The IETF is for Everyone: Toward Inclusive and Equitable Participation in Internet Governance
draft-attoumani-ietf-inclusion-03

Network Working Group                               K. ATTOUMANI MOHAMED
Internet-Draft            University of Toamasina / ISOC Comoros Chapter
Intended status: Informational                               C. Ogundele
Expires: 8 February 2026                      Internet Governance Expert
                                                             August 2025

 The IETF is for Everyone: Toward Inclusive and Equitable Participation
                         in Internet Governance
                   draft-attoumani-ietf-inclusion-03

Abstract

   This document aims to foster a deeper reflection within the IETF
   community on inclusive participation, equitable access, and the
   implications of global meeting venue selections on diverse
   contributors.  It seeks to complement existing RFCs by proposing
   additional dialogue, tools, and evaluation mechanisms.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 2 February 2026.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2025 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

ATTOUMANI MOHAMED & OgundExpires 8 February 2026                [Page 1]
Internet-Draft               IETF Inclusion                  August 2025

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.  Code Components
   extracted from this document must include Revised BSD License text as
   described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are
   provided without warranty as described in the Revised BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Motivations and Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Community Feedback and Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Proposed Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     4.1.  Initiate Community Dialogues on Venue Inclusivity . . . .   3
     4.2.  Develop Operational Tools for Assessment  . . . . . . . .   3
     4.3.  Support Regional Engagement and Rotations . . . . . . . .   3
     4.4.  Academic Recognition Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.5.  Enhanced Grassroots Engagement and Youth Involvement  . .   4
     4.6.  Advance Multilingual and Accessible Communication . . . .   4
   5.  Conclusion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     6.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     6.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Appendix A.  Acknowledgments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has long promoted
   principles of openness, inclusivity, and technical excellence.  As
   the global Internet landscape evolves, so too must our mechanisms for
   ensuring equitable participation.

   This document responds to growing calls for reflection on how the
   IETF addresses systemic and structural barriers that affect
   contributors from underrepresented regions and communities.  Building
   on existing frameworks and policies, this draft outlines community-
   driven proposals to foster greater inclusion in practice.

   In particular, it highlights three underexplored dimensions: (1) the
   lack of academic recognition and incentives for contributors; (2) the
   recurring concerns around meeting venue accessibility, safety, and
   equity; and (3) the need for targeted grassroots engagement —
   especially in Africa and other underserved regions — to build long-
   term pipelines for contribution.

ATTOUMANI MOHAMED & OgundExpires 8 February 2026                [Page 2]
Internet-Draft               IETF Inclusion                  August 2025

   Through collaborative strategies such as mentorship, multilingual
   onboarding, university engagement, and periodic community
   consultations (e.g., Africa IGF 2025), this draft invites discussion
   on how the IETF can better align its practices with its foundational
   commitments to openness and global reach.

2.  Motivations and Context

   This draft was inspired by feedback from various IETF participants
   and observations across recent meetings.  It acknowledges that while
   RFCs 7704, 8718, and 9712 lay a strong foundation, practical issues
   of access, safety, and diversity persist.  Community insights were
   also gathered during Africa IGF 2025 consultations, where similar
   challenges were voiced by participants across the continent.

3.  Community Feedback and Observations

   This section summarizes the key community feedback received:

   *  The challenge of travel barriers (visas, safety, cost).

   *  Limited regional rotation (e.g., no IETF meetings in Africa).

   *  Importance of hallway track and in-person connections.

   *  Barriers to mentorship and project engagement beyond venue issues.

4.  Proposed Directions

4.1.  Initiate Community Dialogues on Venue Inclusivity

   Encourage structured discussions on how the IETF selects and rotates
   its venues, integrating considerations of safety, inclusion, and
   representation, especially as conditions evolve between selection and
   meeting time.

4.2.  Develop Operational Tools for Assessment

   Propose tools, scorecards, or collaborative reviews to assess venues
   and host countries based on inclusiveness, accessibility, and risk of
   exclusion.

4.3.  Support Regional Engagement and Rotations

   Explore concrete mechanisms to host meetings in underrepresented
   regions (e.g., Africa), including logistical partnerships, travel
   funds, and hybrid session enhancements.

ATTOUMANI MOHAMED & OgundExpires 8 February 2026                [Page 3]
Internet-Draft               IETF Inclusion                  August 2025

4.4.  Academic Recognition Pathways

   To bridge the academia-IETF divide:

   *  *RFCs as peer-reviewed equivalents*: Advocate for tenure
      committees to recognize RFCs (following German academic standards
      valuing RFCs as 2 papers).

   *  *University liaison program*: Create formal roles for CS
      departments to co-develop standards.

   *  *Curriculum integration*: Partner with AAU (https://www.aau.org/)
      to offer academic credits for IETF contributions.

4.5.  Enhanced Grassroots Engagement and Youth Involvement

   Foster collaboration with universities, local Internet communities,
   and grassroots organizations to demystify IETF processes, support
   mentorship programs, and identify new contributors from
   underrepresented regions.

   For example for African participation:

   *  IETF mirror events at African universities with hybrid
      participation support.

   *  Mobilizing Internet Society local chapters to involve youth and
      academia in IETF work.

   *  Mentorship pipelines connecting academia to WGs.

4.6.  Advance Multilingual and Accessible Communication

   Consider translating key onboarding materials and IETF resources into
   additional languages to support broader global accessibility and
   comprehension.  Develop metrics to track progress on inclusivity
   goals.

5.  Conclusion

   This document does not propose immediate policy changes but instead
   seeks to foster thoughtful community reflection and encourage
   collaborative exploration of solutions that support the IETF’s
   inclusivity goals.

ATTOUMANI MOHAMED & OgundExpires 8 February 2026                [Page 4]
Internet-Draft               IETF Inclusion                  August 2025

   Through proposals on academic recognition, grassroots engagement,
   venue selection dialogue, multilingual participation, and impact
   metrics, this draft aims to offer constructive directions grounded in
   community input and practical experience.

   By broadening participation and addressing structural imbalances, the
   IETF can continue to evolve as a truly global, open, and equitable
   standards body.

   Community feedback is warmly invited to refine, challenge, or build
   upon these directions.

6.  References

6.1.  Normative References

   [AAU]      AAU, "Association of African Universities",
              URL https://www.aau.org/, 2025.

6.2.  Informative References

   [RFC7704]  Kuehlewind, S., "An IETF with Much Diversity and
              Professional Conduct", RFC 7704, 2015,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7704>.

   [RFC8718]  Livingood, J., "IETF Plenary Meeting Venue Selection
              Process", RFC 8718, 2020,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8718>.

   [RFC9712]  Barnes, C., "IETF Meeting Venue Requirements Review",
              RFC 9712, 2023, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9712>.

Appendix A.  Acknowledgments

   The author thanks Martin Vigoureux, Peng Shuping, Michael Richardson,
   Laurence Lundblade, and Vint Cerf for their thoughtful feedback,
   which helped shape this version of the document.

Authors' Addresses

   Karim ATTOUMANI MOHAMED
   University of Toamasina / ISOC Comoros Chapter
   Comoros
   Email: karimattoumanimohamed@gmail.com

ATTOUMANI MOHAMED & OgundExpires 8 February 2026                [Page 5]
Internet-Draft               IETF Inclusion                  August 2025

   Caleb Ogundele
   Internet Governance Expert
   Nigeria
   Email: muyiwacaleb@gmail.com

ATTOUMANI MOHAMED & OgundExpires 8 February 2026                [Page 6]