2015 is setting up to be another big and busy year for Internet governance discussions. There are key global, regional and local discussions underway about how to strengthen the multistakeholder Internet governance model in ways that will be meaningful to Internet users around the globe and inclusive of new ideas and perspectives. Some of the big issues for 2015 include: preparations for WSIS+10; the future of the IGF; the appropriate role of new platforms such as the NETmundial Initiative (NMI); and enabling a successful IANA stewardship transition.
Whew, it’s a lot to cover in one year! And, of course, we want to hear from you all along the way.
As we think about how to engage in all of these various fora, we’d like to hear about your priorities and views on these important topics. You’ll recall that late in 2014, following the announcement of the NMI launch, the Internet Society Board of Trustees called for a dialogue amongst our community on whether and how new initiatives in Internet governance should be formed. The Board also reiterated its support for the IGF as a platform for Multistakeholder dialogue. At the beginning of this year, the Internet Society CEO, Kathryn Brown, hosted a community forum to kick off community discussion about the critical work we have to do together in 2015.
Our next step is a brief survey on Internet governance to help us determine how to strengthen mechanisms of the Internet governance ecosystem to better address policy challenges in 2015. It is also designed to help the Internet Society to contribute to the current discussions on the evolution of the ecosystem. Your feedback and opinions will help us to understand the collective sentiment of our community and will inform our approach as we look to play our role to address these issues.
The questions should take approximately 10 minutes to complete and we would be grateful if you could find the time to respond. The survey will be open from 2 to 20 February. A synthesis report of responses will be made available on our website shortly after the survey closes.
Please participate in this survey – it’s important that we hear from you!