[liberationtech] UN Internet Governance Forum 2012 - Call for workshops - April 12 Deadline

[Robert Guerra]

The United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Secretariat has just posted the call workshops for the 2012 event in Baku. Below are details:


http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/w2012


We are now accepting workshop proposals for the 2012 IGF Annual Meeting in Baku. The workshops will be held generally in parallel to the Main Sessions. Organizers of workshops are asked to present their proposals making use of the template posted below. Proposals should respect the organizational principles and criteria for the selection of workshops. The Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) will assess the proposals. The final schedule will be determined in light of the number of proposals submitted.

Organizational Principles

• The guiding organizational principle for holding workshops is the multi-stakeholder approach. Geographical diversity is an equally relevant factor.

• All proposals fulfilling the selection criteria and using the template will be posted on the IGF Web site.

• Proposals should preferably be submitted in English. 12 April 2012 is set as the deadline for submitting proposals.

• Interested parties are encouraged to submit their proposals as early as possible, as the selection process will take place on an ongoing basis. An early decision will facilitate the planning of workshops.

• The rooms reserved for workshops and all equipment, including a screen and a PC or laptop for projections and a projector (XGA/SVGA Data), will be available free of charge. Details related to the logistics will be made available in due course.

• There will be no interpretation provided for workshops. If interpretation is desired the workshop organizers are free to make their own arrangements in coordination with the IGF Secretariat. The organizers will be responsible for all associated costs.

Content and format

• They are two general workshop types:

o Feeder workshops: will focus on the specific issues relevant to the Baku meeting themes and will act as leaders to the relevant main sessions. As was done in previous years in the relevant main sessions, the moderators of these sessions will call on the feeder workshop rapporteurs to relate the viewpoints expressed in the workshops. Each feeder workshop will be asked to assign a rapporteur whose role will include attending the relevant main session, giving a brief overview of the session's discussions and take part in a one hour round table session that will immediately proceed the main session on that topic. They should also be available to act as a resource to the moderators of the relevant main session. To the extent possible participants from the feeder workshops are also encouraged to attend the main sessions related to the feeder workshops in order to broaden the discussions on the sub-themes of the sessions.

o Other workshops: Workshops on other topics of relevance to Internet Governance. (More details will be available in the draft programme paper.)

• Workshops dealing with topics that are addressed in the main meeting will not be scheduled at the same time as the main meeting.

• Workshops should explore a theme from different angles and different stakeholders' perspectives. Pure advocacy workshops will not be considered.

• All workshops will be Webcast and have realtime transcription.

• Workshops should respect the general format of meetings and should be structured to be interactive, allowing a large portion of their time for open discussion and interaction with meeting attendees, such as a Q&A session. They could include keynote presentations, moderated panels and discussions both from the floor and from remote participants. Workshops should be designed with the format that is most appropriate to the particular topic under discussion.

Selection criteria

• Relevance to the main themes and sub-themes. Priority will be given to proposals related to the main themes.

• Demonstratively proposed or organized following the multi-stakeholder principle (e.g. at least three relevant stakeholder groups being represented in the organization of the workshop).

• Capacity to improve understanding of the IGF themes and topics.

• Proven experience, expertise and capacity to manage the staging of the workshop, including the raising of funds necessary to do so.

• Timeliness, completeness and adherence to deadlines. 

• The provision of background papers.

• Developing country support.

• Gender balance.

• Balance of speakers to participant discussion in the design of the workshop; that is, the degree of interaction planned.

• Youth participation.

• Suitability for remote participation, for example linkages to a hub event.

• A name of a remote moderator is also required for each workshop.

Template for submitting proposals

An online form will be made available shortly for the submission of workshop proposals containing the following questions:

Question 1: Title of proposed workshop.

Question 2: Please provide a concise description of the proposed workshop.

Question 3: Which of the six broad IGF Themes does your workshop fall under?

Question 3a: Which main session question(s) does it address (if any)?

Question 4: Have you, or any of your co-organizers, organized an IGF workshop before?

Question 4a: If so, please provide the link(s) to the report(s):

Question 5: Provide the names and affiliations of the panellists you are planning to invite. (Please note that workshops are expected to adhere to the multi-stakeholder principle, including geographical and gender diversity and to provide different perspectives on the issues under discussion.)

Question 5a: Name of Remote Moderator.

Question 6: Provide the name of the organizer(s) of the workshop and their affiliation to various stakeholder groups.(Please note that workshops are expected to adhere to the multi-stakeholder principle, including geographical and gender diversity and to provide different perspectives on the issues under discussion.)

Proposals should be between 200 - 1000 words.