[AfrICANN-discuss] DCA expresses commitment to work with
African ccTLDs
Mark Elkins
mje at posix.co.za
Sat Nov 19 12:57:53 SAST 2011
Dear Lerato Mamboleo,
I assume that you are an official spokesperson for DCA.
I thank you for clearly stating your views and beliefs in writing on
this list. I otherwise reserve my rights.
On Sat, 2011-11-19 at 02:28 -0800, Lerato Mamboleo wrote:
>
> Dear McTim & Mark Elkins,
>
>
> It is clear that these negative comments are an 'over-reaction' to the
> plain fact that DCA got a very positive press coverage regarding its
> good intentions for the African ccTLDs and the independent media
> assessment of the Post-Dakar meeting outcomes.
>
>
> First, we can tell you straightaway that there is no strategy to split
> the ccTLDs from AfTLD. It has always been an aspect of DCA's outreach
> strategy to reassure this important segment of their inclusive and
> participatory stake in DotAfrica, and to present cross-marketing
> possibilities and capacity building opportunities to the African
> ccTLDs who fear that DotAfrica might further erode their base to
> attract users and registrants. So far, apart from DCA, no other
> prospective applicant has proposed this to the ccTLDs.
>
>
> However, having made this essential clarification, it is important to
> stress at this juncture that the presumed relationship between the
> AfTLD and the African ccTLD is not really as strong as it has been
> made out to be. We have already highlighted the fact that the African
> ccTLDs are actually not the owners of the AfTLD (as a registered legal
> entity), which to all practical intents and purposes remains separate
> from, and does not truly represent, the African ccTLDs. Even so, AfTLD
> has probably only 1 or 2 ccTLDs in its membership list, so DCA is not
> doing anything to split ccTLDs from AfTLD because these ccTLDs are not
> part of AfTLD in the first place. Regarding your 'understanding' that
> AfTLD will be applying for DotAfrica, perhaps you should undertake
> further detailed reading of the AU RFP for the Operation of DotAfrica
> which insists that Consortia should be formed to include African
> ccTLDs. The RFP does not in any way refer to AfTLD. In DCA's
> estimation, there seems to be a deliberate plan to exclude AfTLD from
> these matters, and the finger should be pointed more accurately at
> those who are sidelining and undermining the AfTLD, such as ARC, and
> the AU DotAfrica Task Force members who are secretly working on behalf
> of ARC.
>
>
> Now to respond to Mark J. Elkins:
>
>
> DCA considers its activities at Dakar as one big resounding success,
> unlike the ARC that had expected to receive an endorsement from the
> African Ministerial Round-Table, but never got what it wanted out of
> the Dakar meetings. Perhaps, this explains why you are not happy that
> DCA has continued to receive positive press coverage for its great
> accomplishments at Dakar.
>
>
> However, since you have already raised the issues, we might as well
> use this opportunity to make further clarifications as necessary. DCA
> believes that it was important to intervene so as to highlight the
> fact the African Ministerial Round-Table had no legitimate
> representation. It is wrong for a group of people to arrange a meeting
> and pass resolutions in the name of African Ministers who were absent,
> and try to impose such on a global body like ICANN. It is almost
> criminal to imagine in its broad ramifications and ominous portents,
> so DCA had to act immediately since it is better to prevent than to
> cure.
>
>
> On the other hand, it is perfectly okay for the ARC to justify wrong
> actions that have been undertaken to ensure its benefits since it was
> included in the official programme of the meeting, because it has
> ‘friends’ within the AU DotAfrica Task Force who have been bending the
> rules to accommodate the desires of ARC.
>
>
> Therefore, DCA stands by its position that the so-called African
> Ministerial Round-Table had no proper accredited ministerial
> representation. For example, was your South African ICT Minister
> present? Or were you (Mark J. Elkins) representing him at the Dakar
> meetings?
>
>
> The simple fact is that you people were chagrined by the fact that DCA
> was bold enough to show up and challenge the 'agenda of imposition',
> with a view to preventing a travesty from being committed in the name
> of absentee African Ministers. It is no longer relevant to discuss
> with anybody whether the agenda was legitimate or illegitimate in
> terms of ministerial representation, since ICANN leaders and
> operatives were also at Dakar and would remember that there was no
> quorum of African Ministers formed; and perhaps only four (4) African
> Ministers were actually present on the last day and were not part of
> the deliberations. Therefore we believe that there was no proper
> Ministerial representation to sign up to the Communiqué that was later
> submitted to ICANN. DCA therefore expects ICANN to also consider this
> when making their official response.
