“Everyone deserves to stay connected and maximize the power of the internet” – My experience at the 7th Community Network Exchange Asia Pacific 2023

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 7th Community Network Exchange Asia Pacific 2023, a conference that brought together experts, practitioners, and advocates of community networks from across the region and beyond. The theme of the conference was “Connecting Indigenous and Mountain Communities”, and it focused on the challenges and opportunities of providing internet access and digital skills to these marginalized and underserved populations.

The conference was held on November 24-25, 2023, in Guwahati, Assam, India, a city that is known for its rich cultural diversity and scenic beauty. The conference venue was the Royal Global University, a prestigious institution that offers quality education and research in various fields. The conference was organized by Digital Empowerment Foundation, Internet Society, and Council for Social and Digital Development, with the support of several associate partners, such as APC, APNIC Foundation, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership, WSA, TISS, North East Development Foundation, HUGHES Communications India, A-CODE, and Wireless For Communities.

The conference featured a variety of sessions, such as presentations, panel discussions, and group discussions, that covered topics such as community network models, policy and regulation, sustainability, gender and inclusion, capacity building, content and services, and impact assessment. The speakers were from different countries and backgrounds, and they shared their experiences, insights, and best practices of working with indigenous and mountain communities.

I was also invited to be a presenter at the conference, and I was very honored and excited to share my work with the audience. My presentation topic was “The Prayuters Library Program: Bringing Internet Connectivity and Digital Skills to Rural Populations”. This Prayuters Library Program was supported by a grant from the APNIC Foundation, via the Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF Asia) and implemented by Open Development Cambodia Organization’s Open Development Library Initiative. The program aims to provide internet connectivity and digital skills to the rural populations in four provinces in Cambodia: Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Kratie, and Stung Treng. The program has three main objectives, to ensure internet connectivity for everyone, improve digital skills of target populations, and generate new evidence on digital needs.

The program has already established a library in Preah Vihear province, and it has been providing a number of activities and workshops to the local community members. The program is also conducting a feasibility study to assess the internet accessibility and demand in the other three provinces. It plans to set up more libraries and activities in the near future.

I presented the background, objectives, activities, and outcomes of the program. I also showed some photos from the library. I received positive feedback and questions from the audience, and I also exchanged contacts and ideas with some of the other speakers and participants who were interested in collaborating or learning more about the program.

Another great activity at the conference was the group discussion, where I joined the other speakers in helping and guiding the participants in drafting the plans for their own community network projects. The participants were divided into groups, and they brainstormed and discussed the goals, strategies, and challenges of their projects. The speakers provided feedback and suggestions, and also shared their own experiences and lessons learned. It was a very interactive and collaborative session. I was impressed by the creativity and passion of the participants. I learned a lot from their perspectives and ideas, and I also made some new friends and potential partners. I hope that their plans will come to fruition and that their communities will benefit from the internet connectivity and digital skills that they will provide.

The conference was a very enriching and rewarding experience for me, as I learned a lot from the other speakers and participants. I was inspired by the stories and achievements of the community network projects from different parts of the world. I was also motivated by the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I love how we all have been working on different parts of the world to help people get connected with each other and make use of the internet for their personal and community development.

I would like to thank the organizers for making this event possible and for inviting me to be a part of it. Thanks to the APNIC Foundation for granting the opportunity for the Prayuters Library Program to be one of their grant recipients and for supporting our work and vision. Lastly, I would like to thank ODC for all the support and guidance that they have given me and the program.

I hope that this blog post has given you a glimpse of the conference and the program. Let’s join me and the community network movement in our quest to connect the unconnected and empower the marginalized.

Written by Mr. Maneth NAY – Communications Manager at Open Development Cambodia Organization