[Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland — 28 June 2012] — Internet Society President and Chief Executive Officer, Lynn St. Amour, authored a chapter for The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2012 titled “The Internet: An Unprecedented and Unparalleled Platform for Innovation and Change.” The Internet has become integral to business, communication, education, and community building, as well as an essential tool in social life, empowering individuals and communities in ways previously unimagined. These linkages create unparalleled opportunity by facilitating and encouraging creativity and collaboration. This chapter explores how the evolution of the open, global Internet inspires technological, societal, and knowledge innovation.
Continue reading
isoc
APPLY NOW: Internet Society Ambassadors to IGF in Baku in 11/2012
Invitation to Applicants: Internet Society Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
The Internet Society is pleased to invite applications for the 2012 Internet Society Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
As part of the Internet Society’s Next Generation Leaders (NGL) programme, the Ambassadorships to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) are available to Internet Society members between the ages of 20 and 40.The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. It brings together government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders, including the technical and academic community, on an equal basis and through an open and inclusive process. The IGF facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise.
About the 2012 Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
In 2012, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will focus on Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development. Participants will explore key topics such as Cybersecurity, Online Child Protection, Intellectual Property, Copyright, Managing Critical Internet Resources, Access & Diversity and numerous others. The Forum will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from the 6-9 November 2012.
Ambassadors to the IGF may be involved in various activities at the Forum, including contributions to the IGF Ambassadors’ blog, participating broadly in the IGF meeting agenda and assisting with staffing of the Internet Society booth at the venue. Details of these opportunities will be confirmed in advance of the Forum.For more information, please visit:
NYC World IPv6 Launch event – Jun 6 @ NYU
Organized by the Internet Society, World IPv6 Launch on 6 June 2012 is the designated date when organizations across the industry – including Internet service providers (ISPs), hardware makers, and web companies – prepare for and permanently enable Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) on their products and services as Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address space runs out.
Last year, major web companies and other industry participants successfully enabled and tested IPv6 on their main websites for 24 hours on World IPv6 Day, which was held on 8 June 2011. World IPv6 Day only involved websites, and was just a day, this year in contrast the emphasis is across the entire spectrum of the Internet industry and is permanent.
Similar to last year’s successful NYC event, on Wednesday June 6 2012 ISOC-NY will present an informal discussion and celebration meetup at NYU starting at 7pm EDT. Among those attending will be Phillip Koblence, VP Operations (NYI), and Sagi Brody of Webair who will both give a brief talks on their company’s IPv6 implementation efforts, after which we will repair to a nearby drinking establishment for social activities.
What: World IPv6 Launch Discussion and Celebration.
When: Wed. June 6, 2012 – 7pm-8.30pm
Where: Courant Institute NYU, Rm 201, 251 Mercer St. NYC
Who: Free. Public welcome, especially network admins!
Hashtags: #v6launch ; #ipv6
RSVP: email | facebook | meetup
Webcast: Not planned at this time.
Continue reading
Internet Society launches Internet Hall of Fame
[Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 23 April 2012] – The names of the inaugural Internet Hall of Fame inductees were announced today at the Internet Society’s Global INET 2012 conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Internet pioneers and luminaries from around the world gathered at the conference to mark the Internet Society’s 20th anniversary, and attend an Awards Gala to honor the following 2012 inductees.
Pioneers Circle
Recognizing individuals who were instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet: Paul Baran, Vint Cerf, Danny Cohen, Steve Crocker, Donald Davies, Elizabeth Feinler, Charles Herzfeld, Robert Kahn, Peter Kirstein, Leonard Kleinrock, John Klensin, Jon Postel, Louis Pouzin, and Lawrence Roberts.
Innovators
Recognizing individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances and helped to expand the Internet’s reach: Mitchell Baker, Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau, Van Jacobson, Lawrence Landweber, Paul Mockapetris, Craig Newmark, Raymond Tomlinson, Linus Torvalds, and Philip Zimmermann.
Global Connectors
Recognizing individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet: Randy Bush, Kilnam Chon, Al Gore, Nancy Hafkin, Geoff Huston, Brewster Kahle, Daniel Karrenberg, Toru Takahashi, and Tan Tin Wee.
