Unless you are an astronomer, architect or engineer, most of us toy with this question: “When will I use the Pythagorean theorem in real life?” In reality, this question is true for most things that are perceived as complex.
Typically, non-technical internet governance practitioners and champions of the internet often find themselves asking a similar question when approaching technical aspects of internet governance like domain name systems and infrastructure. On the other hand, technically inclined practitioners and champions of change typically harbour similar feelings for the policy, legislative and human rights aspects of internet governance. This was exposed very early in our sessions at the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) 2021.
Having an entrepreneurial, legal and policy background, I understand that you cannot be an expert of everything. However, being familiar and comfortable with more aspects of internet governance than not will always be beneficial, not only from a personal development perspective, but also for those who rely on us to advocate for open, fair and accessible internet.
AfriSIG 2021 presented all elements of internet governance in a manner that exposed my knowledge gaps, and left me and the other fellows with information that would have taken us all years to acquire individually and inspiration to peruse life-changing opportunities. The school also practically illustrated the workings of multistakeholderism, the importance of being Africa-centric when approaching internet governance-related issues, and the understanding that the global North also has its own set of problems. As the National Internet Governance Forum chairperson in my country, I am very excited to share these new learnings with my committee members, who I believe can leverage the knowledge.
Read the full blog post on the AfriSIG website.
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