About the Organisers
The eGovernance Academy (eGA) is a non-profit organisation, located in Tallinn, Estonia for the creation and transfer of knowledge concerning e-governance, with a special emphasis on tools for developing democracy and civil society. The eGA programme areas have special focus on enabling framework for the inclusive information society, e-Government and e-Democracy. It’s main activities include research, training and advisory services, targeting primarily the post-socialist and transition countries. Since it’s launch in 2002, the eGA has arranged regular training programmes for high-level public sector decision makers, the business community, and NGOs from 20 countries. eGA is founded by Estonian Government, the United Nations Development Programme and the Open Society Institute.
The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School is a research institute dedicated to understanding the emerging set of issues related to Internet technologies, law, and policy. Since 2001, the Berkman Center has offered five iLaw Programs in the U.S., Brazil, and Singapore to train professionals in these subjects. In addition, the Berkman Center's faculty has worked extensively on matters related to EU directives, studied internet censorship in the region as part of the Open Net Initiative, and participated in the regional ICT Policy Training programme in Budapest in 2003.
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-governmental, non-profit research and advocacy organization promoting laws and policies that will support the growth of an open Internet as a medium for human development, economic growth and democratization. CDT, as a co-founder of the Global Internet Policy Initiative, has analyzed legal proposals and provided advice to agents for policy change throughout Eurasia.
The Advanced Network Research Group at the Cambridge Security Programme (University of Cambridge), is an interdisciplinary research unit examining the nexus of ICT Security and Development issues. The Group leads three major research projects – the OpenNet Initiative, Information Warfare Monitor and Telegeography of War and Peace project – and is involved in providing advisory services to national governments in Europe, CIS, North American and Middle East regions; as well as international organizations including the UN. ANGR is partnered with the Citizen Lab, Munk Centre for International Studies (University of Toronto).
The Open Society Institute (OSI) is a is a grant-making foundation implementing initiatives that aim to promote open societies by shaping government policy and supporting education, media, public health, and human rights as well as social, legal, and economic reform. While OSI operates globally, its experience and connections in Eurasia are greater than in any other region of the world. OSI’s Information Program is focused on policy reform improving access to communications infrastructure and information resources. It has supported the Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI), the main network of public interest advocates in the region, for the last four years.