Don MacLean, CIRA, 2011. Paper, 12 pages, copyright: CIRA
The inaugural process of the Canadian Internet Forum (CIF) took place between November 2010 and February 2011, culminating in a national event in Ottawa, Ontario. The forum was organized by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority with assistance from the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Media Awareness Network. The linkages between the development and deployment of the Internet, economic development and digital literacy have emerged as major issues of public interest in Canada. The CIF process revealed an emerging consensus among Internet stakeholders that there is a strong public interest in the future development and use of the Internet in Canada because of its pervasive economic, social and cultural impacts, which increasingly are felt by individuals, families, communities, organizations and institutions everywhere in the country.
The CIF process confirmed that there is a need for a public forum where all stakeholders can help explore and articulate the public interest in the future development and use of the Internet in Canada—by considering its impacts; discussing the opportunities and challenges they present; identifying issues requiring action by stakeholders in government, the private sector, and civil society; and raising awareness of these issues among decision-makers and the general public in Canada and internationally.
Access the report here.
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