[DC] DC Digest, Vol 119, Issue 33

Thu Feb 20 23:44:49 EST 2025

Dear IGF Secretariat and Colleagues,

I hope this email finds you well. Some of you may have seen me earlier
today at the DCCG meeting, along with other members of our coalition.
However, I wanted to take a moment to formally introduce myself.

My name is Amrith Kumar, and I am a new Board Member at DTC. My work
revolves around emerging technologies, particularly AI and Quantum
computing, and their intersection with policy. I am currently engaged in
research at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley & the
Computer Science Department at Columbia University, collaborating with
professors, and also working on developing a platform to provide free,
accessible, high-quality AI education for learners of all ages.
Additionally, I have a background in debate and enjoy structured
discussions on complex topics—always happy to take on a challenge if you
are up to it.

Above all, I consider myself a teacher. Over the past four years, I have
taught language classes and coding to students ranging from elementary
school children to professionals in the job market looking to gain insights
on learning new skill sets. This experience has reinforced my belief that
learning is a two-way process and has little to do with age by any means;
in fact, some of my greatest insights have come from my youngest students
and the lessons they taught me.

Now, to the matter at hand: Due to previous, repeated concerns raised by
our coalition, DTC, regarding the timing of DCCG meetings and the potential
disadvantages faced by individuals in certain regions, we are currently
gathering data on the geographical distribution of DCCG meeting attendees.
Our goal is to analyze the impact of current scheduling on participation
across different time zones.

To this end, we would greatly appreciate any guidance on where or how we
might access relevant information on member locations. The UN website does
not appear to provide up-to-date details on this, so any insights or
alternative sources would be immensely helpful.

Looking forward to your response and to further engaging with all of you.