>
>
> On the veiled attack on personality and allusions to 'strange
> behaviour', we will not bother to respond, but DCA also recalls that
> it was approached by Mark J. Elkins at Dakar for the purpose of
> working together. We deliberately attended the meeting as observers to
> observe what was going on, and to make our views heard should we
> observe that certain things were not being done in the right way. We
> are perfectly justified in our Dakar activities, against the backdrop
> that at the ICANN Forum, the leaders allowed DCA the freedom to
> express its views, whereas in the other two meetings - Meetings of
> Experts of the African Ministerial Round-Table' and the DotAfrica
> Forum - we saw that there was a deliberate attempt to prevent DCA from
> expressing its opinions. The global culture is now democratic, and
> even in South Africa, people now have freedom of speech.
>
>
> Therefore, you can make as many references as you like to
> 'personality' in order to engage in character assassination but we
> believe the focus should be on what is important regarding DotAfrica.
> DCA has reached out to the African ccTLDs since the Kampala meeting,
> and everyone recognizes that this is good. In our estimation, the ARC
> has not done so, but simply tried to opportunistically solicit an
> expression of interest from the AfTLD. When this failed, the ARC has
> continued to 'fish for scraps', hoping that the AU DotAfrica Task
> Force will give it the DotAfrica registry business to compensate a
> quiet dog that is thrown whatever its master decides to give it or
> whatever falls from its master's table. We therefore rest our case.
>
> Key documents from DCA participation on the Dakar Meeting
>
>
> DCA's participation in Dakar
> http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1108602153904.html
> DCA's Engagement with ICANN
> http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1108422124191.html
> DCA's reaction to dotafrica AfriICANN meeting
> http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1108347659795.html
> DCA's official response to the Ministerial Meeting
> http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1108241322041.html
> DCA's reaction to ComputerWorld
> http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1108601800184.html
>
>
> DCA's call for ccTLDs on more than 2 occasions in the past June 2011
> & Sept 2010
> http://www.prlog.org/11563212-dotafrica-africa-made-history-with-icann-in-singapore.html
> http://www.prlog.org/10835407-domain-africa-at-kampala-an-invasion-of-armies-cannot-stop-an-idea-whose-time-has-come.html
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From: Mark Elkins <mje at posix.co.za>
> To: africann at afrinic.net
> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 11:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [AfrICANN-discuss] DCA expresses commitment to work with
> African ccTLDs
>
> On Sat, 2011-11-19 at 08:22 +0300, McTim wrote:
> >
> http://www.africasciencenews.org/en/index.php/technology/45-hitech/217-dca-expresses-commitment-to-work-with-african-cctlds
> >
> >
> > So the strategy seems to be to split ccTLDs as many ccTLDs from
> AfTLD
> > who are also making a competing bid for .africa. ??
>
> What a beautifully written piece on DCA. Of course, if the reader was
> present at ICANN-42 and at the preceding ministerial conference, you'd
> possibly have gained a very different impression of the personality.
>
> As an example, I quote: "DCA had participated in all sessions of the
> African Ministerial Round Table Meeting as an observer which afforded
> it
> the chance to express its opinions on the agenda of the meeting;"
>
> Observers observe, they don't go to the microphone and suggest to the
> ministerial representatives that the meeting has no legitimate
> representation (as such has no constitutional grounds to even meet) -
> and other possibly inappropriate statements. Otherwise, why would the
> personality be sternly warned that if she stepped out of line *again*
> (which was actually several minutes of chastising from those managing
> the meeting), she would be *escorted* out of the room. This chastising
> of the personality received a very loud round of applause from the
> vast
> majority of participants.
> (I'm trying to be polite)
>
> This was by no means the only public exhibition of her strange
> behaviour
> she provided - for example at the dotAfrica meeting on the Tuesday
> evening at ICANN-42.
>
> Anyway - interesting to hear that DCA is now looking at including the
> community - which is what her African competition (AfTLD and ARC) have
> been doing all along.
>
> If you, the reader, still currently believe that the personality along
> with DCA is the most appropriate vehicle to run ".africa", please have
> a
> talk to people who saw her in action at ICANN-42.
>
> --
> . . ___. .__ Posix Systems - (South) Africa
> /| /| / /__ mje at posix.co.za - Mark J Elkins, Cisco CCIE
> / |/ |ARK \_/ /__ LKINS Tel: +27 12 807 0590 Cell: +27 82 601 0496
>
>
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>
>
>
--
. . ___. .__ Posix Systems - (South) Africa
/| /| / /__ mje at posix.co.za - Mark J Elkins, Cisco CCIE
/ |/ |ARK \_/ /__ LKINS Tel: +27 12 807 0590 Cell: +27 82 601 0496
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