use case

Global Citizens’ Dialogue on the Future of the Internet

A global forum to discuss the future of the Internet, with over 5,000 participants from over 70 countries. The scale and approach to such deliberation are worth considering for other large, global issues.

source of visual

Global, Global, Offline+Online
- Where did this use case occur?
1 January 2018 - 31 December 2021
- When did this use case occur?
Missions Publiques and a broad panel of partners.
- Who were some of the key collaborators
In the 2020 edition of the exercise, the project brought together 5,000+ participants in 70+ countries for the dialogue.
- How many people participated?
Internet
- What are some keywords?

What was the problem?

Along with the potential brought about by the increasing adoption of the Internet, there are concerns about security, user safety, and disinformation. These challenges can widen inequalities and exacerbate social cleavages.

How does the community approach the problem?

In 2018, 12 countries conducted pilot workshops to explore issues important to citizens. This was expanded in 2019, with a series of five workshops across continents, studying two key topics: disinformation and digital identity. The results were collected, analyzed, and presented at the 2019 Internet Governance Forum. In 2020, there was an opportunity to gather from Internet users their vision of the future of the Internet.`

Process

Deliberation / Deliberative Forums

Technique

Given the challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the organizers of We, the Internet, opted for a hybrid format for these deliberations. In some jurisdictions, the process was conducted in collaboration with partner organizations. Each deliberation began with an overview providing some background on the topic of discussion and the variety of perspectives on the topic. Given the global presence, these resources were available in local languages and included interviews with experts and citizens. Participants engaged in discussions on the specific topic of the Internet’s future. After deliberation, participants filled out questionnaires to share their personal views on each topic. The responses were analyzed and results were published. The stakeholders’ and citizens’ dialogue produced a vision for the future of the Internet and core recommendations for Internet governance bodies such as IGF.

Tool

No Specified Tools

What were the results?

• Preliminary results were presented at the 2020 Internet Governance Forum (IGF);
• The experience confirmed that the future of the Internet is a subject that requires deliberation with citizens. The value of these discussions was the ability to provide decision-makers with legitimate proposals.

In Our Opinions

How participatory was it?

Consult

The project was conceived as a consultative process.

What makes this Use Case unique?