna Adumike – Head of Peering and Interconnection, Rack Centre / Af-CIX Armand Koffi – Head, CIVIX Franck Simon – President, France-IX Services
Moderator: Ghislain Nkeramugaba – IXP Development Expert, Internet Society
Le mardi 27 juin 2023, de 12h00 à 14h30 UTC, le Forum de Peering de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (WAPF) s’est tenu en ligne. WAPF est un événement annuel qui rassemble les fournisseurs de services Internet (ISP), les fournisseurs de contenu (CP) et d’autres parties prenantes de l’industrie des télécommunications pour discuter des questions liées à l’interconnexion Internet et au peering en Afrique de l’Ouest. L’événement est organisé par les acteurs du peering de la region en partenariat avec l’Internet Society (ISOC).
PROGRAMME (UTC)
12h00 Session 1 : Croissance et investissements sur le marché des centres de données en Afrique de l’Ouest Dr Kris Ranganath – Directeur régional de l’ADC Ike Nnamani – MD, Medallion SSunday Opadijo – Chef, Centre de données et opérations d’infrastructure (ingénieur en chef), Rack Centre Silas Peprah – Ingénieur Support Technique, PAIX
Modérateur : Kyle Spencer – Président / Directeur exécutif, Uganda Internet eXchange Point (UIXP) / Coordinateur, African IXP Association (Af-IX)
13h35 Session 2 : L’évolution de l’écosystème de peering en Afrique de l’Ouest Muhammed Rudman – PDG fondateur, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria Donald Jolley – Ingénieur réseau, Workonline Communications Obinna Adumike – Responsable Peering et Interconnexion, Rack Center / Af-CIX Armand Koffi – Responsable, CIVIX Franck Simon – Président, France-IX Services
Modérateur : Ghislain Nkeramugaba – Expert en développement IXP, Internet Society
On June 5, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented a policy briefon his Global Digital Compact initiative to the General Assembly. Among the brief’s ideas is a proposal to create an annual Digital Cooperation Forum (DCF). This new UN forum would not be a negotiation body, but would instead foster action-oriented dialogue and analysis concerning international cooperation on digital policy issues. A proposal like this has been anticipated since the SG’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation issued its report in 2019. The case for a DCF is being championed in particular by the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology. The proposal has yet to garner support but will be discussed by a ministerial meeting in September 2023 that is to help prepare the groundwork for the UN’s 2024 Summit of the Future.
The policy brief states that the DCF would coexist with existing bodies and processes like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in an integrated hub and spoke system. However, aside from its presumably broader scope, in many respects the DCF appears to duplicate the IGF. Given that the IGF has long faced challenges from those governments that are unhappy with its multistakeholder character, the existence of a comparatively intergovernmental DFC could complicate the renewal of the IGF’s mandate at the 2025 WSIS+20 review. In addition, there are a number of other issues raised by proposing a new forum without specifying its substantive focus and institutional modalities or assessing the demand for one. The experiences over the past twenty years with failed proposals to create new institutions for global Internet and digital governance merits consideration in this context.
An inclusive dialogue is needed to determine whether the DCF vision can overcomes the potential barriers to its realization or at least contribute to strengthening international cooperation in other settings. To help with that task, this webinar assembles a panel of expert participants in the debate about the United Nations’ role in global digital cooperation and governance. The group will assess the driving issues and interests, potential negotiation dynamics and outcomes, and larger digital governance implications of the DCF proposal.
INTRODUCTION Eli Noam, Paul Garrett Professor, Emeritus / Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
PANEL Fiona M. Alexander, Distinguished Policy Strategist in Residence, School of International Service / Distinguished Fellow, Internet Governance Lab, American University Anriette Esterhuysen, Senior Advisor for Internet Governance, Association for Progressive Communications (APC) Nigel Hickson, Internet Governance, United Kingdom’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
MODERATOR William J. Drake, Director of International Studies at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
SPEAKERS Jordan Carter, Vice Chair (Asia Pacific), ccNSO Council Sebastien Ducos, Chair, GNSO Council Philippe Fouquart, Chair, ISPCP (CSG) Joanna Kulesza, Vice Chair, At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) Rudy Nolde, Germany GAC Representative
HOSTS Christopher Mondini, VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Managing Director, Europe ICANN Org Thomas Rickert, Director Names & Numbers, eco – Association of the Internet Industry Lars Steffen, Director International, eco – Association of the Internet Industry
On Monday June 19 2022 at 10:00-13:30pm EEST (07:00 – 10:30 UTC) the Finnish Internet Forum will convene as a pre-event at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) held at the University of Tampere. The Finnish Internet Forum focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence and consider alternatives for Twitter, which is subject to upheavals. Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Government of Sanna Marin, is being interviewed about his book “Data Capitalism in a World of Crisis”.
The Finnish Internet Forum is an annual multistakeholder event, set up in 2010 to discuss internet-related issues from a Finnish perspective.
PROGRAMME
01 Opening remarks Leena Romppainen Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications
02 Introduction to the book “Data capitalism in the world of crises” Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications and author of the book Yrjö Länsipuro – President – ISOC Finland Book: https://timoharakka.fi/datacapitalism/
03 Ethical aspects of artificial intelligence Otto Sahlgren, Doctoral Researcher, Tampere University Arto Laitinen, Professor, Social Philosophy, Tampere University Salla Westerstrand, Project Researcher, Future Ethics, Information Systems Sciences, UTU Marko Latvanen, Chief Specialist, Digital and Population Data Services Agency Susanna Mäkelä, Senior Director for Government Affairs, Microsoft Finland Report: https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/145686
04 Shared Social Media Services as Alternatives to Big Social – even for governmental communications? Jonne Arjoranta, Post-doctoral researcher, Digital Culture, University of Jyväskylä Stefan Lindström, Ambassador – Digitalization and new technologies, Ministry for Foreign Affairs Report: https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000009360227.html
On Wednesday June 7 2023 the ISOC-NY TV show features features the May NYC Mesh Org Meetup, which includes a ‘State of the Mesh’ report by Brian Hall, plus Ryan Polk of the Internet Society explains why, in the face of ‘backdoor’ legislation, encryption matters.
On Tuesday July 18 2023 at 7:30pm-8:30pm EDT (23:30-00:30 UTC) the Accessibility NYC Meetup (A11yNYC) hosts a meetup ‘The Future of Technology Runs Through Accessibility. No, really!‘. The success of AI Large Language Models in 2023 begs a rethinking of not only assistive technology but what disability is anyway. Joe Devon, Head of Accessibility and AI Futurist at Formula Monks, and also Chair of the GAAD Foundation, will take you through upcoming developments that will change the world. The exciting part is that accessibility will be at the center of this revolution.
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