Internet Society chapters work tirelessly around the world to grow, strengthen, and protect the Internet. Each month, we provide a brief overview of just some of the things our network of chapters and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) has been working on throughout the previous month.
Spotlight on Mali
For the last three years in a row, the Internet Society Mali Chapter has been recognized as the Internet Society’s “Most Active African Chapter.” This month, the chapter presented its certificates of recognition to Mali’s minister of information and communication technology.
In a meeting that was featured on national TV news, the minister congratulated the chapter for partnering with the Internet Society to promote the Internet as a tool to improve the socioeconomic development of Mali. Congratulations, Mali Chapter, and thank you for all your hard work!
Chapters at the Forefront of Digital Change
The Internet Society Foundation Philanthropy 2024 Report has been published. Throughout the year, $16.2 million in grants powered change in 111 countries, with Internet Society chapters around the world receiving funding to support chapter administration costs, local projects, and initiatives:
Anniversaries
Congratulations to these chapters celebrating their milestone chartering anniversaries in March:
- 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic Chapter: 10th Anniversary
- 🇲🇪 Montenegro Chapter: 10th Anniversary
- 🇸🇸 South Sudan Chapter: 1st Anniversary
New Chapter
Welcome to our newest chapter, Internet Society North Macedonia! Congratulations to the chapter officers and representatives who have worked hard over the last months to achieve full status as an Internet Society chapter.
Chapter Activities
📄 By the end of March, 22 chapters had signed an open letter to the UN outlining a five-point plan for an inclusive WSIS+20 review process.
🇧🇯 Benin Chapter organized an Internet literacy event at the University of Parakou during the Business Information Technology Student Day. The event was attended by over 200 students and covered several topics including cybersecurity, universal access, and training opportunities offered by the Internet Society. The chapter also organized its first Chapter Talk of 2025 in March, an online event that brings together the chapter members.
🇧🇷 Brazil Chapter’s Encryption Working Group hosted a workshop on “Encryption and Backdoors: the Case of UK vs. Apple,” part of the Encryption and Digital Rights in Brazil: Capacity Building, Dialogue, and Policy project, which is funded through an Internet Society Foundation Beyond the Net grant.
🇨🇱 Chile Chapter hosted the first annual meeting of the Chile Network Operators Group (NOG). The event brought together local network professionals and stakeholders to discuss key topics related to Internet infrastructure, operations, and regional collaboration. It marked an important step in strengthening the technical community and promoting knowledge exchange within the country. This activity was supported by an Internet Society Foundation Sustainable Technical Communities grant.
🇸🇻 El Salvador Chapter held a special event for Náhuat speakers, providing older adults with tools to navigate the digital world. The event featured the first Náhuat Editathon to expand the language’s presence online. The chapter also provided training for municipal employees in Puerto de La Libertad, training them in office automation and information management to enhance administrative efficiency. These initiatives reinforce the commitment to bridging the digital divide, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering digital development in El Salvador.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia Chapter held a webinar, Digital Parenting Online, to provide parents, guardians, and educators with practical insights into responsible digital parenting.
🇬🇭 Ghana Chapter held an event on Accelerating Change: Women Gaining the Right Skills to Lead in a Tech-Driven Era to celebrate International Women’s Day.
🇮🇳 India-Kolkata Chapter took an active role in shaping the future of digital privacy by contributing valuable feedback during the public consultation on the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.
🇮🇳 India-Mumbai Chapter organized a webinar entitled Interplanetary Internet Race 2.0. The talk was hosted by Vint Cerf, former chair of the Internet Society Interplanetary Networking Special Interest Group (SIG).
🇰🇪 Kenya Chapter hosted the second edition of the Kenya National Summit of Community Networks 2025, supported by an Internet Society Foundation Beyond the Net grant. The summit was attended by many local Internet stakeholders, including the Communications Authority of Kenya, and underscored the critical need for licensing, training, and adherence to high standards to ensure the Internet remains a safe and secure space to build a robust digital future.
🇲🇬 Madagascar Chapter published a video summarizing its amazing achievements throughout 2024.
🇳🇴 Norway Chapter invited the IGF 2025 host country co-chair to present on Norway’s role in the governance of the Internet during its recent annual general meeting.
💻 The Internet Society Online Safety Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted a webinar on Encryption Under Threat: The UK’s Backdoor Mandate and Its Impact on Online Safety, emphasizing that while governments cite national security and crime prevention as justifications, backdoors inherently weaken encryption integrity, putting all users at risk, including those beyond the UK’s borders. See the summary of the key takeaways.
🇵🇾 Paraguay Chapter visited a community recently connected to the Internet to understand more about how the community network had changed people’s lives.
🇵🇪 Peru Chapter held a discussion on Digital Identity and Identification. With over 30 people attending, this event marked the starting point for the organization’s work on Digital Identity and the implementation of the Digital Wallet.
🇨🇲🇩🇴🇮🇳🇵🇰🇻🇨 Several chapters, including Cameroon, Dominican Republic, India-Hyderabad, Pakistan-Islamabad, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Chaptersheld events to celebrate Universal Acceptance Day. These events raise awareness about the importance of universal acceptance and digital inclusion, highlighting how a more inclusive Internet benefits everyone, and promote a multilingual and inclusive Internet where people can use their preferred domain names and email addresses regardless of language and script.
🇸🇸 South Sudan Chapter signed a joint statement on the rise of hate speech, misinformation, and incitement to violence in South Sudan.
🇸🇷 Suriname Chapter hosted the director of e-gov during its Annual General Meeting, who presented on the key initiatives under Suriname’s National Digital Strategy 2023–2030. Topics included digital ID, online government services, a citizen portal, and the Safe City Project. He also mentioned the ongoing development of a national Computer Incidence Response Team (CIRT).
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe Chapter organized a five-day training in basic ICT skills for persons with disabilities, reaffirming its commitment to leaving no one behind in the digital world. The chapter also held a webinar on data privacy to celebrate Data Privacy Day.
Inter-Chapter Collaboration
🇧🇯🇨🇲🇹🇩🇨🇩🇲🇱🇲🇦🇸🇳🇹🇬 Benin Chapter collaborated with seven other French-speaking chapters—Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, and Togo Chapters—to organize a webinar on women and the Internet to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Get involved! Find your local Internet Society chapter and take action at a local level to make global change.
Image © Internet Society Paraguay Chapter, © Internet Society Mali Chapter, © Internet Society Benin Chapter, © Internet Society El Salvador Chapter, © Internet Society Cameroon Chapter