Brian Cute, CEO of Public Interest Registry

Civil Society Organizations and the Internet: Critical Issues

Civil society has many reasons to be engaged with the infrastructure of the Internet, and how it is governed: freedom of access, affordability of access, how to bridge the digital divide, cultural identity and language issues, internet governance, net neutrality and the role of private sector actors – there is a lot at stake. At a more practical level, Internet access is considered a sine qua non for NGOs. Through Public Interest Registry – which owns the .org and .ngo domain names on the web and sells it through retailers to nonprofits and NGOs -- a multitude of new and innovative services now are offered to small Global South organizations who are not yet on the web. Local perspective, knowledge, trust and validation as well as culture are essential and often overlooked in this arena. How can these key elements be leveraged to enable NGOs to participate fully through the Internet?

Open to the public.