The Importance of Governance Practices in the Next Generation Internet: It's the People, Stupid!

👋 Dear NGI Community:

As the Next-Generation Internet (NGI) continues to evolve and shape our digital landscape, the importance of effective governance practices cannot be overstated. In a world where technology increasingly permeates every aspect of our lives, it's crucial to prioritise people's well-being, rights, and interests.

✨ Governance is critical in ensuring the NGI serves society's needs while upholding its fundamental values and principles.✨

🔥But governance is a vast word. And so is the NGI.🔥 We need some definitions and some scoping here⬇️⬇️

Governance "is the process of making and enforcing decisions within an organisation or society. It encompasses decision-making, rule-setting, and enforcement mechanisms to guide the functioning of an organisation or society."

This can take many forms in the context of the NGI. My take on this is at the level of the organisations that operate under the NGI's umbrella. Both operating under it and building it.

In my previous articles, I highlighted the importance of looking at the world with different eyes, how we collectively look at value creation is changing, and how we can build businesses and workplaces that embrace a post-growth mentality and practices. In this context, governance practices in this new wave of workplaces need a different lens to look through, one that makes visible and accounts for the creation of value beyond profit from impact and care practices.

👉 My question to the NGI Community is this one: what type of organisations do we want to build and operate in this environment?

We want organisations and collectives to be in a place of regeneration, tangible impact, and fair working practices.

And we need digital infrastructures that support, enable and sustain them.

To enable and sustain these types of organisations, we need robust digital infrastructures that:

✅ Facilitate Collaboration: Provide platforms for organisations to share knowledge, resources, and best practices.
✅ Enhance Transparency: Use blockchain and other technologies to ensure transparency and traceability in operations and supply chains.
✅ Ensure Accessibility: Design digital tools and platforms that are accessible to all, including people with disabilities and those in underserved regions.
✅ Promote Data Sovereignty: Protect user data and ensure it is controlled by the individuals and communities it belongs to rather than being exploited by large corporations.

By prioritising these values and building supportive digital infrastructures, we can create a digital environment that sustains, actively regenerates and uplifts our communities and ecosystems.

As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, governance practices prioritising people-centred values and principles will be instrumental in shaping a future where the NGI serves as a force for positive change and collective well-being.

💫But this will only be possible if we change the way we look at the world, change the way we look at value creation and change the way we look after each other.💫

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Important News: NGI Talk 📢

🌍 Can you imagine a digital future of work that is resilient, open, trustworthy, and grounded in human values?

✨Join me in this NGI Talk: The Next Generation Internet is building the Next Economy: a resilient, open, trustworthy digital future of work grounded in human values.✨

Learn how a new world of work is being built, inspired by the renaissance of commons-oriented, feminist economic and care-driven working practices.

👉 Watch this NGI Talk by clicking here