APIGA 2026 marked an important milestone in my Internet Governance journey, from being a learner to taking on the role of a Youth Leader. It was also my first opportunity to meet the APAC youth community in person after engaging with many of them online!
My journey into the Internet Governance space began with YIGF India, where I first understood how wide this ecosystem really is. NetMission Academy then opened the door to the wider Asia-Pacific youth community and as a NetMission Ambassador I was able to connect with young people from across the region virtually. That path eventually led to my selection as an on-site Youth Leader for APIGA and it felt especially meaningful to be part of the program in its 10th anniversary year.
Being a Youth Leader was a new experience for me. It was my first time mentoring and supporting participants in an in-person program rather than taking part as a participant myself. I found myself in between, learning from experienced mentors in the Internet Governance communities while supporting a cohort of participants from more than fifteen different economies!
I joined APIGA hoping to strengthen my moderation skills and I had the opportunity to serve as the core moderator for the Model ICANN sessions, a flagship part of the program. This was my first international experience as a moderator and it taught me what moderation truly involves. It is about keeping a conversation flowing, making sure quieter voices are heard and working patiently across different cultures and languages. I learned it by practically implementing it session after session where I received feedback from mentors, made mistakes and grew more confident with each roundtable discussion.
APIGA also allowed me to continue the work I had started through NetMission and the broader Asia-Pacific youth community. Earlier this year, I contributed to a public comment on the Universal Acceptance adoption guidelines on behalf of the APAC youth community. That experience inspired the public comment session we introduced for the first time at APIGA 2026, which I had the opportunity to lead. Through it, I encouraged participants to engage in contributing towards current Internet Governance issues through public comments. We began with hands-on practice sessions during APIGA and we are now carrying that forward by putting it into actual practice!
None of this would have been possible without the people around me. I am especially thankful to our program manager, Sherry Shek, for guiding me and helping me feel confident in leading for the first time. I am also grateful to my fellow Youth Leaders, including Nawal Munir, Khushbakht and the KISA Youth Leaders Seungjun Chu and Sunghyuk Ko, who helped us understand Korean culture and the local Internet ecosystem, including the role of KISA. The mentors and the wider APIGA teams made this experience truly enriching!
I came to APIGA hoping to become a better moderator. I left having learned what it means to listen, to work across cultures, and to give back to the community that gave me my start.
Blog Post – Aug 31, 2026
Written by Manas Joshi
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