[AfrICANN-discuss] A brief update on the ASWG
Pierre Lotis NANKEP
lnankep at yahoo.fr
Sun Sep 9 20:33:47 SAST 2012
Dear All,
I pity my Africa, When the end of amateurism?
When will be the end of the exploitation of our activists?
ICANN has used the same approach in other regions?
Really, Africa continue to serve as a test laboratory. And when it suits the interest of some selfish, they can only be silent.
Our Internet activists have become businessmen or politicians. One might even call them followshipers (fellowship experts).
Fortunatelythere are still a few honest leaders. Thank God!
"The Icann Africa strategy Working Group held its retreat in Mauritius
on 27-28 August. The meeting was facilitated by ICANN and AfriNIC."
It is absolutely necessary for AWG Experts to meet physically to produce this type of document?
Please shared with us the questionnaires (Zip format) you have received. So we can make our own compilation.
ICANN really need this cinema? ICANN has really supported? What is the relationship between "ICANN Africa Strategy" and ICANN Strategy 2012-2015 that you find here? : http://www.icann.org/en/about/planning/strategic/strategic-plan-2012-2015-18may12-en.pdf.
Why this initiative has not been launched before the development of the strategy of ICANN?
Anyway, found my comments below (in Bleu color)...
ICANN
Africa Strategy Working Group (ASWG)
an ICANN innovation!!!?
Assessment
of ASWG questionnaires
05 September 2012
From 10 July to 20h August
the Africa Strategy working Group, which was set up by ICANN at its
44th meeting in Prague (Yes and no! There was cheating. The meeting, which creates the famous AWG has not occurred, or at least it has not known the participation of all Africans who were present.), administered a set of two
questionnaires on the AfrICANN list . The pursued objective was to
engage with the community on the one hand, and collect community
opinions and recommendations as to the Icann Africa strategy (Why the African Union is not involved, as it was the case with dotAfrica?) on the
other hand.
The questionnaires had to (two) components,
each of them with subsequent sub questions : the first component
sought to assess the relevance of ICANN to Africa, and also the
benefits ICANN could derive from further involvement in Africa. The
second component puts to test the suggestion that an ICANN's physical
presence in Africa should improve the Organisation's image and
activities in Africa (Africa is part of the world. And ICANN does not need a survey to be deployed in Africa. This is an insult!).
A total of 18 respondents filled out
the questionnaires and were from the following constituencies and
countries :
At large/Civil society/registrants : 6
- How many for At-large?
- How many for Civil Society? and their Names?
- How many for Registrants (what is the impact)?
- And non-Registrant?
Registry/registrars : 3
- How many Registry? and their Names?
- How many Registrar? and their Names?
Governments : 3
- Governments Names?
- What is the boundary between Registry and Government (in the case of Africa)?
Academia : 2
- Names?
ND (non defined) : 4
- They are aliens or Martians?
Respondents' countries included :
Burkina Faso; Kenya; Nigeria; Cameroon; DRC; Tunisia; Senegal, South
Africa, Tanzania , Niger, Congo and Mali.
Provide for each country a snippet showing the category of the respondents (Civil Society, Governments, Academia, etc.)
The following section of your document, to be used appropriately, it would be desirable to provide answers or clarifications to the above concerns. Especially shared with us the questionnaires (zip format). That's the openness we ask every time!
Questionnaire
No1: It has been argued that ICANN can be more relevant to Africa
and ICANN can benefit from increased involvement with Africa. To
assist explore these please respond to the questions below
To the question 'What has ICANN done
right in the eyes of the African community?' , most respondents
cited the holding of ICANN's meetings every two years on the
continent , on a rotational basis and the establishment of the
fellowship programme which has enabled participation of more Africans
to ICANN's meetings globally.
Also, a few of respondents believe that
some of the basic principles that ICANN promotes so that Africa
develops and maintains its Internet resources through for example
maintaining geographic names and strings reserved for the right owner
is the right thing that ICANN does. The
effort made in translation, namely into the french language is also
perceived as a good point.
'What has ICANN not done well in
Africa in the eyes of the African community within ICANN?,
* Lack of or none communication of ICANN process to Africa.
* Inclusion of Geographic names in the new gTLD programme;
* Approving of sensitive strings against all protests from African ICANN.
* There is lack of ICANN’s presence in Africa,
* Poor communication and outreach on the new gTLD programme in Africa
* Failure in working with African cctlds
* There is lack of understanding of the Continent’s economic and developmental environment by ICANN Board and staff.