Best regards,

Amrith Kumar

On Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM <dc-request at intgovforum.org> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Re: Doodle poll for the next DCCG Meeting #95 (Catherine Page)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2025 22:21:09 -0500
> From: Catherine Page <catherineann.page at gmail.com>
> To: Judith Hellerstein <judith at jhellerstein.com>
> Cc: Dynamic Teen Coalition <dynamicteencoalition at gmail.com>, Pyrate
>         <pyrateruby at gmail.com>, dc <dc at intgovforum.org>
> Subject: Re: [DC] Doodle poll for the next DCCG Meeting #95
> Message-ID:
>         <
> CABYqOv-g2VQ-H989fFH5ZBZbAJL87sVTvFub1Qd13HVNq2HQng at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Thank you for your reply!
>
> Upon looking at the DCCG Meeting chart the most recent meeting that has
> been published is 12 February. There typically is a few weeks to a month
> delay in publishing. Would it be possible to obtain the transcripts in
> advance?
>
> Thank you,
> Catherine Page
>
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 10:10?PM Judith Hellerstein <
> judith at jhellerstein.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi all
> > If you go to the dccg?s web page , igf website, inter sessional work,
> > dynamic coalition and go to the coordinating group you can find the
> > transcripts and summaries of each call
> >
> > Judith
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > On Feb 20, 2025, at 9:53?PM, Catherine Page <catherineann.page at gmail.com
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> > ?
> > Dear Colleagues,
> >
> > I hope you?re doing well. I wanted to take a moment to formally introduce
> > myself again and express my continued dedication to internet governance
> and
> > youth involvement in digital cooperation spaces.
> >
> > As a youth leader deeply engaged in AI policy, digital literacy, and
> > bridging the digital divide, I have had the privilege of working within
> the
> > UN ecosystem to address critical challenges in technology and equity.
> > Through my work with the United Nations Association, I have advocated for
> > gender equity in STEM and digital governance, collaborated with global
> > leaders to develop youth-focused AI policies, and served as a co-chair of
> > the first-ever Teen Board at the UN, ensuring that young voices are
> > actively contributing to decision-making processes. My commitment to
> these
> > initiatives has been recognized by the White House Gender Policy Council
> > ('23), and I remain deeply invested in fostering meaningful
> > intergenerational collaboration in digital spaces.
> >
> > However, recent events within the DC planning meetings have raised
> > concerns about how teens, particularly those in different time zones, are
> > being equitably included in discussions. It has become evident that
> > scheduling and engagement strategies are being shaped without fully
> > considering the diverse geographical distribution and educational
> > commitments of young participants. As students, we are dedicated to this
> > work, but we must balance our education alongside our advocacy.
> Dismissing
> > teen concerns or implying that participation is contingent upon
> > unreasonable time commitments risks alienating the very voices that
> > initiatives like these seek to uplift.
> >
> > It is essential that we recognize teen involvement not as an afterthought
> > but as a vital component of intergenerational collaboration. The goal is
> > not simply to demand a seat at the table but to create a structure where
> > teen?s can actively contribute in a way that acknowledges the realities
> of
> > our commitments. I would love to discuss potential solutions, including
> > data-driven approaches to scheduling that prioritize accessibility and
> > participation equity. Additionally, if transcripts from the most recent
> > meeting are available, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to
> review
> > them so that we can further understand the decision-making process.
> >
> > I look forward to working together toward a more inclusive and effective
> > system for teen participation. Please let me know if there is a time we
> > could discuss this further.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Catherine "Cassie" Page
> > LinkedIn Profile <https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-page-92b956259>
> > (703)300-2166
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 8:31?PM Dynamic Teen Coalition <
> > dynamicteencoalition at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Friends:
> >>
> >> Thanks Roberto for the gentle reminder.
> >>
> >> Unfortunately, I need to take this point further. I am unaware of any
> >> news from the call that changes this issue--please correct me if I'm
> wrong.
> >>
> >> The ongoing, existing concern is known structural inequality that
> >> directly prevents DC participation. I foresee me having to bring this
> up at
> >> the next meeting, so let's tackle it now.
> >>
> >> In 2025, as we held an open process of participation for DTC Board
> >> selection, we have mostly selected North Americans who attend high
> school
> >> during the usual meeting hours. We will still be unable to send Board
> >> participants most of the time.
> >>
> >> Nobody else can speak for us.
> >>
> >> After reviewing again the meeting schedule sent previously in relation
> to
> >> the Americas, nearly all sessions fall during standard U.S. high school
> >> hours (typically 8:00 AM ? 3:30 PM local time). Here?s a breakdown of
> how
> >> these meetings align with school schedules across U.S. time zones:
> >>
> >> Pacific Time (PT): 2:00 AM ? 8:30 AM
> >>
> >> Eastern Time (ET): 5:00 AM ? 11:30 AM
> >>
> >> Central Time (CT): 4:00 AM ? 10:30 AM
> >>
> >> Mountain Time (MT): 3:00 AM ? 9:30 AM
> >>
> >> Because of this, it is nearly impossible for us to send teen
> >> representatives to participate in these meetings. Since our Board
> includes
> >> only two members outside North America and Australia (one in India and
> one
> >> in the UK), this scheduling issue effectively excludes our teenage Board
> >> members (quite specifically our Board) from engaging in critical
> >> discussions. Nobody else can speak for us.
> >>
> >> My apologies to be the one to call this out for what it is, but there
> are
> >> humans affected by these choices:
> >> https://youtu.be/JVqlfinA6jk?si=ZbubUDd25cwWyV0A
> >>
> >> Warm Regards,
> >> Stacy Gildenston
> >> DTC Co-Chair
> >>
> >> https://linktr.ee/dtcigf
> >>
> >> On Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 2:38?AM Roberto Gaetano <
> >> roberto_gaetano at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi all
> >>>
> >>> If I understand correctly, joining the platform is not limited to the
> >>> official DC representative, but more members of the same DC can join.
> >>> Is this correct?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks,
> >>> Roberto
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 18.02.2025, at 09:06, Reyansh Gupta <reyansh at opengrowth.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> ?Hello Stacy,
> >>>
