The Internet Society (ISOC) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a series of events across the world, throughout the year.
While celebrating its 25th year of advocacy for an open, trusted Internet available to everyone, everywhere, ISOC is not just looking back over the past 25 years but also looking ahead to the next 25 years in order to effectively apply its experience.
The plans to celebrate the ISOC’s 25th Anniversary include its new 25 Under 25 programme to shine the light on young people between the ages of 13 and 25 who are using the Internet to make a significant impact on society.
It will also include community reflections on the Internet seeking stories from all who might have played a part in making the Internet what it is today. These comprise of the earliest Internet pioneers — engineers who imagined and wrote the early code; dedicated people who connected the Internet around the world; and others who have created the innovations that have made the Internet what it is today. There’s a new community on Connect, the ISOC member discussion area, to collect and share stories told from personal perspectives, memories and experiences of the early Internet in different regions of the world.
There will also be a roundtable series during the year during which multiple roundtable discussion events will be hosted beginning on May 11, 2017 with A Brave New World: How does the Internet Affect Societies?
Starting in the second quarter of 2017, ISOC also hopes to invest in its community by delivering a set of tools and resources to help its Chapters promote their work for the Internet and build local and regional relationships. The Internet Futures report will be launched in September with insights into key driving forces as well as recommendations for the Internet we want in the future.
Current plans also include the September announcement of the 2017 class of inductees into the Internet Hall of Fame followed by a special ceremony which will recognize these individuals who have played an extraordinary role in the development and advancement of the Internet. The Special edition of InterCommunity, ISOC’s global membership meeting will hold on September 19, 2017 beginning with the presentation of the new class of Internet Hall of Fame inductees. After the ceremony, the programme will include ISOC nodes around the world for community dialogue on topics from the Internet Futures report to be followed by a time of celebration.
These events seek to contribute to the Internet Society’s efforts to build a better, stronger ISOC across the globe for the future into #thenext25.
