Following the 7th Internet Governance Forum

Are you participating in the 12th Internet Governance Forum in Baku? Of course you don’t need to be physically present since remote-participation hubs are now an integral part of the process, and new ones continue to spring up, as with Tim Davies’ in Southampton. The debates are webcast and, when there is Internet access, active in Twitter (#igf12  and #IGF2012).

Diplo, as ever, is active in the IGF. There is a programme of workshops and Diplo Fellows (sponsored by Verisign and the Central European Initiative (CEI) Cooperation Activity Funds) are blogging into the Internet Governance online community. For example, impressed with the facilitiies, Grace Githaiga from Nairobi is happily reframing Azerbijan’s ‘developing nation’ status but, like many, is surprised at the intermiittent Internet connectivity, especially when it coincides with key sessions. Trevor Phipps was struck by the directness of Secretary General Hamadoun Toures’ comments on WCIT 2012 and the role of the ITU and ICANN in the future of the internet. It will be interesting to see if there is any change in the US position following the election result.

You can also join the Diplo team on social media; we will be sharing content, including content from the community platform, via our social media accounts:

• Twitter: @igcbp
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/igcbp
• Facebook page: www.facebook.com/internetgovernance
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/DiploFoundation

That the IGF is in Baku is a controversial issue, with even the right-leaning UK Daily Telegraph raising questions. However, crucial issues are at stake, as Wolfgang Kleinwachter underlined in his recent Webcast in the Diplo Internet Governance series, and they need to be taken forward in line with other timetables and commitments.  And in time for this IGF meeting, to increase people’s understanding of key elements in the underlying infrastructure of the Internet, Diplo has released on YouTube the beta versions of first two short, animated videos in a series entitled Internet Governance Lite.  Here’s a taster: