WORKING FOR INTERNET AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM

Global Internet Policy Initiative

In 2000 Internews and the Center for Democracy and Technology partnered to establish the Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI), which has worked to promote an open, democratic, user-controlled Internet in 17 developing countries (www.internetpolicy.net).

• In May 2006 Internews organized a ten-day GIPI study tour to Washington, DC for GIPI Coordinators from ten Eurasian countries to meet with public and private stakeholders in Internet policy so they could share experiences and discuss best practices.

• GIPI Russia worked with several partners to coordinate a NATO-sponsored Advanced Research Workshop for over 200 participants on “Unconventional Information Warfare and the War on Terror” in November 2005. The event focused on promoting international standards in the fight against cyber-terrorism and other information security issues.

The dot-GOV Program

From 2002 until 2006 Internews led the dot-GOV program, funded by USAID, to work for liberalized telecommunications and Internet policies for a competitive market. Dot-GOV projects spanned over three dozen developing countries (www.dot-com-alliance.org/dotgov).

• Through dot-GOV and its partner, the Institute for International Education, women and men from underserved communities in Asia and North Africa have been trained and certified in computer networking through CISCO Academies, contributing to the growth of the IT field in their countries.

• Dot-GOV's Romanian Information Technology Initiative (RITI) demonstrated through five pilot telecenters how the Romanian government could effectively use a Universal Service Obligation to increase rural access to telephones and the Internet. RITI staff commented extensively on the draft legislation and advised the regulator.