Session
Organizer 1: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 4: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 5: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 6: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 7: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 8: Technical Community, African Group
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 4: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 5: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 6: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 7: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 8: Technical Community, African Group
Speaker 1: Salazar Luis, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Nathalia Sautchuk Patricio, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Olatunde Awobuluyi, Technical Community, African Group
Speaker 2: Nathalia Sautchuk Patricio, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Olatunde Awobuluyi, Technical Community, African Group
Format
Classroom
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A 60-minute classroom format workshop is ideal for facilitating focused presentations and interactive discussions. This format is best suited for the workshop as it facilitates a balanced exchange between expert speakers and participants. Speakers from the technical community, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society will share their experiences and perspectives on universal Internet access and meaningful connectivity, ensuring a diverse and insightful discussion. The session will be divided into five parts: Introduction and contextualization on Internet access and meaningful connectivity (10 minutes) Moderated, interactive discussion among panelists on the challenges of meaningful connectivity (15 minutes) Case studies: Implementation of digital education programs (15 minutes) Open Q&A for participant engagement, share experiences, and ask questions (10 minutes) Summary of key takeaways and conclusions (10 minutes) This structure ensures a balance between expert insights and audience interaction, making the session highly engaging.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A 60-minute classroom format workshop is ideal for facilitating focused presentations and interactive discussions. This format is best suited for the workshop as it facilitates a balanced exchange between expert speakers and participants. Speakers from the technical community, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society will share their experiences and perspectives on universal Internet access and meaningful connectivity, ensuring a diverse and insightful discussion. The session will be divided into five parts: Introduction and contextualization on Internet access and meaningful connectivity (10 minutes) Moderated, interactive discussion among panelists on the challenges of meaningful connectivity (15 minutes) Case studies: Implementation of digital education programs (15 minutes) Open Q&A for participant engagement, share experiences, and ask questions (10 minutes) Summary of key takeaways and conclusions (10 minutes) This structure ensures a balance between expert insights and audience interaction, making the session highly engaging.
Policy Question(s)
A. How can governments and regulators create policies that promote both universal Internet access and meaningful connectivity, ensuring that users gain the necessary digital skills to fully benefit from online opportunities?
B. What frameworks and best practices can be implemented to bridge the gap between basic Internet access and digital literacy, fostering economic opportunities, education, and social inclusion?
C. How can international collaboration between policymakers, industry leaders, and the technical community drive the development of sustainable and inclusive digital infrastructure, ensuring that connectivity leads to real-world empowerment?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in ensuring meaningful connectivity as a fundamental human right. The session will contribute to the global discussion on how digital skills are essential for bridging the gap between Internet access and real-world empowerment.
Attendees will explore practical strategies for advancing meaningful digital inclusion, including community-driven digital literacy programs, affordable access models, and policy recommendations for sustainable connectivity. The session will highlight best practices for equipping individuals with skills in online research, information evaluation, and cybersecurity, ensuring that connectivity translates into real opportunities.
Additionally, participants will engage in discussions on overcoming infrastructure limitations and addressing socio-economic barriers to digital adoption. The workshop will foster collaboration among policymakers, industry leaders, technical community and civil society, providing attendees with actionable tools and frameworks to drive meaningful connectivity and ensure the Internet serves as a catalyst for social and economic development worldwide.
SDGs
Description:
As the Internet becomes an essential part of daily life, ensuring universal access and upholding digital rights require more than just infrastructure expansion, it necessitates meaningful connectivity. While Internet access in households is increasing, many users still struggle with challenges such as the quality of the access, the availability of appropriate devices and digital skills. Meaningful connectivity goes beyond basic Internet access, encompassing essential skills such as online research, information evaluation, digital security, online privacy, responsible use of social media, and digital content creation. In regions with low digital literacy, users often face barriers to fully leveraging digital resources for economic opportunities, education, and essential services. Addressing these gaps is crucial for ensuring that connectivity translates into real social and economic benefits. This workshop will explore how the technical community, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society can work together to bridge the gaps between Internet access and meaningful connectivity, particularly in underserved and digitally marginalized communities. We will explore strategies tailored to different regional contexts, emphasizing practical solutions to enhance digital inclusion by improving infrastructure understanding, strengthening privacy and security awareness, and promoting responsible online behavior. By fostering a collaborative dialogue, this session aims to highlight best practices and policies that can be implemented globally to ensure that Internet access is not only widespread but also meaningful, empowering individuals and communities to fully participate in the digital world while safeguarding their digital rights.
As the Internet becomes an essential part of daily life, ensuring universal access and upholding digital rights require more than just infrastructure expansion, it necessitates meaningful connectivity. While Internet access in households is increasing, many users still struggle with challenges such as the quality of the access, the availability of appropriate devices and digital skills. Meaningful connectivity goes beyond basic Internet access, encompassing essential skills such as online research, information evaluation, digital security, online privacy, responsible use of social media, and digital content creation. In regions with low digital literacy, users often face barriers to fully leveraging digital resources for economic opportunities, education, and essential services. Addressing these gaps is crucial for ensuring that connectivity translates into real social and economic benefits. This workshop will explore how the technical community, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society can work together to bridge the gaps between Internet access and meaningful connectivity, particularly in underserved and digitally marginalized communities. We will explore strategies tailored to different regional contexts, emphasizing practical solutions to enhance digital inclusion by improving infrastructure understanding, strengthening privacy and security awareness, and promoting responsible online behavior. By fostering a collaborative dialogue, this session aims to highlight best practices and policies that can be implemented globally to ensure that Internet access is not only widespread but also meaningful, empowering individuals and communities to fully participate in the digital world while safeguarding their digital rights.
Expected Outcomes
This session will provide actionable insights on how to bridge the gap between basic Internet access and meaningful connectivity. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the key challenges related to digital literacy, infrastructure limitations, and socio-economic barriers, along with strategies to overcome them.
Key outcomes include:
- Practical Recommendations: Strategies for implementing community-driven digital literacy programs and policies to promote digital inclusion.
- Policy Guidance: Insights into frameworks that ensure Internet access leads to economic empowerment, education, and responsible digital engagement.
- Collaboration Roadmap: Encouragement for policymakers, industry leaders, technical community, and civil society to work together on digital inclusion initiatives.
The session aims to contribute to a policy brief outlining best practices for meaningful connectivity, fostering international collaboration, and supporting future initiatives that enhance digital skills and inclusion, particularly in alignment with SDGs 4, 9, and 16.
Hybrid Format: To facilitate interaction between on-site and online participants, we will use an online platform that allows real-time engagement through Q&A sessions, live polls, and breakout discussions. This will allow both online and on-site attendees to ask questions, share experiences, and contribute solutions.
A moderator will guide the session, introducing the topic, setting the context, and ensuring a structured yet interactive discussion. The moderator will facilitate conversations between attendees and expert speakers, both online and on-site, from the technical community, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society ensuring a well-rounded debate on Internet access and meaningful connectivity strategies.
To enhance engagement, we will utilize complementary digital tools such as collaborative documents, and interactive whiteboards allowing participants to share insights, best practices, and challenges related to digital literacy, infrastructure gaps, and policy frameworks that drive meaningful connectivity globally.