Ajitora Joins WWF in Celebrating Global Tiger Day with #ThumbsUpForTigers!
2016.07.29, Taipei – Ajitora, Tx2 Ambassador (http://ajitora.asia), today coordinates a youth summit at the Youth Internet Governance Camp (YIGF) camp along with a multistakeholder roundtable at the Asia Pacific Regional IGF (APrIGF) in Taipei. This series of events follows up with the earlier announcement in January 2016 setting off a movement to discuss the impact of the Internet on our wildlife and natural environment, and how the Tx2 goals exemplifies multiple facets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“People are aware that tigers are becoming endangered, and people care about the environment. What is surprising to many is that the Internet, with the proliferation of illegal wildlife trade online is coupled with poaching to become the #1 threat to wild tigers,” said Edmon Chung, CEO of DotAsia. “While the Internet community is concerned with cybercriminal activities online, it is important to address issues of privacy and intermediary liabilities as well. That is why Ajitora’s involvement in bringing this issue to the IGF movement is important.”
“While the Internet is in some ways making poaching easier, Internet technologies are also supporting conservation efforts in the frontline. Many of the technologies innovated for tigers are now used for other endangered species, highlighting the ripple benefits of the Tx2 goals,” said Michael Baltzer, Leader of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative. “I am pleased to have the chance to interact with the Internet Governance community to start this discussion that should have a lasting impact on conservation efforts.”
“Illegal wildlife trade online encourages poaching. The ease of shopping online for illegal wildlife products is contributing to driving demand, when all consumers need to do is to click on a website and the product is delivered to their doorstep,” said Dr. Yannick Kuehl, TRAFFIC, Regional Director for East Asia. “TRAFFIC is committed to curbing illegal wildlife trade and we are excited to see that this workshop at APrIGF is starting to bring the Internet Governance community’s attention to the matter.”
This year, on Global Tiger Day, Ajitora and DotAsia are joining WWF and other Tx2 supporters in a digital global campaign launched by National Geographic explorer and artist Asher Jay. The key aim is to raise awareness about Tx2 the global goal to double wild tiger numbers by the year 2022. This Global Tiger Day is particularly important as 2016 marks the halfway point of the Tx2 goal.
To double the number of people supporting Tx2, WWF are linking the “T” for tigers to thumbs – asking supporters to give Tx2 not just one, but TWO thumbs up! Each tiger’s stripe pattern is unique to them, just like our finger prints are to us. Supporters have posted their TWO thumbs up photo on social media with #ThumbsUpForTigers. Give us your TWO thumbs up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Global Tiger Day (29th July 2016).
About Ajitora and Tx2
Tigers are a symbol for Asia. Wild tiger population dropped 97% from 100,000 just a century ago, to as few as 3,890 today. Tx2 is a vision by tiger range countries (China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Laos, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Russia) to #doubletigers in the wild by 2022. Tx2 is supported by WWF, Global Tiger Forum (GTF), TRAFFIC, etc. Unbeknownst to many is how the Internet impacts wildlife environment. Proliferation of illegal wildlife trade online coupled with abusive mining of social media data for criminal poaching and deforestation, threaten the survival of tigers and other wildlife. Ajitora is the center point of a multi-dimensional campaign from technology, Internet policy, to consumer market engagement to support tigers and a sustainable wildlife environment in Asia.
Ajitora (http://www.ajitora.asia) is a PR character of DotAsia. Born from the Internet when the Himalayas were connected by wifi, Ajitora (“Aji”) zips across cyberspace by traversing the dotted world from .NP to .CN to .Asia. Aji is a cheerful, energetic and curious tiger on a journey to meet new friends and trace his own roots. Jumping through javascripts online, our cyberspace tiger found himself a name combining “aji”+”tora” to represent both “King of the Cyber Jungle” as well as “Asia Tiger”. Inspired by tigers’ symbolic meanings for sustainable development and a collaborative Asia, the Ajitora movement is not only about tigers, but about bringing awareness of how we are all connected. As the Asian Tiger economies roar forward in the Asia Century ahead, our wildlife, technology and policy environments should be Roaring Forward Together!
About DotAsia
DotAsia (https://www.dot.asia) is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization (DotAsia Foundation: IRD 91/12820) with a mandate to promote Internet development and adoption in Asia. DotAsia operates the “.Asia” top-level domain (TLD) as part of the core global Internet infrastructure, and is formed as an open consortium of official domain authorities in Asia, including .CN (China), .JP (Japan), .KR (Korea), .IN (India), .NZ (New Zealand), .PH (Philippines), etc., and regional Internet organizations including APNIC, APNG, APIA, APCERT, APRALO, APTLD, etc. Since the launch of “.Asia”, DotAsia proactively contributes to the Asia community, supporting many charitable projects, e.g.: One-Laptop-Per-Child Asia Pacific (http://www.olpc.asia), Information Society Innovations Fund (http://www.isif.asia), Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (http://www.aprigf.asia), Food Revolution Day initiative with Jamie Oliver (http://www.frd.asia), NetMission.Asia (youth volunteer program &network — http://www.netmission.asia), Go.Asia (http://www.go.asia), and many more.
Media Contact:
Ajitora: ajitora@dot.asia