* The implication of high level government members in Icann activities;
* The development of African ccTLD’s and their support;
* The cooperation with African regional organizations
What
do you wish the most for ICANN to do in interest of Africa?
* Inclusion of Africa in the activities of ICANN.
* Increase the participation of Africans in ICANN constituencies, meetings by stepping up outreach programs in the Continent thereby creating the much needed awareness among the technical and business people in Africa.
* Appointment of a VP for Africa.
* Support, train, communicate ICANN to the African Governments and create linkages with Academia.
* Build capacity for African cctlds
* develop a closer link with the AF*
* ICANN should listen more Africans' needs
* Conduct special research on the understanding of internet and ICT business in the Continent, especially the new gTLD.
* Create focus group on Africa.
* Set up an Africa bureau for ICANN
* Develop special waivers to facilitate accreditation of more registrars in Africa;
* Reorient the JAS programme so that it could benefit African registrars and help build a local domain name industry
* Promote and support sensitization campaigns, communication and training activities as related to ICANN and its programmes, using media and targeting local languages
How
can the African community in ICANN best help ICANN?
* African Community in ICANN should present ICANN to African Governments and Businesses. Participate effectively in all ICANN constituencies, Working Groups and contribute to the work of ICANN.
* Create opportunities for partnership with ICANN in Africa.
* By suggesting home grown solutions to African reality and issues, as they may rise within ICANN's processes
* develop a permanent communication plateforme on Icann policies within Africaines
* Educate African decision makers on ICANN's activities;
* Focus on ensuring that African stakeholders particularly governments have the right capacity in terms of the basic understanding of ICANN’s role and functions and how it fits within the Internet governance area more broadly so that Africa properly develops and manages its Internet resources.
* Support the expansion and growth of African ccTLDs through incentives and capacity building activities including ensuring that Africa’s and its communities’ specific needs are met.
* The introduction of the DotAfrica which is being supported by the African Union Commission and ECA is expected to create an attractive regional home for the Pan-African Internet community, as the first sponsored registry to be operating from Africa and serving the specific needs of its communities.
* Icann to better use Africa's on going national and regional fora on Internet governance to ensure its presence and contributions.
* By accessing to leadership positions in Icann;
* Improving organization participation in meetings (online meetings on topics of Icann, geographic organization and country)
What
are barriers to ICANN in Africa?
* Lack of knowledge of the work of ICANN by the Business Sector in Africa.
* Under developed ICT infrastructure; poor connectivity
* Lack of Professionals and Private Sector interest.
* Non-participation of Private Sector and Government which still are very much the driver of economic activities in Africa.
* Lack of specific programmes for building capacities on ICANN policies and procedures
* Linguistic barrier as most documents are in English
How
best to improve African participation in ICANN?
* Main streaming of internet and domain name business in all sectors of African economy.
* Proper and effective communications to the Governments of Africa.
* Organize sensitization and training for the African communities
* Pursue translation of working documents
* Propose digests for working documents
* Africans to organise strategic working groups to prepare and master issues pertaining to ICANN
Questionnaire
No2- It has been suggested that a physical presence of ICANN in
Africa is important to improve ICANN presence. To contribute in
shaping how this is implemented please answer the following questions
What
are the a) strengths b) weaknesses c) opportunities and d) weaknesses
of ICANN in Africa?
* Strength is its population, willingness to develop and catch with the rest of the world, Government support when properly informed.
* Weakness is lack of knowledge by Governments, poverty, weak ICT infrastructure and communication gaps/linkages in the different sectors of the economy and ICT ecosystem.
* The opportunities are the untapped market, young populations and upcoming entrepreneurs, conversion of African economic mangers to embrace ICT and e-businesses.
* The threats are unstable political economy, opposition of Governments to the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance. High government control of internet and ICT businesses resulting in double taxation, harsh operating environment, etc.
Which
countries in Africa would you recommend to be headquarters of ICANN
and why?
Opinions
are diverse :
It should be located
in Nigeria, says one respondent. The fastest growing e-business
economy in Africa. Most populous nation of Africa, willingness of
the Government of Nigeria to provide financial support and the
necessary facilities for the operation of ICANN office, cheap labor
and wireless environment including communication satellite launch
(NigcomSat). There is a strong presence of Multi-national businesses
and Global Institutions in Nigeria. Her neighbors are all French
speaking, currently headquartering the ECOWAS and playing the big
brother role in Africa. Four undersea marine cable landing, over
100million mobile users with 3g/mobile broadband capabilities and
services.
