Organization: IEEE
Title: Working Toward Universal Access: Educate, Engage and Empower
Description:
The potential for economic, civil and societal benefit that the internet can bring to communities around the world is indisputable. We can see the positive impact of the internet on world citizens when they gain online and mobile access to information, community and services, and more so when they are empowered by access to innovate as they work toward opportunities and solutions for themselves and their communities. But how to realize universal internet access to enable these benefits still remains a challenge. Addressing these challenges takes unprecedented transparent collaboration and coordination across stakeholders, disciplines, industry sectors and technical domains, and across geographic and political borders, cultures and economies.
This working session will bring together several global working groups working in the space of universal access—including those working on digital literacy, public access and community networks, innovative and alternative business models, finance and investment, evidenced-based research and digital equality so that IGF participants can learn about the work of these groups and the progress they are making. More importantly, participants will directly engage with and join the groups where they can contribute their ideas and help inform the work of these groups, pose questions and collaborate on answers. They can then take their findings, new information and concepts with them into their communities, work places, schools, etc., to help progress programs and initiatives; and they can use what they learned at the Day Zero event throughout their participation in the overall IGF program sessions.