Internet Society Marks its 20-Year Anniversary
[Washington, D.C. USA and Geneva, Switzerland, 04 January 2012] – The Internet Society is proud to announce its 20-year anniversary. The organization was founded in 1992 by two of the fathers of the Internet – Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn – to facilitate and support the evolution of the Internet and its beneficial use.
Over the past two decades, the Internet Society has been committed to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. The Internet Society continues to serve the needs of the growing, global Internet community through championing public policies that enable open access; facilitating the open development of standards and protocols; and organizing events and opportunities that inform and bring people together.
A snapshot of the Internet Society’s highlights over the past 20 years
includes:
* Facilitating training programs and workshops, many in developing countries, starting in the 1990s. Those workshops were the starting point for many of the first generation Internet leaders, and helped to connect many developing countries to the Internet.
* Serving as the organizational home for the pre-eminent Internet standards development organizations, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF). Virtually everything we do online today is because of work done or a standard developed within these organizations.
* Encouraging professional development for technologists and policy makers by providing grants, awards, expertise, and networking opportunities to foster leadership in areas important to the evolution of the Internet.
* Supporting the development and expansion of Internet Society Membership and Chapters around the world. As volunteers, Members and Chapters engage in a wide variety of activities, including educational and networking events to inform members or the general public about Internet related-issues, community programs for economically disadvantaged individuals or those with disabilities, and public policy programs to inform policy and decision makers about critical Internet issues.
* Working as a champion of public policies that advance, validate, and defend an open Internet. The Internet Society is recognized and sought out for its reliable and technologically-sound policy positions on key Internet policy issues, including Trust & Identity, Privacy, Internet Governance, and Human Rights.
* Promoting understanding of and involvement in the development and use of open Internet standards across technical and policy communities. As the underpinnings of the Internet, open technical standards allow devices, services, and applications to be interoperable across a wide and dispersed network of networks. The Internet Society has a long-standing commitment to fostering an open, innovative, and trusted Internet worldwide, and ensuring open Internet standards is foundational to the work of the Internet Society and the IETF.
* Winning the .ORG contract, one of the Internet’s original top-level domains (TLDs). In 2002, the Internet Society founded the Public Interest Registry (PIR), which as a separate company is the domain name registry for all .ORG TLDs.
“Reflecting on this significant milestone, I’d like to congratulate and thank our founders and early leaders, as well as our global community of Members and Chapters, the Board of Trustees, and staff who have all worked so hard to support our mission,” said Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society. “We all share a passion for the good that the Internet can bring, and it is our hope for the future that everyone in the world will have access to a ubiquitous, reliable, and open Internet.”
In conjunction with its 20-year anniversary, the Internet Society will launch a series of initiatives to focus attention on the evolution of the Internet and the opportunities and challenges that will have a profound impact on its future. An exciting global forum will be held 22-24 April 2012 at the Centre International de Conférences Genève in Geneva, Switzerland.
The event will feature high-powered keynote speakers, thought-provoking panel discussions, and interactive workshops to develop a vision for the future of the Internet. Other highlights of the event include a Gala awards dinner and networking opportunities with key businesses, NGOs, and academics operating in the Internet space, as well as Internet pioneers and futurists.
“I am very proud to be part of this global organization and its important work to ensure that people in all parts of the world can enjoy the benefits of an open Internet,” said Raúl Echeberría, Chairman of the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees. “This is a special milestone for the Internet Society, not only to reflect on our past but to look ahead to the future and the impact that we can have through our collective efforts to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive. In 2012, we look forward to continued collaboration with people from around the world to protect the Internet of today for the generations to follow.”
More details on the Internet Society’s 20th anniversary are available at http://www.internetsociety.org/20th
Video: Harlem Internet Computer Access Program
The Harlem Internet Computer Access Program (HICAP) is a volunteer program to train Seniors in online skills, now in its 3rd year, funded by an Internet Society Community Grant. The Internet Society has also commissioned the inspirational video you can view below.
