[IGFmaglist] Newcomer track proposal

[Wisdom Donkor]

This is awesome.

On Monday, September 5, 2016, Bianca Ho <bianca at netmission.asia> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Thanks to Laura, Ginger and Anja - we have come up with the below proposal
> for newcomers to the IGF 2016:
>
> Please feel free to comment. Thanks!
>
> *Proposal to the IGF MAG 2016 for establishing the Newcomers Track at the
> IGF 2016 Meeting *
>
> *About*
>
>  As the IGF’s mandate is extended for the next 10 years, participation is
> critical for developing, enriching and implementing the intersessional
> work. Bringing experts and fresh ideas to the global IGF is equally
> important to enrich these discussions and to ensure all sectors and regions
> are well represented.  Alongside implementing the global IGF’s outcomes on
> a national and regional level, enhancing local discussions are also a
> crucial aspect. Thus, outreach and people-focused capacity building should
> be the IGF’s focus.   The communities on all levels need to have a broader
> understanding of the Internet Governance (IG) processes in order to be
> fully engaged in the overall IGF work and help spread the message and
> impact of the IGF. Outreach to different interested stakeholders and
> communities regarding the IGF intersessional work is key to its continued
> success.
>
> Historically, the IGF has not gathered data on the number of newcomers who
> participate each year at its annual meeting. In order to allow these stats
> to be tracked and improved on, it is recommended to insert an additional
> field in the online Registration Form for the Newcomers to indicate if it
> is their first IGF Meeting. It is also suggested that the Newcomers should
> also receive a badge with a visible colour mark on it, in order to identify
> them as Newcomers and encourage more experienced IGF participants to help
> integrate them into community, and make their first IGF as productive and
> welcoming as possible.
>
> *Proposal*
>
>  The Proposed activities are aiming for continuous activities over all
> five days of the IGF, including Day 0, as described below. The intention is
> to be fully inclusive in this work, thus a series of dedicated sessions
> will be developed, as explained below. As there are concerns that having
> only onsite sessions might have an exclusive impact on the participants
> that will come later to the venue, or more importantly, the interested
> participants that would like to be involved and informed on this way, but
> cannot attend in person, a set of pre-meeting briefing packages will be
> created and shared online with the wider community, two weeks before the
> meeting dates. These briefing packages might also help the Newcomers to
> engage better with the IGF and become encouraged to attend, onsite or
> online, for the future time being.
>
> Online participation should be available within all proposed sessions.
>
> *Day 0: Mentor Session*
> This is intended to be a 90-minute session, where representatives of the
> IGF Secretariat and MAG Members will begin by explaining the history of the
> IGF, and its main principles and work modalities in order for the newcomers
> to be able to understand the background, and how the multi-stakeholder
> model is being implemented in practice.
>
>
> After this introduction segment (of approximately 20 minutes), the rest of
> the session will be a substantive one, focusing on the overall theme, as
> well as the thematic workshops, BPFs and other main sessions.
>
> The last segment of the session will be a Q&A section, and will invite the
> participants to ask questions and express any suggestions and comments they
> may have.
>
>
> It would be desirable if Mentors would be the co-facilitators of the IGFs
> Main/Focus Sessions.
>
> *Meeting Days: Knowledge Cafe Sessions*
> On the regular meeting days, during the lunch period, there will be a
> 45-60 minute informal session open to all Newcomers. The proposed idea is
> for the Participants to have close interaction with some of the experienced
> stakeholders from the IGF community and to discuss the IGF processes,
> substantive issues and ways of engagement for them. The aim is to create a
> more intimate and relaxing atmosphere, where networking and sharing
> experiences will be easier than the large day 0 session.  The knowledge
> café sessions will also have remote participation.
>
> *Newcomers Booth*
> Hosting a Newcomers Booth in the IGF would provide a focal point for
> newcomer integration and networking with each other, but also with more
> experienced IGF stakeholders. It could also serve as an information/ help
> point to provide ongoing support throughout the week of the IGF.
> The proposed activity would be to collaborate with the joint Booth of the
> NRIs and ask for dedicated time-slots during every meeting day. This would
> have the added bonus of helping link newcomers to IGF activities in their
> country or region, or to help give them ideas and contacts to start their
> own if nothing currently exists.
>
> We will also create an email for newcomers.
>
> Alternatively, we can also have signs for Newcomer Friendly signs.
>
> *Welcoming Material*
> A welcoming material for the Newcomers should be developed. A 2-pager
> information material and online material will have a short overview if the
> IGF processes and will address the ways for them to engage and benefit from
> the IGF.  This could be made available to all (new) participants on
> registration.
>
> Prior to attending the IGF, a public call for all newcomers will be
> launched, to send their questions. These will be gathered together into a
> list of Q&A and shared with all Participants using the mailing list. These
> Q&A list will be integrated in the welcoming, information material, as
> well. It is desirable to organize a series of webinars for introduction (or
> Q&A sessions), prior to the Meeting, to be shared with the participants and
> wider community. The webinars will be focused on the organizational
> principles of the global IGF.
>
> *Action plans:*
>
> 1.     Call for formation of Newcomers advocacy/outreach working group
>
> 2.     Creating the email for newcomers
>
> 3.     Pre-event briefing packets: Prepare scenarios for webinars  and
> content for information materials. Develop all materials, format it and
> make available to the participants and the community
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *Bianca Ho*
> NetMission Ambassador 2008-2009
>
> T: (852) 9363 0913
> E:  bianca at netmission.asia
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','bianca at netmission.asia');>
>
>

-- 
*WISDOM DONKOR (S/N Eng.)*
E-government and Open Government Data Platforms Specialist
National Information Technology Agency (NITA)/
Ghana Open Data Initiative Project.
ICANN Fellow / Member, UN IGF MAG Member, ISOC Member,
Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) Member, Diplo Foundation Member,
OGP Open Data WG Member, GODAN Memember, ITAG Member
Email: wisdom_dk at hotmail.com
wisdom.donkor at data.gov.gh
wisdom.dk at gmail.com
Skype: wisdom_dk
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Website: www.nita.gov.gh / www.data.gov.gh
www.isoc.gh / www.itag.org.gh
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