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Countdown to ICANN 52: Newcomer Program

7 February 2015
By Janice Douma Lange

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When you hear the words: exciting, exhausting, ideals, ISPC, GAC, policy, stakeholders, hopeful, overwhelming, eye opening, where do you imagine yourself? What could be happening to elicit such unrelated words and responses? These are the words spoken by participants of past ICANN Fellowship and Newcomer Programs when asked to describe a day at an ICANN meeting.

Our Newcomer Program is for anyone who may be attending his or her first ICANN Meeting. Are you returning after being away for a while? The Newcomer Program will provide you with a "starter kit" to get quickly up to speed on current topics and sessions taking place during the week at ICANN 52 in Singapore.

Attendees come from different regions, cultures, levels of experience and knowledge but with the same goal in mind; learn more about this ever changing world of Internet Governance and how ICANN fits into this Ecosystem. Our Sunday Newcomer Session is an interactive session led by staff. It lays the groundwork for the week by providing an overall understanding of ICANN as well as the current topics and sessions to attend. The session also offers the opportunity to meet both staff and community to continue networking with as the week progresses.

Another important part of the Newcomer experience is the ICANN Information Booth, which you will find next to the Meeting Registration area in the Raffles City Center. Here you will find support from staff and community members who were once new to this experience themselves. They are available to answer your questions and the Information Booth is a great place to visit when you need to see a friendly face. Booth hours are Saturday through Wednesday from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm.

All Newcomers are encouraged to join the ICANN Fellows, Monday through Thursday from 7:00-9:00 am (check the schedule each day for the room information). In these sessions, you will find a casual atmosphere where each Chair from the ICANN Multistakeholder Communities takes time to explain their role within ICANN and answer questions.

Most importantly, we want you to feel welcome, meet our staff and community members, learn something you didn't know before you arrived and share your knowledge and perspectives with us. I look forward to meeting you at our Information Booth, in Sunday's Newcomer Session and the Fellowship sessions taking place this coming week at ICANN 52 in Singapore!

Authors

Janice Douma Lange