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Community Projects 25 June 2015

Celebrating the power of our Global Community

By Raúl EcheberríaFormer Vice President, Global Engagement, and Former Trustee

An Internet Society event earlier this week reminded me just how extraordinary our global community really is.

With many of our members in Argentina’s charismatic capital Buenos Aires this week for ICANN53, we were able to bring people together. This may not sound like much, but when our members live and work all around the world – it’s no small thing.

Secondly, this meeting was different. There was a real energy in the room, helped along by some great music, and in just two short hours I think many of us who were there realized the extent to which we are all driven by a common, shared purpose: To build a brighter future for people who use the Internet.

The evening was a wonderful reminder that it takes more than wires to build the Internet. It takes people, relationships and trust. If you were not there last night – don’t worry. On the 7 – 8 July we will be recreating this feeling of optimism in a much bigger setting and everyone who’s a member of the Internet Society is warmly invited to take part.

We are calling our first ever meeting of the Internet Society’s global community ‘InterCommunity 2015’ and it will be a community event, designed specifically with our members in mind, that’s one of a kind. A gathering for the Internet, on the Internet and an opportunity for us to do four important things:

  1. Bring our global community together
  2. Celebrate our strength and our diversity
  3. Give everyone the opportunity to share unique perspectives on key Internet topics and issues, including Collaborative Security, Internet Governance and Access & Development
  4. Highlight the power of the Internet in connecting us

So it’s a time for us to come together – across cultures and borders – to be the powerful community that we are.

We’ll review the three key issues we’re focused on this year: access, Internet governance, and security and discuss key strategies and actionable ways to move the agenda forward globally and where you live.

It will also be an opportunity to celebrate all we do around the world to work together to continue building an Internet of opportunity for everyone.

How you can participate?

You can take part in InterCommunity online or in-person at a Regional Event in your area.

Here’s how you can take part online:

You can join the meeting from wherever you are. The only thing you need is an Internet connection and a computer. We’ll offer two different session times to join online – one on 7 July and one on 8 July. The topics in each session will be repeated, but the speakers and participants will be different.

Test your system and register to take part online

Here’s how you can join a Regional Node:

These Interactive Regional events are key to InterCommunity. Join in person at your Regional Node to interact with your local community. Plus, each Regional Node will have the ability to interact with other Nodes, and our Board of Trustees, who will be joining from the Node in Auckland, New Zealand.

Join your Regional Node 

Register today and let people know on your social media channels by using the hash tag #icomm15

I can’t wait to see you all there!

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

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