EURALO Trip Proposal 1

2) Traveler Contact Information and Itinerary:

PURPOSE: The purpose is to take an active part in the 8th edition of the Pan-European dialogue on Internet governance (EuroDIG) - an open platform for informal and inclusive discussion and exchange on public policy issues related to Internet Governance (IG) among stakeholders from all over Europe. Together with the Council of Europe, EURALO is the institutional partner of EURODIG, and this is the best place to discuss the whole Internet Governance ecosystem and geopolicy of Internet Governance, enhance the influence of ALSes on the policy making process on national and regional levels, and boost ICANN capacity-building efforts all over Europe, including such countries as Armenia, as the notion of Europe is based on the countries - members States of the Council of Europe. Since 2012, ICANN is a regular sponsor of EuroDIG and had a high-level representation in Berlin 2014. Furthermore, EuroDIG is part of ICANN’s regional strategy over the next years. GOALS: EuroDIG is the best place for promoting multistakeholder models of ICANN in Europe, discussing its role in Internet Governance both with representatives of EU and Central and Eastern Europe, and members of the Council of Europe, including Caucasus. Such discussions contribute to a broader awareness around Internet Governance related issues, especially in the year crucial for shaping the future governance model/s for the Internet, extremely important for all key stakeholders globally and in Europe in particular. Participation of representatives from countries such as Russia, FYROM, Romania, Armenia, often absent from these discussions, is crucial for the success of round-table meetings on different views, challenges and perspectives from all parts of big Europe. One of the regional and strategic shortcomings is the lack of stakeholder involvement in Eastern European (still) transition countries and South-Eastern European countries – on all levels: government, business sector and civil society. EuroDIG offers one of the few annual opportunities when more and more representatives from Eastern and South-Eastern countries can be included in the IG debate and thus promoting the MS model in countries where traditionally governments only have a say. Capacity building for civil society and At-Large structures (ALSes) in those countries is therefore a key challenge – not only for the ICANN community. Another goal is to bring potential members of At-Large, Filip Stojanovski and Razvan Deaconescu, not yet members of At-Large to EuroDIG in order to meet with At-Large members there to get the traveler's (and their organizations) to become At-Large members.

It is important to underline that Armenia, identified as a part of APRALO at At-Large and according to ICANN’s geographic model, is a full member State of the Council of Europe, co-initiator of EuroDIG and the European continent’s leading human rights organization. Excluding Armenian representatives from EuroDIG debates will lead to excluding them from the decision-making processes in the field of Internet Governance in Europe. Their non-participation in such events (EuroDIG) will prevent their voice from being taken into account in the preparation process of the Outreach Strategy for Europe, in which the Council of Europe plays an important role, Armenia being the full member of the Council of Europe since January 2001.