"Although most Africans remain disconnected from the Internet, and access to broadband services continues to be a central policy issue, the increased availability of broadband services alone will not reduce digital inequality on the continent. While the provision of access to the Internet remains a
...
key public policy issue — as a necessary condition of digital participation in the economy and society — it is insufficient. Even where networks and services are available, large numbers of people are unable to access these services affordably or use them optimally to enhance their social and economic well-being, unlike in more mature economies, where levels of human development and equality are higher [...] Demand stimulation measures — such as the reduction of prices to make services more affordable, the development of relevant local content and applications, the enhancement of citizens’ e-literacy and national skills development plans — are the focus areas of this paper. It examines alternative policy and regulatory interventions to so-called “international best practice” — assuming in the process certain political and economic conditions, by recognizing the institutional and resource constraints that generally exist in African countries — and proposes multiple strategies across the ICT ecosystem that could result in more inclusive digital development." (Executive summary)
more
"This publication is what we call our Transfer Guide. It serves three different purposes. First, it documents the work done by the IGF Academy team and the eight fellows in 2016. Together, we mapped those stakeholders involved (or who should be involved) in Internet governance in the eight countries
...
[Bangladesh, Bhutan, Congo-Brazzaville, Myanmar, Namibia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Togo] [...] Secondly, the Transfer Guide is an iterative document in that the fellows will continue to work on or adapt various aspects of the process, such as creating more detailed funding and communication strategies or mapping a changing stakeholder environment. As such, the Transfer Guide shows past as well as future tasks and also serves as a reminder of actions to review. Thirdly, this publication aims to transfer knowledge and experience so that others can benefit from the results of this process." (Page 3)
more
"Diese Publikation soll deutlich machen: Die Vorstellung einer inhaltlichen Trennung national-europäischer Digitalpolitik von globaler Internet Governance ist nicht nur falsch – sie ist mit Blick auf die zukünftige Regulierung und Entwicklung des Internets auch sehr kurzsichtig. Denn die in den
...
nationalen und globalen Gremien diskutierten Fragestellungen unterscheiden sich nur auf den ersten Blick. Tatsächlich handelt es sich um die gleichen technischen, wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftspolitischen Fragen, diskutiert in verschiedenen Settings und unter Einbeziehung unterschiedlicher Akteure. Nicht selten werden auf einer Ebene Reformvorhaben angestoßen, die auf einer anderen Ebene nicht verfolgt oder nicht sinnvoll umgesetzt werden können. Ein Beispiel dafür führt Hauke Gierow in seinem Beitrag zum Thema Breitbandausbau vor. Das „Recht auf einen Internetzugang“ wurde auf globaler Ebene beschlossen und kodifiziert. Die technische Umsetzung der Versorgung mit Internetzugang obliegt nationalen Bemühungen, privaten Vereinen und Unternehmen. Über das „Wie“ der Umsetzung (zum Beispiel durch Angebote des „Zero-Rating“) wiederum wird ein globaler politischer Diskurs geführt." (Seite 9-10)
more
"National and Regional Internet Governance Forums (NRIs) are the stars of the 2017 Global Information Society Watch. The story of NRIs began two years after the first global IGF held in 2006. In 2008, stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda organised national forums and a subsequent Eas
...
t African IGF, to prepare for and discuss common concerns in anticipation of the global forum held later that year in Hyderabad. Soon after, many other national and regional initiatives emerged, impacting the global forum from the bottom up, enhancing inclusiveness and the broad engagement of multiple stakeholders. Today there is widespread agreement that national and regional forums constitute an important part of the IGF process, that their rise has added significance to the global forum and, at the same time, strengthened national and regional initiatives in their quest for inclusive, participatory decision making on their home turf. This GISWatch edition is the first comprehensive look at national and regional IGF initiatives from a critical, civil society perspective. In all, 54 reports are presented, including seven reports addressing cross-cutting themes, 40 covering national IGFs, and seven examining regional initiatives." (Preface)
more
"It is precisely to counterbalance what are largely “outsider” views in the main edition of Global Information Society Watch that we wanted this companion edition to capture the origin stories, achievements and challenges of National and Regional IGF Initiative (NRI) in their own words. Their st
...
