Ayitic Goes Global Was “A Unique Opportunity”
Max Larson
Max Larson Henry was the leader of the Ayitic Goes Global program in Haiti. His belief in the importance of empowering the community to increase the robustness of the local Internet ecosystem has been a determining factor for the success of the initiative by LACNIC and the IDRC of Canada.
Henry was responsible for implementing technical training activities and promoting the development of local infrastructure, articulating efforts with the most relevant actors in Haiti.
Henry notes that the courses developed within the framework of the Ayitic Goes Global program “greatly contributed to the development of the local Internet community.” In the opinion of this engineer who obtained his degree eighteen years ago in France, Ayitic was a unique opportunity that brought together the major actors of the Haitian ICT ecosystem.
How does the situation today compare with the situation when LACNIC began working on cooperation projects in Haiti? What progress has been achieved in terms of Internet infrastructure and the strengthening of technical capabilities?
After several years of cooperation, hundreds of professionals have benefited from training in the field of ICT. These young women and men are also better equipped and better prepared to serve in different institutions that benefit from their services and contribute to the development of Haiti, their country. In addition, these projects have also promoted the strengthening of Internet infrastructure, particularly the Haitian Internet exchange point.
How would you say that the work carried out within the framework of Ayitic Goes Global has contributed to the development of the technical community and the Internet in Haiti?
The training component of Ayitic Goes Global has greatly contributed to the development of the local Internet community. The online and in-person programs have allowed participants to develop in-depth skills in computer security, network management and IPv6 deployment. In addition, the technical workshops and coaching programs for the technical staff of the ISPs and the Haitian Association for Information and Communication Technologies (AHTIC) have not only contributed to IPv6 deployment and the strengthening of the Internet exchange point, but also promoted the development of local skills that will allow managing any services and infrastructure that are implemented.
What initiatives have been undertaken in cooperation with LACNIC to strengthen the Haitian technical community?
Because of its multistakeholder nature, the Ayitic Goes Global project offered a unique opportunity to bring together the IDRC and LACNIC and most of the relevant actors that comprise the Haitian ICT ecosystem. In fact, it facilitated collaboration among members of the academic sector, AHTIC, the local ISOC chapter, the telecommunications regulator (National Telecommunications Council or CONATEL), Internet service providers, and others.
This collaboration made it possible to implement several initiatives, including the strengthening of the Internet exchange point, IPv6 training, support for ISPs in their IPv6 deployment processes, and conferences with the local Internet community on Internet development and IPv6 deployment in Latin America and on Internet development and the implementation of Internet exchange points in Africa.
What were the main outcomes achieved thanks to these initiatives?
The outcomes are numerous, and their impact extends beyond the completion of the project. The Internet exchange point was strengthened with the installation of new Internet switches and the deployment of monitoring and management tools (IXP Manager), in addition to the training of Haitian experts to ensure the IXP's management at the local level.
In addition, 75 professionals received training in cybersecurity, another 75 were trained in network management, and close to 50 were trained in IPv6 implementation.
Likewise, almost a dozen professionals were trained in the implementation of security operation centers (SOC) and two Internet service providers received technical assistance for deploying IPv6 at network level.
What lessons did you learn from these years of working together with LACNIC in Haiti?
The participation of the different actors was a major factor in achieving the project's goals.
In addition, these activities helped to strengthen the ties between LACNIC and the local Internet community, which resulted in greater participation of local Internet community representatives in the different meetings.
Above all, the project’s various initiatives can be used to define better practices for the establishment of effective cooperation and association models among Internet stakeholders at a regional level and elsewhere.