Internet Society Joins Opposition to Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)
Policies mandating DNS filtering undermine the open architecture of the Internet and raise human rights and freedom of expression concerns
[Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 12 December 2011] – The Internet Society Board of Trustees has expressed concern with a number of U.S. legislative proposals that would mandate DNS blocking and filtering by ISPs to protect the interests of copyright holders. While the Internet Society agrees that combating illicit online activity is an important public policy objective, these critical issues must be addressed in ways that do not undermine the viability of the Internet as a platform for innovation across all industries by compromising its global architecture. The Internet Society Board of Trustees does not believe that the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) are consistent with these basic principles.
Continue reading
Internet Society Supports United Nations Human Rights Day Focus on Social Media
[Geneva, Switzerland – 09 December 2011] – The Internet Society welcomed the focus of today’s United Nations Human Rights Day event highlighting the transformational role of the Internet and social media applications in giving voice to people around the world. The Internet Society is a strong advocate of an open and accessible Internet, and sees the Internet as an enabler of human rights.
The influence of the Internet and social media on the ability of citizens to connect, share ideas, and join communities is undeniable. In 2011, popular movements in the Middle East and North Africa demonstrated the Internet’s power to enable individuals to exercise their fundamental rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association. In this context, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also points to the role of social media in peaceful protest movements in many other cities across the globe.
These events illustrate the powerful impact of social media by generating awareness of and support for efforts of people from all walks of life seeking to bring about change, unconstrained by borders, time, and distance.
“The Internet’s influence on society has been profound,” said Lynn St. Amour, Internet Society President and CEO. “The Internet Society is committed to ensuring an open, global, and accessible Internet. It is an instrumental tool to sustain basic human aspirations for freedom and social development.”
Continue reading
Internet Society statement on DNS Filtering in the US
The Internet Society has noted with concern a number of U.S. legislative proposals that would mandate DNS blocking and filtering by ISPs in order to protect the interests of copyright holders. We agree with proponents of the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that combating illegal online activities is a very important public policy objective. However, policies that are enacted to achieve this goal must not undermine the viability of the Internet as a globally reachable platform. After close examination and consultation with the Internet community, we do not believe that the current U.S. legislative proposals are consistent with these basic principles.
In particular, we are concerned with provisions in both laws regarding DNS filtering. DNS filtering is often proposed as a way to block illegal content consumption by end users. Yet policies to mandate DNS filtering have not proven to be effective – these approaches interfere with cross-border data flows and services undermining innovation and social development across the globe. In addition, DNS blocking raises significant concerns with respect to human rights and freedom of expression and may curtail fundamental international principles of rule of law and due process.
The United States has an important leadership role when it comes to online Internet freedoms and should show the way when it comes to balancing local responsibilities and global impact, especially with respect to Internet policy.
In short, the negative impact of DNS filtering far outweighs any short-term, narrow, legal, and commercial benefits. The Internet Society believes that sustained, global collaboration amongst all parties is needed to find ways that protect the global architecture of the Internet while combating illegal online activities. We must all work to support the principles of innovation and freedom of expression upon which the Internet was founded.
Support the Internet Society!
On behalf of all of us at the Internet Society, we thank all our members for their commitment to our shared goals for an accessible, secure, ubiquitous and evolving Internet. It is through this support and interest that we’ve been successful, for example, elevating global awareness of and commitment to Internet Protocol version 6.0 (IPv6), educating interest groups and governments on Net Neutrality, and supporting local Internet Society Chapters and their volunteer members.
The Internet, nevertheless, is faced with challenges from various quarters of the globe and cyberspace: access is unavailable to millions in the developing world making it ever more difficult to escape lives of poverty and disease; access is denied to whole classes of people as a way to exert political or economic control; malicious intrusions from various interest groups defy new security measures; the balances between safety and freedom, between security and transparency teeter everyday.
This is why we need your strong support. Only the Internet Society offers a powerful, honest and unbiased voice in support of the Internet for Everyone. Through the work of our chapters, organization members and partners, we speak above the fray, inform the policy and decision makers and watch the Internet environment so that all of us may speak and take action.
