Our work has focused on creating the expectation in IT policy making that NGO and developing country representatives had to be included with equal dignity alongside government and business, which was path-breaking in a time of industry self-regulation. Markle took the initiative early on with emerging Internet policy issues.

The Markle Foundation has pursued transparent, accountable, multi-sectoral policymaking processes through which government, industry, and non-profits could work together to develop legitimate IT policies that serve the public interest. This work has had a number of significant initiatives and milestones. These include:

• Markle's work to improve public participation in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) through support for ICANN's international on-line election of board members and a set of advocacy and research activities;
  
  
• The engagement and leadership of Markle to establish multi-sectoral processes for both the the G-8 Digital Opportunity Task Force ("DOT Force"), initiated by the leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) nations in 2000, and the UN-ICT Task Force, created by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. Both have aimed at developing a global action plan to use IT to support economic and social development.
  
  
• The release of the Accountability Framework Report in the summer of 2001, a major survey of U.S. citizens and experts, revealing broad support for multi-sectoral Internet governance and informing U.S. policymakers on public concerns with the Internet;
  
  
• The production of the Roadmap for Global Policymaking for IT, which described the challenges developing countries have participating in international IT policymaking venues, and proposed a strategy to address these barriers;
  
  
• Markle's support of InterAction, a US NGO umbrella agency, which has sought to expand nongovernmental organizations' use of information technologies to facilitate their humanitarian relief and development work.

In addition, the Foundation also has aimed to build public policy capacity among the public and public interest representatives through several initiatives that targeted young scholars and advocates.

We built and fostered Internet-specific policy capacity at established public interest institutions such as the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, The Carter Center, Common Cause and the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies, and provided major support and resources to the Center for Democracy and Technology to further its leadership in the field.

In consultation with the New America Foundation, a non-partisan think-tank, we supported nine year-long Markle Fellowships for individuals who demonstrated the requisite ability and interest to become new thinkers and writers on information technology policy issues.

We also initiated the mentoring of young public interest advocates through support of Internet law advocacy clinics at three respected U.S. law schools (The University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University and American University).

In recognition of the global significance of the Internet and IT, we have sought to develop global capacity in Internet and technology policy through two programs: a fellowship program for young and foreign scholars at Oxford University, and the development of a Communications Law Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Science.

In all of these areas, Markle has operated as a catalyst, helping to push the frontiers of Internet policymaking and the design of sustainable and effective solutions.