Session
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 4: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 4: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Lee McKnight, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Wisdom Kwasi Donkor, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Antonio Botelho, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Wisdom Kwasi Donkor, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Antonio Botelho, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, with which the organizer has participated in related projects, has been invited to engage and participate in the event. This could potentially lead to a wider spectrum of interested participants from leading Norwegian organizations, beyond those typically involved in UN IGF meetings. In the event we succeed in bringing new participants into the workshop, we want them to all feel welcome and able to speak up, even if they are unfamiliar with IGF processes. However, as they are IGF newbies, I have not yet been able to get them to focus on this upcoming event in their own hometown. (I have begun to make some progress; but not enough yet to include them as confirmed speakers.)
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, with which the organizer has participated in related projects, has been invited to engage and participate in the event. This could potentially lead to a wider spectrum of interested participants from leading Norwegian organizations, beyond those typically involved in UN IGF meetings. In the event we succeed in bringing new participants into the workshop, we want them to all feel welcome and able to speak up, even if they are unfamiliar with IGF processes. However, as they are IGF newbies, I have not yet been able to get them to focus on this upcoming event in their own hometown. (I have begun to make some progress; but not enough yet to include them as confirmed speakers.)
Policy Question(s)
How can policy frameworks support scalable, community-led innovation in underserved and remote regions?
What regulatory and financial mechanisms can help bridge the digital divide sustainably, especially for communities beyond traditional Internet infrastructure?
What strategies can help overcome socio-technical gender barriers in community-driven innovation ecosystems?
How can digital technologies be integrated with sustainable resource management to support biodiversity conservation and economic development while respecting indigenous knowledge systems?
What role should cross-regional knowledge sharing and investment play in accelerating local innovation beyond the Internet’s edge?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants in this workshop will gain insights into diverse strategies for fostering community-driven innovation in underserved and remote regions through digital technologies. They will explore best practices for integrating connectivity, sustainability, and economic development, with a focus on overcoming socio-technical gender barriers. Case studies, including the Amazon Bioeconomy Project and the Africa Community Innovation Program, will highlight how digital tools can support indigenous and local communities, promote biodiversity conservation, and enable grassroots entrepreneurship. Additionally, participants will discuss policy frameworks that support scalable community-led innovations and the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. The session will conclude with actionable recommendations on investment, capacity-building, and cross-regional knowledge sharing to bridge the digital divide sustainably.
SDGs
Description:
This proposed UN IGF workshop will explore strategies for strengthening community innovation ecosystems in underserved and remote regions, emphasizing locally driven solutions that leverage digital technologies. Discussions focused on initiatives that empower communities beyond the reach of traditional Internet infrastructure, whether for cost or geographic reasons, will highlight best practices to leverage the intersection of connectivity, sustainability, and economic development. Sociotechnical gender barriers have been identified in prior related research and ways to overcome them will be discussed in this session A key case studies to be presented include discussions of the Amazon Bioeconomy Project, supporting indigenous and local communities in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon. With the support of multidisciplinary research teams from Brazil, Peru, the United Kingdom, and Norway, novel ways to integrate secure and accessible digital tools with sustainable resource management to support indigenous and local communities in the Amazon are being assessed. The initiative showcases how technology can enhance biodiversity conservation, promote circular economy practices, and create economic opportunities while respecting traditional knowledge systems. Additionally, the Africa Community Innovation Program will be discussed as a model for grassroots-driven technological and entrepreneurial development. The program supports local innovators in addressing pressing socio-economic challenges, particularly in areas with limited connectivity. It fosters capacity-building, digital inclusion, and sustainable business models that adapt to local needs and contexts. Participants will emphasize the need for policy frameworks that enable scalable, community-led innovations and stress the importance of collaboration between governments, private sector actors, academia, the technical community and civil society to bridge the digital divide sustainably. The session concluded with recommendations for increased investment in infrastructure, capacity-building, and cross-regional knowledge sharing to accelerate local innovation beyond the internet edge.
This proposed UN IGF workshop will explore strategies for strengthening community innovation ecosystems in underserved and remote regions, emphasizing locally driven solutions that leverage digital technologies. Discussions focused on initiatives that empower communities beyond the reach of traditional Internet infrastructure, whether for cost or geographic reasons, will highlight best practices to leverage the intersection of connectivity, sustainability, and economic development. Sociotechnical gender barriers have been identified in prior related research and ways to overcome them will be discussed in this session A key case studies to be presented include discussions of the Amazon Bioeconomy Project, supporting indigenous and local communities in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon. With the support of multidisciplinary research teams from Brazil, Peru, the United Kingdom, and Norway, novel ways to integrate secure and accessible digital tools with sustainable resource management to support indigenous and local communities in the Amazon are being assessed. The initiative showcases how technology can enhance biodiversity conservation, promote circular economy practices, and create economic opportunities while respecting traditional knowledge systems. Additionally, the Africa Community Innovation Program will be discussed as a model for grassroots-driven technological and entrepreneurial development. The program supports local innovators in addressing pressing socio-economic challenges, particularly in areas with limited connectivity. It fosters capacity-building, digital inclusion, and sustainable business models that adapt to local needs and contexts. Participants will emphasize the need for policy frameworks that enable scalable, community-led innovations and stress the importance of collaboration between governments, private sector actors, academia, the technical community and civil society to bridge the digital divide sustainably. The session concluded with recommendations for increased investment in infrastructure, capacity-building, and cross-regional knowledge sharing to accelerate local innovation beyond the internet edge.
Expected Outcomes
Outcomes will include dissemination of new models for collaboration with local innovators to co-develop tech solutions suited to specific community needs, while support sustainable, ethical supply chains in remote economies.
Public Policy output from the workshop will include dissemination of a White Paper Policy Framework for Community-Led Innovation, while promoting cross-regional partnerships to amplify grassroots innovation and best practice sharing. Academic output will include dissemination of research findings emphasizing the need for flexible, context-specific policies that empower local innovation rather than imposing top-down solutions. Social media and podcasts will highlight successful models where decentralized governance and participatory decision-making enhanced digital inclusion and economic sustainability.
Hybrid Format: We have substantial experience in fostering engaging hybrid events. Assuming world-class technical infrastructure and sufficient bandwidth, the key issues are to ensure that remote participants and speakers can both actively engage in the roundtable discussion, and that the onsite attendees are attentive and respectful of the online participants and speakers. Therefore tight coordination between the onsite and emote moderators is critical, and does not work well by accident, but only with careful pre-planning.