Please consider a donation to The Internet Society today, or renew/upgrade to a Sustaining Membership for only $75.00 (you’ll need to log into the ISOC Portal for all changes to membership status).
Your assistance will go directly to assist knowledge sharing, Internet Leadership Development and education, and to promote vital debates such as the Internet access as a basic human right. Become part of the engine that propels the Internet as a vibrant, open platform for human social progress.
Kilnam Chon Receives 2011 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award
[Taipei, 16 November 2011] — The Internet Society today announced that its prestigious Jonathan B. Postel Service Award was presented to leading technologist Professor Kilnam Chon for his significant contributions in the development and advancement of the Internet in Asia.
Professor Chon contributed to the Internet’s growth in Asia through his extensive work in advancing Internet initiatives, research, and development. In addition, his pioneering work inspired many others to promote the Internet’s further growth in the region. The international award committee, comprised of former Jonathan B. Postel award winners, noted that Professor Chon was active in connecting Asia, and that his efforts continue today in the advancement of the Internet in other regions.
Continue reading
e-meeting – Dec 15 – Deployment & Operationalization Hub (DO Hub)
The Internet Society will hold an e-meeting on 15 December to introduce a new initiative that collects, creates, and promotes detailed deployment information for IPv6, DNSSEC, and other future standards developed by the IETF. The Deployment & Operationalization Hub (DO Hub)* will work with first adopters to collect and create resources that are easy to understand and quickly actionable by the greater operations community, and will actively solicit the larger community for advice on what deployment topics to cover next.
Many Chapter members are among the first adopters of new technologies and may be interested in helping provide deployment information via the new DO Hub initiative. In addition, the information DO Hub collects will be valuable to Chapter members actively seeking to deploy new technologies. DO Hub events will also provide an avenue for Chapter members to meet their colleagues in person.
Continue reading
Internet Society Board of Trustees Holds Board Meeting in Dakar, Senegal
[DAKAR, SENEGAL – 24 October 2011] – The Internet Society today announced that its Board of Trustees held its 90th meeting on 22 – 23 October 2011 in Dakar, Senegal. During the meeting, the Board reviewed and approved the organization’s three-year business plan that includes a wide range of programs in support of its mission to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.
While the world population rapidly approaches 7 billion, approximately 2 billion people have access to the Internet. Internet penetration in many developing countries hovers well below 5%. Compared to other regions of the world, Africa has the lowest percent of Internet users to total population; however it is one of the fastest-growing regions for Internet penetration and usage.
Continue reading
Internet Society participates in OECD meeting on Internet’s future
The Internet Society, as a member of the Internet Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC), participated in the OECD High Level Meeting on “The Internet Economy: Generating Innovation and Growth” held on 28-29 June 2011 in Paris.
* ITAC Press release (also below)
* Agenda
Applications open for ISOC Fellowships to OECD Technology Foresight Forum
The Internet Society is pleased to invite applications for Fellowships to the OECD Technology Foresight Forum.
Fellowships to the OECD Technology Foresight Forum are part of the Internet Society’s Next Generation Leaders (NGL) programme and are available to Internet Society members aged between 20 and 40 years.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Technology Foresight Forum is an annual event organized by the OECD’s Committee for Information, Computer, and Communications Policy (ICCP) to help identify how technical developments create opportunities for, and pose challenges to the Internet Economy. Foresight Forums are a collaborative effort of policymakers from member and non-member governments, business, civil society, and the Internet technical community.
About the OECD ICCP Technology Foresight Forum 2011
—————————————————
In 2011, the OECD Foresight Forum will focus on Evolving Mobile Wireless Platforms and Applications. Participants will explore and evaluate the tremendous potential that mobile networks, applications, and content have for future economic and social development. The Forum will be held in Paris on 26 October.
Fellows to the OECD may be given the opportunity to engage in various tasks at the Forum, including assisting the OECD Secretariat with preparatory work, reporting, and speaking. Details of these opportunities will be confirmed with the OECD Secretariat and successful applicants in advance of the Forum.
More details of the Fellowship to the OECD Technology Foresight Forum are available here: