Byron Holland's Perspectives on the Internet and Domain Space.

The Canadian Internet Forum

Posted by: Byron Holland

Next week, CIRA will host a very important event in Ottawa. On February 25, we will host the Canadian Internet Forum (CIF) along with our partners, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Media Awareness Network (MNet). The CIF is the culmination of four months of dialogue with Canadians about Internet governance the future of the Internet in Canada.

I’ve said it before – Internet governance can seem like be a pretty dry subject, but once you peel the covers back, it is a very rich and interesting topic that affects us all. With the CIF we’ve managed to take the discussions to where Canadians are (we visited six cities and even ran an online discussion forum) and encourage the participants let us know what is important to them.

What did we hear? Canadians are plugged in and knowledgeable about how they use the Internet and the direction they want its development to take. Specifically, topics have included digital economy, literacy, privacy, access to broadband, and many others. You can read the consultation reports here and join the online discussion here.

We’ve lined up a first class panel to discuss these issues, including Jacob Glick from Google, Jim Roche from CANARIE, digital literacy expert Dr. Gerri Sinclair, and IPv6 expert Marc Blanchet from Viagenie. The event will wrap up with Sally Wentworth from the Internet Society, putting Canadian Internet governance into the international context.

Leading Canadian technology visionary Leonard Brody will provide the keynote address. Leonard is an engaging speaker and best-selling author of the bestselling book Everything I Needed to Know About Business…I Learned from a Canadian. He really understands how technology is changing the way we interact with each other, and how that will change business, politics and social interactions in the future.

Most importantly, at the CIF we want to hear from you. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard on the direction the Internet should take in Canada.

The CIF starts at 9 a.m. on February 25 and runs until 5 p.m. Following the CIF, we will host a networking reception. All of this takes place at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa.

The agenda for the CIF is available here. For those who can’t attend in person, the event will be webcast in French and English. Technical details for the webcast are available here, and to register, please visit.

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