Session
Subtheme
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Nicholas Gates, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Astor Nummelin Carlberg, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Liv Marte Nordhaug, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Astor Nummelin Carlberg, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Liv Marte Nordhaug, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Classroom
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Classroom format is ideal for this workshop because it enables structured yet interactive learning and co-creation that aligns with our dual goals of knowledge dissemination and collaborative input gathering. Unlike a Theater setup, which privileges one-way communication, the Classroom arrangement allows for organised small group discussions following initial context-setting presentations, facilitating deeper engagement with specific Building Block components. This format supports dynamic knowledge exchange between participants with diverse expertise across open source, hardware, data, and governance domains. The Classroom arrangement also offers advantages over a Roundtable by accommodating guided breakout sessions where participants can contribute to different aspects of the Building Blocks simultaneously. This approach ensures comprehensive coverage of all priority areas while maximising the contributions of specialised expertise. The format's flexibility enables us to alternate between plenary discussions and focused group work, creating an environment where both collective insight and detailed technical feedback can emerge organically.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Classroom format is ideal for this workshop because it enables structured yet interactive learning and co-creation that aligns with our dual goals of knowledge dissemination and collaborative input gathering. Unlike a Theater setup, which privileges one-way communication, the Classroom arrangement allows for organised small group discussions following initial context-setting presentations, facilitating deeper engagement with specific Building Block components. This format supports dynamic knowledge exchange between participants with diverse expertise across open source, hardware, data, and governance domains. The Classroom arrangement also offers advantages over a Roundtable by accommodating guided breakout sessions where participants can contribute to different aspects of the Building Blocks simultaneously. This approach ensures comprehensive coverage of all priority areas while maximising the contributions of specialised expertise. The format's flexibility enables us to alternate between plenary discussions and focused group work, creating an environment where both collective insight and detailed technical feedback can emerge organically.
Policy Question(s)
1. How can EU policy frameworks better reflect and support Digital and Internet Commons as essential components of digital sovereignty and democratic values?
2. What specific funding mechanisms and support initiatives would most effectively strengthen the Digital and Internet Commons ecosystem across open source, open hardware, and open data domains?
3. How might policymakers balance the need for standardization, support, and governance of Digital and Internet Commons with the decentralised, community-driven nature that makes these commons effective?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants in the workshop will gain detailed insights regarding communally-owned digital resources – including open source software, hardware, standards, and data. The workshop will reveal the disconnect between the critical importance of DC/IC and their current representation in policy frameworks, while allowing participants to provide inputs in a more co-creational way.
Attendees will develop a nuanced understanding of how these commons support digital sovereignty, trust, and democratic values in the Internet era. In particular, through collaborative discussions, participants will contribute directly to the development of DC/IC Building Blocks technical and policy recommendations. Attendees will also connect with diverse experts from internet governance, open source communities, and knowledge sectors, fostering cross-disciplinary perspectives on ecosystem priorities.
Description:
Digital and Internet Commons (DC/IC) are forms of commons involving the distribution and communal ownership of information resources and technology. Examples include open source software, open hardware, open standards, and open data. Over the last few decades, DC/IC have become essential components supporting sovereignty, trust, democratic values, and fundamental digital rights and principles in the Internet era. But while such commons are critical in our digital life, their importance is not fully reflected at the policy level. The NGI Commons project was established as a response to these concerns, with the goal of outlining a long-term strategy for DC/IC and creating more coherence in the policy and funding landscapes in Europe. A first exploratory workshop was organised in June 2024 in Amsterdam with representatives from the ecosystem, with the goal of triangulating DC/IC priorities, topics, and technologies perceived as most important for EU policymakers and funders. The feedback from this workshop and other community engagement activities from NGI Commons has fed into the development of DC/IC Building Blocks, best understood as technical and policy recommendations. The goal of this workshop will be to gather practitioners and experts from the Internet governance, open source, open data, open hardware, and open knowledge communities to provide targeted input to the development of the Building Blocks, whether through funding, policy, global or local collaborations, or other support initiatives. Participants will learn from and about the DC/IC ecosystem, as well as be able to co-create priorities for its future. The workshop will support the production of a report, which will outline the most critical parts of the ecosystem that need addressing. These insights and data will also feed into a Strategic Agenda for DC/IC, which will outline a future vision for DC/IC in EU policymaking.
Digital and Internet Commons (DC/IC) are forms of commons involving the distribution and communal ownership of information resources and technology. Examples include open source software, open hardware, open standards, and open data. Over the last few decades, DC/IC have become essential components supporting sovereignty, trust, democratic values, and fundamental digital rights and principles in the Internet era. But while such commons are critical in our digital life, their importance is not fully reflected at the policy level. The NGI Commons project was established as a response to these concerns, with the goal of outlining a long-term strategy for DC/IC and creating more coherence in the policy and funding landscapes in Europe. A first exploratory workshop was organised in June 2024 in Amsterdam with representatives from the ecosystem, with the goal of triangulating DC/IC priorities, topics, and technologies perceived as most important for EU policymakers and funders. The feedback from this workshop and other community engagement activities from NGI Commons has fed into the development of DC/IC Building Blocks, best understood as technical and policy recommendations. The goal of this workshop will be to gather practitioners and experts from the Internet governance, open source, open data, open hardware, and open knowledge communities to provide targeted input to the development of the Building Blocks, whether through funding, policy, global or local collaborations, or other support initiatives. Participants will learn from and about the DC/IC ecosystem, as well as be able to co-create priorities for its future. The workshop will support the production of a report, which will outline the most critical parts of the ecosystem that need addressing. These insights and data will also feed into a Strategic Agenda for DC/IC, which will outline a future vision for DC/IC in EU policymaking.
Expected Outcomes
This workshop will produce a comprehensive brief documenting the priorities, challenges, and recommendations identified by practitioners and experts from across the Digital and Internet Commons ecosystem. The report will highlight critical areas needing policy attention, funding gaps, and specific support mechanisms required to strengthen open source, open hardware, open standards, and open data initiatives. These insights will directly inform the development of Building Blocks recommendations and feed into the Strategic Agenda for Digital and Internet Commons in EU policymaking.
Beyond the immediate report, the session will establish stronger cross-disciplinary connections between previously siloed stakeholder groups, creating new pathways for collaboration and participation in DC/IC activities. Workshop materials, collaborative documents, and prioritised recommendations will be organized into a repository for continued community engagement, while targeted working groups may form to maintain momentum on key priority areas identified during the session, ensuring long-term impact beyond the workshop itself.
Hybrid Format: To facilitate seamless interaction between onsite and online participants, we will:
-- Assign a moderator to actively monitor online questions and contributions, ensuring a voice for remote participants
-- Use a visual "queue system" displaying both in-person and online participants waiting to speak
-- Implement synchronised collaborative documents (Etherpad) for real-time co-creation of recommendations
-- Design all visual materials with online visibility as primary consideration
-- Conduct pre-session technology checks with speakers
For optimal experience, we will:
-- Structure activities in timed segments that work equally well for both audiences
-- Create mixed online/onsite breakout groups using Zoom rooms paired with physical tables
-- Provide clear visual cues when transitioning between activities
-- Ensure all physical materials are digitally accessible
Complementary tools:
-- Mentimeter for real-time polling and prioritization exercises
-- Digital whiteboard (e.g. Miro) for visual mapping of ecosystem relationships
-- Signal and/pr Matrix channels for quick technical support