ruggles should not be taken for granted. Behind each are people who have worked extremely hard, dedicating time, most often on a voluntary basis, or on top of already demanding jobs, to convince people to participate, and, particularly challenging, to provide financial support. Like the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF), most NRIs are still learning, trying to be stronger, find their feet, gain legitimacy, and achieve effectively balanced stakeholder participation and debate. They face huge constraints – financial, but also often political. Each has its own dynamics and will follow its own path and will hopefully benefit from the support provided by the IGF Secretariat and the NRI community." (Preface)
more
"The research in these pages covers the theory around multistakeholder participation in Internet governance through a review of relevant literature. It also analyses case studies from Kenya to Brazil, South Korea, and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which illustrate how multistakeholder approac
...
hes to Internet governance are applied in practice in diverse places and on different issues. In two of these cases, the outcome had legal repercussions that advanced the role of the Internet in terms of respect for rights; in the other two, the impact was positive for wider norms and processes." (Foreword, page 6)
more
"Sinteses de las recomendaciones: Incentivar la creación de tecnologías de evaluación del cumplimiento de la neutralidad de red en las capas lógica y de infraestructuras; Incentivar la creación de piezas procesuales de referencia para la creación de jurisprudencia, usando como base tanto el Ma
...
rco Civil de la Internet como las leyes de protección al derecho del consumidor; Presionar para aumentar el poder de los órganos reguladores para imponer sanciones a las operadores de red y proveedores de acceso a la internet en el caso de neutralidad de red, así como incentivar la transparencia en relación a los procedimientos y sanciones pertinentes, especialmente en Brasil, Colombia y México; Incentivar la producción de más estudios con el objetivo de investigar la influencia de algoritmos de las redes sobre la neutralidad de la red; Incentivar la producción de conocimiento sobre transparencia en la gestión del tráfico en las capas de infraestructura; Incentivar la producción de investigaciones sobre los efectos de los planes de tarifa cero sobre la diversidad de contenido a que se tiene acceso." (Página 89)
more
"Der Autor konzeptualisiert Globale Medien- und Kommunikationspolitik erstmalig umfassend aus kommunikationswissenschaftlicher Perspektive und gibt einen umfassenden Einblick in die Herausbildung und den Wandel des über 150 Jahre alten Politikfeldes. Die Analyse zeigt, dass sich kommunikationspolit
...
ische Entscheidungen auf globaler Ebene seit jeher in einem Spannungsverhältnis zwischen technischen, ökonomischen, kulturellen und sicherheitspolitischen Ansprüchen bewegen, und exemplifiziert die Befunde am Beispiel der ITU. Das Buch bietet einen literaturgesättigten Überblick und entwickelt zugleich eine fundierte theoretisch-konzeptionelle Perspektive auf das Politikfeld." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"The global expansion of the Internet is frequently associated with increased government transparency, political rights, and democracy. However, this assumption depends on marginalized groups getting access in the first place. Here we document a strong and persistent political bias in the allocation
...
of Internet coverage across ethnic groups worldwide. Using estimates of Internet penetration obtained through network measurements, we show that politically excluded groups suffer from significantly lower Internet penetration rates compared with those in power, an effect that cannot be explained by economic or geographic factors. Our findings underline one of the central impediments to “liberation technology,” which is that governments still play a key role in the allocation of the Internet and can, intentionally or not, sabotage its liberating effects." (Abstract)
more
"To many in the media, Internet governance seems to be an issue far removed from their daily life and work. This misconception can have substantial consequences. The Internet is fast becoming the infrastructure for all communications between media and citizens. If journalists and media freedom activ
...
ists do not get involved in the debates about how to govern the net, it will be left to governments and private companies to define the rules for our public arena." (Introduction, page 9)
more
"The Internet in Africa has become an increasingly contested space, where competing ideas of development and society battle for hegemony. By comparing the evolution of the Internet in Ethiopia and Rwanda, we question whether policies and projects emerging from two of Africa’s fastest growing, but
...
