Friday, September 27, 2024 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. In person and online!
Youth IGF Canada and The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University are excited to welcome you to the first ever Canada Youth Internet Governance Forum.
IGFs are a space for dialogue and discussion about the Internet and its evolution around the world. To date, Canada has not had a Youth IGF. As distinct Internet stakeholders, youth have grown up with the Internet, helped shape its development, but not necessarily been widely consulted on its growth and permeation in Canada. The Canada Youth IGF works to change this trajectory by bringing youth in Canada together, both in-person and virtually, for a day to discuss some of the most pressing Internet governance challenges in Canada.
Developed by Youth IGF Canada, Canada’s recognized Youth IGF Coordinator by the United Nations Global IGF, and co-hosted by The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, this event will build the leadership, knowledge, and networks of the Canadian youth Internet community.
Four Panels on Pressing Internet Governance Topics in Canada
Youth Leadership in Canadian Internet Governance
Language Diversity Online – Inuktitut and Canadian Indigenous Languages in Internet Script
Both Wireline and Wireless Broadband Access for Youth
A roundtable discussion of What the Online Harms Act Means for You(th)
Venue: The Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University (Rogers Communications Centre, RCC 230, 80 Gould Street Toronto, ON)
Youth Leadership in Canadian Internet Governance
Over the past five years, Canadian youth representation in Internet governance has been lacking. The 2019 Canadian Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) report recognized youth participation and engagement as key in developing a prosperous Internet in Canada. However, Canadian youth have been underrepresented in key Internet governance fora, such as the NextGen@ICANN program and the Internet Society’s Youth Ambassadors Program. Further, Canadian youth are stagnating as future national and global Internet leaders.
This panel features some of Canada’s emerging young Internet governance leaders, highlighting their journeys to becoming Internet leaders and identifying opportunities for generating a wider pool of young Internet governance leaders in Canada. The panel includes Rida Tahir, who is a Policy Advisor at Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) Canada and works to represent Canada on the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) at ICANN, Jenna Manhau Fung, Head of NetMission.Asia and Digital Policy and Community Relations Manager at DotAsia, Christelle Tessono, who is a graduate student at the University of Toronto and has been lobbying the Government of Canada on Bill C-21 ‘the Artificial Intelligence and Date Act,’ and Dana Cramer, President of Youth IGF Canada and a 2024 Global Youth Ambassador with the Internet Society.
Language Diversity Online - Inuktitut and Canadian Indigenous Languages in Internet Script
The Internet does not have all languages represented within it. For example, for a URL to contain a language script, it must be codified within the governance processes of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is a global Internet institution which works to manage the Domain Name System (DNS) which allows for various domain names in words opposed to unique numbers (e.g., .ca, .com, .org, .quebec). They also undertake multistakeholder Internet governance processes to have more languages reflected on the Internet. In 2024, a working group began processes to have Inuktitut recognized in Internet script to help diversify the linguistic capacity of the Internet.
Inuktitut is one of the official languages of Nunavut and is also spoken in Northern Quebec. Although it is considered a regional language, having Inuktitut available in Internet Script is a crucial step for increasing accessibility to Indigenous peoples. Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics (UCAS) is a script primarily used by Indigenous and Inuit peoples in the colonial borders of Canada, however, this script is not available to type as website domain names. This panel discussion will explore the challenges around Indigenous language representation in Internet script, and possible ways forward that honour and respect the diversity of languages spoken throughout Canada.
Both Wireline and Wireless Access for Youth
Most Canadians are using the Internet – especially those who are younger. Canada has many challenges in addressing the urban and rural/remote/Indigenous connectivity gap, with Indigenous communities specifically unconnected or under-connected. There have been various initiatives to close this gap; however, Canada still experiences affordability issues within broadband services. When affordability is considered, youth who are unemployed or underemployed are the hardest hit, financially. For youth, reduced pricing in broadband services—such as student pricing—is not ubiquitous.
This panel will focus on youth connectivity and accessibility of both wireline and wireless infrastructure, as well as ways this could be improved for young people in Canada. A diverse set of stakeholders, including a representative from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), a representative from one of Canada’s largest Internet service providers (TELUS), an Indigenous youth activist working to bring connectivity to Indigenous Manitobans, and a PhD Candidate who recently completed a study on youth’s capacity to afford wireless cell services will serve as the panel. The panel will discuss the issues of connectivity for youth in both wireline and wireless broadband, recognizing how much youth in Canada rely on their Internet connections.
A Discussion of What the Online Harms Act Means for You(th)
Online harms have become a cornerstone digital policy topic in 2024. With the introduction of Bill C-63, otherwise known as the
Schedule
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., Registration
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Opening Remarks
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m., Light break, setup for panels
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Panel: Youth Leadership in Canadian Internet Governance
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch (provided for free)
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m., Panel: Language Diversity Online – Inuktitut and Canadian Indigenous Languages in Internet Script
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Light break
2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m., Panel: Both Wireline and Wireless Broadband Access for Youth
3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Light break, setup for keynote speech
4:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m., Keynote Speech
4:20 p.m. – 4:50 p.m., Moderated Keynote Q&A
4:50 p.m. – 5:20 p.m., Panel: A roundtable discussion of What the Online Harms Act Means for You(th)
5:20 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Closing Remarks
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Optional Social/Networking Session for in-person participants