IGF 2017: Shape Your Digital Future!

The Seed Alliance is a grants and awards program that seeks to promote Internet Development in the Global South supporting a variety of stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia Pacific and Africa.

The main purpose of this session is to highlight the contributions from innovators across the global south to support Internet development, innovations that shape our digital future.

6 projects awarded by the ISIF Asia, FRIDA and FIRE Africa programs will be introduced through video presentations about their work, as follows: 

Duncan Macintosh, CEO APNIC FOUNDATION, introductory remarks about how the Seed Alliance contributes to the SDGs. Duncan will present the award to:

• ISIF Asia 2017 Internet for development Award Winner: Yayasan Peta Bencana for the project "Democratizing Decision Support: PetaBencana.id Platform for Equitable Disaster Resilience", Indonesia

Laura Kaplan, Development and Cooperation Manager at LACNIC will talk about Gender and Technology, and Seed Alliance's contribution to closing the gendered digital divide. Laura will present the awards to:

• FRIDA 2017 Award for WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY: Coding Rights, Brazil
• FRIDA 2017 Award for INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR COMMUNITIES: Universidad del Oriente for Armonía, Cuba

Vymala Thuron from AFRINIC to talk on the benefits and impact of community projects and why it is important for the Seed Alliance to pursue the work. Vymala will present the awards to:

• FIRE 2017 Award on ICT for Development: EduAir for EduAirBox, Cameroon
• FIRE 2017 Award on Internet Development: African Renewable Energy Distributor (ARED) for The Last Mile Connectivity, Rwanda
• FIRE 2017 Award on Internet for social inclusion: Maendeleo Foundation for The Mobile Solar Computer Classroom, Uganda

Alan Barret, CEO of AFRINIC will be closing the event.