From participant in 2022, to Youth Leader in 2024, and again in 2025, Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA) became more than an annual event for me. It became a platform for growth, learning, and meaningful contribution to conversations that shape our digital future.
Walking into my first APIGA in 2022, I was completely out of my depth. The room buzzed with conversations about multi-stakeholder participation, cybersecurity frameworks, Internet governance, and terms that felt foreign and intimidating. I sat there wondering if I belonged in a space where seasoned policymakers and technical experts discussed the future of our digital world.
But APIGA had a different energy than I expected. This wasn’t just about listening to experts speak from podiums. It was interactive, inclusive, and genuinely interested in what young people brought to the table.
Finding My Voice in the Digital Policy Space
During my first workshop on digital rights organized by Open Development Cambodia in 2022, I found myself sharing a simple story about how my younger brother learned English through online games during COVID lockdowns. It wasn’t a policy brief or research presentation, just a personal experience. But the room responded. People asked follow-up questions, made connections to broader issues, and suddenly I realized that my perspective as a young person navigating digital spaces in Cambodia wasn’t just welcome, it was valuable.
That moment shifted everything for me. I understood that Internet governance isn’t just about technical specifications or regulatory frameworks. It’s about the human experiences that those policies ultimately shape. My brother’s language learning, my grandmother’s video calls with overseas family, local businesses reaching new markets, these stories matter in policy discussions because they represent the real-world impact of the decisions being made.
The Evolution of Leadership
Becoming a Youth Leader in 2024 marked a significant milestone in my APIGA journey. I transitioned from absorbing knowledge to helping create the spaces where that knowledge could flourish. I found myself facilitating discussions, mentoring newcomers, and bridging conversations between different stakeholder groups.
One moment from APIGA 2024 particularly stands out. During a panel on digital inclusion that I was moderating, a participant from rural Indonesia shared how limited Internet connectivity had affected their community’s access to healthcare during the pandemic. The room fell silent as the real-world implications of our policy discussions became clear. That’s when I truly grasped that Internet governance isn’t just about managing technical infrastructure, it’s fundamentally about people’s lives, opportunities, and rights.
This responsibility of leadership, creating inclusive spaces and amplifying diverse voices, became central to how I approached my role. It taught me that effective youth engagement isn’t just about having young people present in discussions; it’s about ensuring their perspectives genuinely influence outcomes.
Collaborative Action at APIGA 2025
At APIGA 2025, co-leading the WSIS+20 Youth Statement session represented a highlight of my journey so far. Working alongside peers from across the Asia-Pacific region, I witnessed the power of youth collaboration in action, sharing ideas, challenging assumptions, and building consensus on complex issues that will shape the next phase of global digital development.
The WSIS+20 process represents a critical juncture. Twenty years after the World Summit on the Information Society, we’re evaluating progress and setting new directions for digital development. Having young people at the center of these discussions isn’t symbolic, it’s strategic. We’re the generation that experienced firsthand both the promise and challenges of social media, witnessed how the Internet became essential infrastructure during global crises, and understand digital culture in ways that transcend technical specifications.
Our session brought together remarkably diverse perspectives. A participant from the Pacific Islands spoke about how rising sea levels threaten not just physical communities but digital sovereignty as undersea cables become vulnerable. A young entrepreneur from Bangladesh shared how e-commerce platforms had transformed rural livelihoods in their region. A digital rights advocate from the Philippines discussed the complex intersection of press freedom and platform governance.
Synthesizing these varied experiences and viewpoints into a coherent statement was challenging but illuminating. It reinforced my belief that shaping the Internet requires more than understanding policy, it demands ensuring those policies reflect the voices of everyone, especially young people and marginalized communities who are often most affected by digital decisions yet least represented in decision-making processes.
Lessons and Lasting Impact
Looking back, APIGA was my entry point into Internet governance, but it has become much more, a platform to grow, contribute, and inspire others along similar journeys. Each year has taught me something different about leadership, collaboration, and building consensus across diverse groups.
What makes APIGA truly special is its community aspect. Beyond formal sessions and working groups lies a network of relationships that extends far beyond the event itself. Every interaction, from reconnecting with familiar faces to mentoring newcomers, reinforced the importance of cross-border collaboration and intergenerational learning.
I had the opportunity to mentor several first-time participants this year,, whose enthusiasm and fresh perspective reminded me of my own journey. These mentoring moments are valuable because they demonstrate that meaningful change happens not just through formal policies, but through the relationships we build and the spaces we create for others to participate effectively.
The intergenerational learning at APIGA is equally powerful. Some of my most valuable insights have come from conversations with veterans of Internet governance who share institutional knowledge, help contextualize current debates within longer historical arcs, and provide guidance on navigating complex stakeholder dynamics. These relationships show that effective advocacy requires both fresh perspectives and deep understanding of how change happens within existing systems.
From APIGA 2022, I learned that diverse perspectives bring essential insights to global discussions. APIGA 2024 taught me about the responsibility of leadership and the importance of creating opportunities for others. APIGA 2025 reinforced the power of collaborative action and collective voice.
My key takeaway from this year’s experience is both simple and profound: youth are not just participants in the Internet’s future, we are active co-creators of it. We’re not waiting for permission to engage; we’re actively shaping conversations, influencing decisions, and building the digital world we want to inherit.
Moving Forward
The Internet touches every aspect of modern life, education, healthcare, economic opportunity, social connection, civic participation, and creative expression. Ensuring that its governance reflects diverse voices and serves inclusive purposes has become more than a professional interest for me; it’s a fundamental commitment.
I leave APIGA each year with renewed motivation and a deeper sense of responsibility. The connections I’ve made, the skills I’ve developed, and the perspectives I’ve gained have transformed not just how I think about Internet governance, but how I approach leadership and advocacy more broadly.
As I continue on this journey, I carry forward the lessons, connections, and commitment that APIGA has instilled in me. The Internet’s future is too important to be decided by a limited group of stakeholders. It requires all of us, especially young people from all backgrounds and regions, to engage, advocate, and work together toward digital futures that serve everyone.
What began as curiosity in 2022 has evolved into a deep commitment to ensuring that Internet governance processes are as inclusive, collaborative, and forward-thinking as the Internet itself should be. This journey of growth, learning, and contribution is just beginning, and I’m grateful to be part of a community that believes in the power of diverse voices to shape our shared digital future.
Written by Socheata Sokhachan