Fellows
John Acire
John is a community technology promoter, researcher and entrepreneur. Mr. Acire is passionate about extending digital literacy and access to all citizens who might not have access, through creating tailor-made
innovative models. An MBA and Information Technology specialist by training, John has over 10 year experience in promoting digital literacy and access to rural communities and is an active member of Internet Society Uganda chapter, where he is keenly focused on providing shared access of online resources in the distant areas. Acire is also an educationist and a board member of an information technology company, where he has created meaningful impact to his communities through skills empowerment, access and employment creation for the youth. In one of the projects, “Business Incubation Support,” John contributed in the sphere of capacity building and writing project proposals that attracted funding to the company in 2014/2015. John is currently a lead implementer of the project “Technology literacy and information resources for women and girls,” a digital skills oriented project where he is actively involved in creating offline information applications for women and girls who remain at homes and have no access to online resources. At the WTDC-17, John is poised to use the fellowship to significantly advance his work, work collaboratively with partners, perhaps by launching new platforms, expanding to broader audiences, while promoting sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Maureen Hernandez
Maureen is a Community Networks enthusiast and researcher. She’s passionate about providing universal access to unserved communities by addressing traditional technologies and unused spectrum portions. She’s a Systems Engineer and part of the board of directors of the Venezuelan chapter (ISOC-VE) where she’s deeply involved with human rights, especially in the online sphere. She’s part of the founders of the Dynamic Coalition for Community Connectivity (DC3), where she has contributed with a chapter for the report on the official 2016 outcome “Community Connectivity: Building Internet from Scratch,” with a spectrum sensing framework using low-cost devices, and this year she’s also participating in the official report “Community Networks: Internet by the People for the People” by providing a web-based app to allocate community networks deployments around the world in hope that this may help to allocate partners and encourage future developments. Currently, she’s working on a holistic model proposal for Community Networks deployment and maintenance while working with rural communities in Latin America and with the LAC ISOC Chapters building a summarization of community networks in the region.
Tawanda Maguze
Tawanda is a human development practitioner, passionate about contributing people’s prosperity. He has over 15 years of experience as a development practitioner working in Zimbabwe and internationally. He loves information communication technology (ICT) and appreciates only too well its role in leap frogging total human development. He is the current Secretary of The Internet Society Zimbabwe Chapter (ISOC-ZW) as well as head of Programming with the Development Reality Institute (DRI), a local human development think tank and implementing agency. Tawanda is interested in following developments within the Internet ecosystem, particularly aspects to do with the Internet of Things (IoT), Community Networks (CN), and Cyber Security and Privacy. Tawanda believes in understanding and engaging with these issues, as they form important pillars of inclusive Internet growth and evolution – more so in developing countries such as Zimbabwe still grappling with basic Internet access, but at the same time integrated in a fast evolving Internet space. He will be following these issues closely at the WTDC-17 as it connects with the sum of human development espoused by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Muhammad Shabbir
Muhammad Shabbir is an Analyst, social rights activist and researcher pursuing his PhD in International Relations. Shabbir partakes in and has contributed in different multistakeholder forums and initiatives in Internet Governance including: currently serving as Member, Board of Directors of ISOC Islamabad Pakistan Chapter; participating in ICANN’s Middle East and Adjoining countries Strategy Working Group and Cross Community Committee on Accessibility; and delivering presentations on web accessibility in MEAC-SIG and PKSIG. Moreover, in collaboration with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, ISOC Asia Pacific Bureau and other like-minded organizations, Shabbir helped PTA organized Mobile App Award 2016 under the theme “embracing Mobile Accessibility for Persons With Disabilities” and contributed in planning, development, implementation and execution of the award. Shabbir has published papers in the domains of: cyber security, web and mobile accessibility, IT policy and disability studies, besides the Middle Eastern affairs, South Asian Dynamics and power politics. He aspires that ICTs should be accessible for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) at the same time, and at the same price. While being a participant of shaping our digital future, Shabbir impresses upon the community that accessibility and usability for PWDs should sit at the very heart of the ICTs planning, design and implementation processes and not as standalone/independent or add-on venture.
