Asia Pacific yIGF 2022 Organizing Committee Sharing
Bea Guevarra (October 27, 2022)
When I first started college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, so I just kind of did what everyone else did. One day during my freshman year, I was offered to join Youth Internet Governance Forum (yIGF), there was only one more spot left so I took that opportunity. I had no idea what to expect but it was a chance for me to get involved in something new—something that would challenge me. I was thrilled to be able to be a part of something so important—but excited about this opportunity also came with a bit of fear: Would I be able to handle it? Would I be able to handle the travel? Would I even fit in with all of these people who were already so experienced at this kind of work?
The answer turned out to be yes! And so began my journey in Internet Governance.
I’ve been organizing yIGF for two years now, and this year is the first time I’ve gotten sponsored for the event. It’s been an amazing experience for me—not only have I learned so much about my abilities as an organizer, but I’ve also met some really cool people who share my passion for learning new things. This year’s yIGF was also special because it was the first time we combined online and onsite participants into one event and had it last only one day and a half! It was definitely a new experience, and I’m excited to see how it translates into the future.
Since my first encounter in the IG sphere, I’ve been driven by a passion to see more young people get involved on this side of the Internet because there are so many voices from underrepresented groups that need assistance in being heard. The youth make up the core of today’s society, serving as role models to the younger generations and learning from the older generations before taking on roles in the “real world”. As members of various stakeholders or industries, the youth will bring new innovations to the table, and new talents, particularly in the sphere of technology. Being a part of the youth, we need to continue sharing our knowledge as well as learning from others to continue to improve the internet for the better.
Over the past years being both a participant and an organizer, what I have noticed is that more and more youth do participate; but to encourage them we need to continue to have the “veterans of the IG sphere” have conversations with the youth. One of the main reasons why most youths are still not familiar with Internet Governance is due to a lack of sufficient awareness. Instead of just explaining what is Internet Governance to young people, we need to engage them in conversation, get their feedback, and help them understand how important IG is. We must aim to empower young people, especially during times of discouragement. Some young people may feel powerless to alter the way things are done, while others may think that others don’t take them seriously because of their age or lack of experience and knowledge of Internet governance. Due to this, we should place a high value on giving young people the chance to participate and contribute to numerous committees and initiatives where they can learn. The vacancies left by the older generations will eventually be filled by the youth, who won’t stay in this age group indefinitely. Therefore, starting the conversation in schools, online, or with any youngster, you may know, will result in a domino effect for good change.
A selected bunch of our participants at this year’s yIGF were sponsored through different organizations and fellowships. Supporting our youth presents a fantastic opportunity for change in the IG community because it highlights their importance while also providing new voices. They say that the more the merrier. We should encourage the youth to apply to various fellowship programs offered by NRIs or private/government-funded programs. Having financial support from companies, schools, mentors, and others who want to help them on their journey to build a better internet. There’s no doubt that the more voices heard online—the more diverse the viewpoints—the better our chances of creating a better future for everyone. That is why I am pleased that there are so many fellowships, corporations, and organizations that have decided to support so many young people this year.
Nevertheless, I believe that we should not abandon the hybrid mode that we have begun. It can be difficult for others to travel, and previous APrIGF participation has been mostly limited to those physically attending the event. However, thanks to the power of technology, I have seen an increase in the number of people from various stakeholder groups sharing their thoughts and opinions online and in person, shedding more light on the discussion of various topics of internet governance.
The internet can be a wonderful place, but we all know that it is not without its challenges. In my opinion, our needs are the same regardless of age or experience. To help keep this space accessible and safe for all of us, we must contribute to the solution. The Internet Governance Forum, APrIGF, yIGF, and many other organizations are places where we can all learn from our own experiences and the feedback of others. The Internet is a constantly evolving space that necessitates ongoing effort. We will all have our own journey, but what is important is that we continue to put in the effort, contribute our voices to the conversation, and take part in helping shape the future of our global community.
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