Testimonial by Norman Warput, the APTLD Fellow to the 3rd Sub-Regional Capacity Building Meeting

My participation in the NetHui workshop is manifold. First, this NetHui has been a great opportunity for me to learn different aspects issues in New Zealand and to realize where we are in Vanuatu in this regard.
Second, I have learnt and examine some best practices on awareness activities to see which to apply in our local context. That is to say, as the Internet is a critical tool nowadays in Vanuatu, it is very important to provide more awareness and educate users to protect them accessing different types of information online and to raise awareness among the most vulnerable users, including children and youth, who are in the focus of our efforts to ensure they have a safer online environment.
As we currently are in the Transition Period for our ccTLD .VU, which TRR will be managing soon, I have an opportunity to meet and learn some best practices and network with some experts from ICANN reps to understand the re delegation process of .vu in the island by engaging different stakeholders in addressing the internet governance agenda on the national level relating to country code top level domain (ccTLD) dot vu.
Given that most of the domestic businesses are already online, cyber security is a grave challenge too, and I also learn on best multi stakeholder-based practices in that regard. For example, issues that arises in New Zealand that breached the digital communication Act and so forth and approach taken to resolve issues in that regards. Last but not the least, as Vanuatu bids for hosting APrIG in 2018 and is committed to win the contest, equally important is the task to get first-hand knowledge of the planning and organizing components associated with running a region-wide educational event and network with renowned and prominent speakers and educators to engage them in contribution to our future activities in the island.
I must admit that I am just a beginner in the NetHui workshop at a global level. However, I learnt from this workshop about the open discussions and open diversity, Aspirations of Maori people and how to utilize aspirations using internet. Hence, with my long-standing job record in IT and Telcos, I am be able to catch up with some concepts taught during this workshop in the most recent developments in the telecommunication growth and acquire a proper understanding of the substance and peculiarities of this very complex process, which I hope I can apply back in Vanuatu to share with the local community.
As a fellow of a small island nation in the South Pacific area, underlying my interest in the field of Internet Governance issues to understanding that as we would probably for long not be having an IG school, I am looking forward to engage more in such events as much as possible to learn more on Internet issues and process and best practices to deliver it back home to raise awareness and help local stakeholders contribute meaningfully to the Internet Governance processes in the island and across Southern Pacific by leading by example and shaping a most productive and conducive environment for their participation in their domestic Internet Governance context.