Proposal

APrIGF 2022 Session Proposal Submission Form
Part 1 - Lead Organizer
Contact Person
Dr. Farzaneh Badii
Email
Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) *
Digital Medusa
Designation
Founder
Gender
Female
Economy of Residence
United States
Primary Stakeholder Group
Civil Society
List Your Organizing Partners (if any)
Alexander Isavnin, Professor Moscow Free University, isavnin@gmail.com
Part 2 - Session Proposal
Session Title
The Impact of Sanctions on Internet Access
Session Format
Panel Discussion
Where do you plan to organize your session?
Online only (with onsite facilitator who will help with questions or comments from the floor)
Specific Issues for Discussion
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted many to seriously consider the importance of interconnectivity. It has also led to policy concepts that could have large effects on access to the internet. While we must condemn the invasion of Ukraine and do all we can to help the people of Ukraine, we must also resist the calls that hamper access to the Internet.
Sanctions by no means are new concepts. Economic sanctions especially have been affecting ordinary people access to the Internet for awhile. We need to understand the policy and legal implications of sanctions and prevent them from hampering access to the most crucial properties of the Internet that are necessary for interconnectedness. We can learn lessons about sanctioned countries such as Iran, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela and Afghanistan.
Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF
Discussing sanctions is especially important for Asia-Pacific, as some parts of the region have been struggling with Internet connectivity. It is not only lack of access to physical infrastructure that has been the problem. Other elements necessary for the technical operation of the Internet [IP addresses for example] have been endangered too. (see examples for Iran and for Afghanistan: https://labs.ripe.net/author/athina/how-sanctions-affect-the-ripe-ncc/, https://labs.ripe.net/author/farzaneh-badiei/the-tragedy-of-internet-infrastructure-in-afghanistan/)


In this workshop we will lay out a few cases of Internet infrastructure elements that have been threatened due to conflicts, wars and sanctions, and suggest a way forward. The suggestion is to focus on removing barriers to access instead of focusing on disconnecting a country from the Internet.
Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right)
Time frame (e.g. 5 minutes, 20 minutes, should add up to 60 minutes) Description
5 minutes Laying the ground
15 minutes How sanctions have affected Internet access in Asia-Pacific already?
15 minutes Why sanctions are not an optimal tool to bring peace to the Internet?
25 minutes What are the short term and long term solutions for bringing relief for restoring ordinary people access to the Internet?
Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible)

  • Moderator (Primary)

    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed

  • Moderator (Back-up)

    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed

  • Speaker 1

    • Name: Farzaneh Badii
    • Organization: Digital Medusa
    • Designation: founder
    • Gender: female
    • Economy / Country of Residence: USA
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: Online
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed

  • Speaker 2

    • Name: Mohibollah Utmankhil
    • Organization: Lecturer and IT Expert, Kabul University:
    • Designation: Lecturer
    • Gender: male
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Afghanistan
    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: Online
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed

  • Speaker 3

    • Name: Alexander Isavnin
    • Organization: Moscow Free University
    • Designation: Lecturer
    • Gender: male
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Russia
    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: Online
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed

  • Speaker 4

    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session.
- Mohib will discuss the present situation of the Internet in Afghanistan, how the operation of the Internet has been impacted and how operationally sanctions hamper the Internet and he will also talk about other Afghanistan Internet initiatives and landscape (ISOC Chapter, Internet Governance School...)
- Farzaneh has worked for a long time on how sanctions affect Internet access and can bring the perspective of domain names and IP addresses
- Alexander has been involved with technical operation in Russia and has invaluable insights around why sanctions can't work.

We would like to invite a few other speakers such as the RIPE NCC counsel, Athina and a representative who has opinions and experience with Crimea and sanctions and the Internet.
Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2022.
No
Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2022?
No
Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers)
    Consent
    I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2022.