04/15/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/15/2024 16:46
In today's Leaders of Tech interview, we speak to Sarai Faleupolu Tevita, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Director at the National University of Samoa. Sarai discusses how she got her start in the internet governance
sector, her experience as an ICANN fellow and the importance of advocating for the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.
As the ICT Director at the National University of Samoa, I'm responsible for development, planning and coordination of projects, and liaison with university management on ICT related matters. Part of this role is to ensure the reliability and delivery of high- quality services by our ICT department to support students and faculty.
My role contributes to Samoa's ICT sector through education, research, collaboration, advocacy and community engagement. Through these efforts, we drive innovation, economic development and societal progress to improve our digital ecosystem.
I started to get involved in internet governance in 2004 when I became a member of the Samoa Information Technology Society (SITS) and later joined the Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC).
In 2005, PICISOC and the Samoan government hosted the PacINET conference in Samoa. PacINET is an annual internet and ICT conference that brings Pacific Islanders together to discuss ICT and the internet in the region. During that time I was serving as treasurer for the SITS and was on the organising committee of the PacINET.
Through that experience I learnt more about internet governance by networking with IT professionals from the Pacific region and familiarising with key concepts, principles and the stakeholders involved in internet governance.
After that I participated in PacINET 2006, this time hosted by PICISOC and the government of Solomon Islands, where I was able to continue growing my network.
Not only that, I also engaged with and subscribed to internet governance newsletters from relevant organisations, participated in online discussions and forums and connected with experts on social media.
This has experience led me to become a fellow of ICANN for the first time in 2023. I attended ICANN78 as a fellow and participated in the ICANN Non Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) committee. This provided me with valuable learning experiences and fostered my professional growth. It also provided me confidence to empower my SITS and PICISOC communities to contribute to the advancement of internet governance principles and practices on a global scale.
I encourage individuals looking to get involved in internet governance to actively participate in internet government processes and promote the multi-stakeholder engagement approach to ensure inclusive, transparent and accountable decision making that shapes the internet.
I also encourage people to get involved in dialogue and collaborate among governments, civil society, private sector, technical community and academia to help foster consensus building and enhance the effectiveness of internet governance initiatives in Samoa and the Pacific.