You are invited to participate in a civil society consultation session on "Closing the Gap on Global Connectivity", being held at RightsCon Silicon Valley on Friday, April 1, 2016 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm PT: http://sched.co/6Mi6 The focus will be on Global Connect, a U.S. Department of State sponsored initiative to increase worldwide broadband connectivity. We will consult on the best strategies to move forward the Global Connect goal of bringing 1.5 billion people online by 2020. Questions we will explore are:

-What are the best policies, narratives, and practices to reach the 2020 and 2030 goals?
-What is the Global Connect Initiative and its core stepping stones?
-What to ask and expect from the Multilateral Banks meeting occurring in April in Washington, DC?
-What is the role of Civil Society within this effort and how the technical community can help address the challenges?

The session will be structured with a 30 minute presentation by a diverse set of longtime advocates, followed by 30 minutes of discussion. One possible goal is for RightsCon participants to ask Financial Ministers - core actors of the April 13-14 Multilateral Banks Meeting in New York -  to commit national investments on ICT infrastructure, broadband plans, and related.

Please RSVP if you are able to attend.

More information on Global Connect:
 
Global Connect Goals are: (1) all countries integrate Internet connectivity as a key part of their own national development strategies; (2) international development institutions, such as multilateral development banks and development agencies, prioritize digital access; and (3) innovative industry-driven solutions to extend connectivity are catalyzed and supported.