also most tightly controlled countries, can be understood as part of a relatively cohesive model of the ‘developmental’ Internet, which challenges mainstream conceptions. Our answer is a qualified yes. Ethiopia and Rwanda have shared an overarching strategy which places the state as the prime mover in the development of Internet policy and large-scale ICT projects. Rwanda, however, appears to have developed a more open model which can accommodate a greater variety of actors and opinions, and incorporate them within a relatively coherent vision that emanates from the centre. Ethiopia, in contrast, has developed a more closed model, where all powers rest firmly in the hands of a government that has refused (so far) to entertain and engage with alternative ideas of the Internet. In the case of Rwanda, we argue, this approach reflects broader strategies adopted by the government in the economic domain but appears to counter the prevailing political approach of the government, allowing for a greater degree of freedom on the Internet as compared to traditional media. While in the case of Ethiopia, the opposite is true; Ethiopia’s Internet policies appear to run counter to prevailing economic policies but fit tightly with the government’s approach to politics and governance." (Abstract)
more
"This series aims to help human rights defenders develop the tools, skills and knowledge they need to engage effectively in cyber policy debates. The series is structured around five modules. The first four each focus on a different aspect of cyber policy - human rights, cybersecurity, regulatory fr
...
ameworks and cyber capacity building - with a final regional module highlighting how these apply in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each module consists of several videos, which take participants through a key cyber issue or concept - explaining how it relates to human rights, who the key actors are, and how and where to engage." (Introduction)
more
"The 45 country reports gathered here illustrate the link between the internet and economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs). Some of the topics will be familiar to information and communications technology for development (ICT4D) activists: the right to health, education and culture; the socioec
...
onomic empowerment of women using the internet; the inclusion of rural and indigenous communities in the information society; and the use of ICT to combat the marginalisation of local languages. Others deal with relatively new areas of exploration, such as using 3D printing technology to preserve cultural heritage, creating participatory community networks to capture an “inventory of things” that enables socioeconomic rights, crowdfunding rights, or the negative impact of algorithms on calculating social benefits. Workers’ rights receive some attention, as does the use of the internet during natural disasters. Ten thematic reports frame the country reports. These deal both with overarching concerns when it comes to ESCRs and the internet – such as institutional frameworks and policy considerations – as well as more specific issues that impact on our rights: the legal justification for online education resources, the plight of migrant domestic workers, the use of digital databases to protect traditional knowledge from biopiracy, digital archiving, and the impact of multilateral trade deals on the international human rights framework. The reports highlight the institutional and country-level possibilities and challenges that civil society faces in using the internet to enable ESCRs. They also suggest that in a number of instances, individuals, groups and communities are using the internet to enact their socioeconomic and cultural rights in the face of disinterest, inaction or censure by the state." (Back cover)
more
"Given the distributed and open nature of the Internet, it is reasonable to assume that a distributed and open approach to governance may prove most effective. The multistakeholder efforts examined in this paper have sought to respond to this reality by creating institutions and processes that aim t
...
o be more inclusive, participatory and transparent. However, one of the main challenges they have confronted is a lack of systematic analysis or evidence regarding what works, and what doesn’t. Despite over two decades of efforts to develop a new model of governance—despite all the models that have been tried, with varying degrees of success—the field of Internet Governance lacks an evidentiary basis upon which it could continue to innovate." (Conclusion)
more
"This mapping study investigates the ways in which the Kenyan government and other actors have initiated or engaged in multistakeholder processes in order to address cybersecurity-related matters in the country. Based on this, it will identify best practices, gaps and missing links, as well as oppor
...
tunities and recommendations for improving the cyber policy landscape in the country. The assessment of Kenya’s cybersecurity landscape in this report will identify actors within the government and civil society, as well as existing laws and frameworks, and address the proposed ones, based on the information that is currently available. Unless otherwise stated, all institutions and legislative documents listed here are existent and/or functional." (Page 7)
more
"The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms was drafted by African civil society organisations to guide the creation of a positive, rights-based and democratically governed Internet policy environment in Africa. The initiative is part of a rich heritage of freedom of expression advocacy
...
by civil society in Africa and also builds on the continent’s innovative and inclusive approach towards the development of human rights instruments, first pioneered by the drafters of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa. This brief aims to provide an overview of how the Declaration can spur the development of rights-based Internet policy regimes in the region. It is designed primarily for use by African civil society advocates and digital rights defenders who are seeking to engage with the wider Internet policy stakeholder community within their own countries and regions." (Pages 4-5)
more