> >>> Happy to see DTC growing! I?m sure you?re doing great work. For me,
> it?s
> >>> been a great experience learning from other DCs. I read your email and
> >>> wanted to respond to your concern regarding gamifying participation.
> The
> >>> gamification process is simply meant to track and capture our
> activities.
> >>>
> >>> We?ve had detailed discussions about this, and we?re currently in the
> >>> beta phase to test its capabilities. One of the key responsibilities we
> >>> discussed as DC Coordinators/Chairs is participating in the DCCG calls.
> >>> While time zone differences can be challenging ? being in India, I?m
> also
> >>> familiar with late-night calls ? we?ve implemented rotating time
> zones, as
> >>> Markus mentioned, to help balance this.
> >>>
> >>> The idea behind gamifying is to measure engagement for our DCs and
> >>> encourage us to seek creative alternatives as leaders of global
> >>> communities. Based on your input, we could consider awarding extra
> points
> >>> for DC representatives who join outside regular working hours. For now,
> >>> however, we've agreed to move forward with the point-based scoring
> system.
> >>>
> >>> With that in mind, I?d like to request every DC Chair/representative to
> >>> join the platform at game.gamingforpurpose.com. We?ll officially start
> >>> the scoring system on March 1st, and if a DC representative isn?t
> >>> registered, their DC will miss out on points for both past and upcoming
> >>> meetings. Thanks again for coordinating, and please feel free to reach
> out
> >>> if you have any questions about the platform or the process.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks and Best Regards,
> >>>
> >>> *Reyansh Gupta*
> >>>
> >>> Global Chair & Co-ordinator, Dynamic Coalition on Gaming for Purpose (
> >>> DC-G4P
> >>> <
> https://intgovforum.org/en/content/dynamic-coalition-on-gaming-for-purpose-dc-g4p
> >
> >>> )
> >>>
> >>> E : reyansh at opengrowth.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 16:58 Dynamic Teen Coalition <
> >>> dynamicteencoalition at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Hi Markus,
> >>>>
> >>>> Great to hear from you.
> >>>>
> >>>> We have two Co-Chairs in Australia and one in the USA (EST) but as we
> >>>> have previously informed the Secretariat, she is 18 and still in high
> >>>> school, therefore in class during many EU friendly times.
> >>>>
> >>>> We will have send a brand new DTC Board Member, she's 14. She attended
> >>>> the DC meeting this week, so we know she's capable to attend if she's
> >>>> available.
> >>>>
> >>>> Ongoing, I foresee this scenario to be a constant problem for DTC and
> >>>> the AU.
> >>>>
> >>>> Questions, am I misunderstanding:
> >>>>
> >>>> 1. Are these new attendance points legitimately able to affect our
> >>>> viability as a DC?
> >>>>
> >>>> 2. How will they be applied to DTC if we are damaged by the system
> >>>> because we are living in Australia?
> >>>>
> >>>> It's constantly like this, we attend at midnight often later. That's
> >>>> why you generally see other people at the DC  meetings.
> >>>>
> >>>> Glossing over DC concerns about the reality of attending would be
> >>>> shortsighted, if not worse.
> >>>>
> >>>> Assuming these points are real and not hypothetical, we would need to
> >>>> send a more formal, written complaint to be placed at such an
> incredible
> >>>> disadvantage due to location, not willingness.
> >>>>
> >>>> My apologies that's the case. As nothing we do at DTC is ever handed
> to
> >>>> us nor easy, we are now at the stage of pushing back. We must.
> >>>>
> >>>> Reyansh we love the idea. It needs a fairer system in place before
> >>>> being operational.
> >>>>
> >>>> Warm Regards,
> >>>> Stacy Gildenston
> >>>> DTC Co-Chair
> >>>>
> >>>> https://linktr.ee/dtcigf
> >>>>
> >>>> On Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 7:12?PM Markus Kummer <kummer.markus at gmail.com>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Hello Stacy,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Time zones are a challenge - this is why we are rotating the meeting
> >>>>> slots. Surely not all your members are in the same time zone. Can
> you not
> >>>>> designate a member who lives in a different time zone to represent
> your DC?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Best regards
> >>>>> Markus
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On 14 Feb 2025, at 06:46, Dynamic Teen Coalition <
> >>>>> dynamicteencoalition at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Hello All:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> We will be challenged as DTC Co-Chairs to participate in DC meetings,
> >>>>> and have concerns about meetings being scheduled so that our
> Co-Chairs
> >>>>> cannot attend regularly.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> This meeting is between 2-4 AM AEST (Australia). Catherine (our NA
> >>>>> Co-Chair) is also in class.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> The situation to gamify points to the meetings is a great initiative,
> >>>>> but unfortunately not logical under these circumstances. I cannot
> imagine
> >>>>> we are the only DC with similar issues. We absolutely appreciate
> Reyansh,
> >>>>> but we need to sort this out before placing it as any sort of formal
> >>>>> assessment of DC capabilities. It's concerning.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Please let us know how to proceed in equity.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Warm Regards,
> >>>>> Stacy Gildenston
> >>>>> DTC Co-Chair
> >>>>>
> >>>>> https://linktr.ee/dtcigf
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Thu, Feb 13, 2025, 6:09?PM Roman Chukov via DC <
> dc at intgovforum.org>
> >>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Dear all,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> As discussed during the call we plan to have the next DCCG Meeting
> >>>>>> already next week.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Kindly take this Doodle poll by tomorrow, 14 February, COB:
> >>>>>> https://doodle.com/group-poll/participate/eVoxRMXa
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Best regards,
> >>>>>> Roman
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> *Dr. Roman Chukov*
> >>>>>> Programme Management Officer, Internet Governance Forum Secretariat
> >>>>>> Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government
> >>>>>> UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
> >>>>>> T: +41 76 726 3739 <+41767263739>
> >>>>>> roman.chukov at un.org
> >>>>>> *United Nations*
> >>>>>> Villa Le Bocage | Room VB-15 | Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva 10,
> >>>>>> Switzerland
> >>>>>> https://www.intgovforum.org
> >>>>>> [image: Image]
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>>> DC at intgovforum.org
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> >>>>>> http://intgovforum.org/mailman/listinfo/dc_intgovforum.org
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> <image001.png><image001.png>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
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