Hello, everyone! I am Paribhasha Pradhan, a NetMission Ambassador, a passionate young, 23-year-old, dedicated to engaging and empowering youth on Internet governance discourse. Currently, I am working as Module Leader and Lecturer, in Nepal alongside doing my M.Sc specializing in Cybersecurity. As a NetMission Ambassador, I am involved in various working groups initiated by NetMission.Asia, such as the Asia Pacific yIGF 2023 organizing committee, NetMission Governance and Policy Committee, Digital Content and Research Committee, and Asia Pacific Policy Observatory.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA) 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. APIGA is a 5-day capacity development program focused on Internet governance (IG) targeted at youths in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. It is co-hosted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). The program consists of immersive, hands-on sessions with dedicated mentoring by regional industry experts.
I was fortunate to be selected as a representative and APIGA leader by NetMission.Asia and DotAsia Organization which was fully sponsored. As an APIGA leader, I had the responsibility to mentor and lead the participants from different countries and backgrounds and facilitate their learning and engagement throughout the program.
I learned a lot about ICANN and Internet Governance from the experts who shared their insights and experiences with us. I got to learn about many things which included the concept of Internet governance and the multistakeholder model of policymaking, the current global Internet governance issues and challenges, such as cybersecurity, digital trade, free expression, online privacy, surveillance, Internet of Things, and many more. Also, I got to learn about the roles and functions of different IG institutions and actors, such as ICANN, IANA, IETF, ISOC, IGF, NRO, RIRs, ccTLDs, gTLDs, GAC, ALAC, GNSO, etc with the opportunities and pathways to continue participating in the Internet Governance space at local, regional, and global levels.
We also had practical exercises where we applied our knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios. Like participating in the Model ICANN Conference where we simulated different stakeholder groups and with lots of discussions.
One of the highlights of APIGA was the model ICANN conference on the fourth day of the program. I was honored to be the chair of the conference, which was my first time as a chair of such an event. I was nervous but also confident that I could do it. I had to moderate the discussions among the participants who represented different stakeholder groups within ICANN. We debated on various policy issues related to domain names, such as new gTLDs, IDNs, (yes, there are a lot of acronyms in Internet Governance!), etc. It was a challenging but rewarding experience for me.
On the last day of APIGA, we had a tour to Lotte World Adventure Park where I had fun with my new friends from different countries. We enjoyed the rides, attractions, shows, food, and culture of Korea. It was a great way to end our memorable journey together.
APIGA 2023 was an amazing experience for me. I learned so much about ICANN and Internet Governance from the experts and peers who shared their knowledge and perspectives. I also made many new friends who share my passion for Internet Governance. I am grateful to NetMission.Asia, DotAsia Organization, ICANN, KISA, and all the organizers and sponsors who made this possible for me. I am inspired to continue contributing to the Internet Governance world and encourage more people to join this for personal growth and the betterment of the Internet.
Thank you, APIGA 2023!
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