Multi-Dimensional Campaign, from Internet Policies to Technologies, Supporting Tigers and Sustainable Development in Asia

2016.01.19 Hong Kong – DotAsia announces today the official appointment of Ajitora (http://www.ajitora.asia) as a Tx2 Ambassador. Tx2 is supported by Global Tiger Forum (GTF), WWF, TRAFFIC and other organizations.

Wild tiger population dropped 97% from 100,000 just 100 years ago, to as few as 3,200 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, the next year of the tiger. Unbeknownst to many is how the Internet directly impacts wildlife environment. Proliferation of illegal wildlife trade online, coupled with abusive mining of social media data for criminal poaching and deforestation activities, threaten the survival of tigers and other wildlife. DotAsia is committed to a multi-dimensional campaign from technology, Internet policy, to consumer market engagement to support Ajitora’s new role as a champion for tigers and sustainable development in Asia.

“Tigers are iconic of Asia. While we are alarmed by how the Internet can be used to hunt for tigers and other wildlife, we remain enthusiastic that the Internet community can also contribute constructively,” said Edmon Chung, CEO of DotAsia. “We are proud of Ajitora’s appointment as a Tx2 Ambassador. We hope Aji can lead a movement towards regenerative sustainability, and believe that as the Asian Tiger Economies and Tiger Cub Economies continue to roar forward, the Asian Tiger Ecologies can be Roaring Forward Together.”

“We have so much left to do to achieve the TX2. We need everyone’s help. The success of Tx2 depends on the full support from the public, politicians and business,” said Michael Baltzer, Leader of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative. “We therefore support Ajitora’s mission as a Tx2 Ambassador and look forward to working with DotAsia to support rangers to help reach Zero Poaching, to increase youth engagement, and more.”

“The Global Tiger Forum (GTF) is an international inter-governmental body with a mission to preserve tigers and its habitat to benefit humankind,” said Rajesh Gopal, Secretary General of GTF. “We welcome Ajitora as a Tx2 Ambassador, and call upon the industry to join DotAsia’s lead in committing towards business practices conducive to wildlife sustainability.”

“Ajitora is a great creative approach and compelling Ambassador for Tigers, and we look forward to seeing him mobilize the social media masses around the Tx2 ambition” said Dr. Yannick Kuehl, TRAFFIC, Regional Director for East Asia. “TRAFFIC looks forward to supporting DotAsia to build on the awareness-raising momentum Aji generates, through messaging targeted to change consumer behaviour, and to developing viable Internet governance policies that will complement this. Both aspects will be critical if we are to successfully tackle illegal wildlife trade online.”

 

About Ajitora
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 Organisation
DotAsia (http://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: [email protected]