Another
suggestion is Ghana, which, as per the respondent, has all it takes
to host ICANN office for Africa. Ease of operation, political
stability, prosperity and conducive atmosphere.Ghana could be
potentially appropriate location due to its pioneering role on the
development of the Internet on the continent, its infrastructure, its
open policy and favourable ICT environment, its good governance, etc.
Accra could also be seen as a bridge between francophone and
Anglophone countries due to its proximity to both groups.
Ethiopia
could be potentially appropriate location due to the presence of the
ECA and the AUC, which has attracted all UN institutions and a big
number of other international organizations. This could facilitate
face to face interactions with these organizations. Also Ethiopia
benefits from a large network of international airlines.
.Nairobi
, Kenya because of ease of access from West , North Southern Africa
and Europe
Cameroun
because of cultural diversity and political stability; openness to
sea; good connectivity; existence of three submarine cables;
political willingness to move the ICT sector; geographical situation.
A policy on cybersecurity and criminality, a regular participant to
ICANN's meetings.
South
Africa for its good infrastructure, strong support to ICT, and
proven leadership in the industry
Senegal
for its good infrastructure, a proactive support of ICT, and a
democratic country. Other cited countries are Tunisia, Morocco and
Mauritius.
Other
comments :
ICANN
already committed to an office in Kenya. I guess this question
becomes irrelevant, unless of course my understanding that ICANN
already chose Kenya is wrong.
Of
the eighteen respondents, one in particular is not convinced of
having to open a physical office in one country. Rather, he thinks
needs to employ a diverse team from Africa that meets all the number
7 criteria: regions, language, culture. As he puts it :'I really
don’t think the need for a physical office is justified. Rather,
ICANN should have a team located in different countries in Africa or
that is able to effectively relate to Africa’s major cultures,
languages & regions.'
A
good number of respondents insisted on a set of criteria to be
developed prior to selection of a host country; these are :
* An IT infrastructure well developed and allowing fast and secure connectivity
* A democratic governance which does not favour red taping
* A simple and free entry Visa facility;
* Secure and pleasant social life
* A fluid air trafic conditions
Other
important elements to consider should be the presence and proximity
of UN Agencies such as UNECA and AUC, and AfriNIC
.
Overall
Comments
While
majority of respondents suggest a physical bureau should be
established in Africa (with potential hosting countries such as
Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Senegal and Mauritius), a small
number insist that strict criteria should be developed in order to
select such a host country. One respondent does not see any reason
for a bureau in Africa, but instead, suggest there be closer links
with Af* on the one hand, and that there be established points of
contacts in the regions.
CONCLUSION
Although
the number of received questionnaires are far from meeting
expectations, they certainly provide an insight on the community's
perception of icann's role in Africa. Indeed, all respondents agree
that Africa should deserve a special treatment and that ICANN is in a
position to contribute to the development of an indigenous industry
on Internet and most specifically, the domain name services. The
working group will obviously have to engage more with the community,
through fine tuning parts of the questionnaires and sample
interviewing of specific constituencies. A few strategic objectives
should be retained from further outreach and with the corresponding
strategic projects, the group should be in a position to elaborate on
its recommendations.
Annex
1
A SWOT Analysis of ICANN perception
from Africa derived from the questionnaires
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Icann's meetings in Africa every two years and its rotational basis
The fellowship programme which ensures African participation to Icann's meetings
Bottom up approach in policy development
Multistakeholders mechanisms for engaging with the community Lack of communications/
Poor perception of Icann's activities
Poor outreach to African governments
Lack of a physical presence in Africa
Partial linguistic coverage of the continent
No impact on growth of the domain name industry
Poor relashionships with African ccTLDs
No clear link with the AF*
Poor representation of Africans on the Board Current outstanding growth of the mobile telephony implies majority of next Internet users will be from Africa; thus, a need for specific projects for Africa
Africa as one of highest GDPs
Icann's image and perception to be increased through contribution to the growth of a continental Internet economy
Icann's legitimacy to grow with more participation from African communities, namely at GAC level
Develop IDN to boost content in Africa
Poor reach out to African communities
Lack or Poor financial commitment to an Africa Internet Agenda
Poor or inadequate representation of ICANN in Africa
ICANN really need this cinema?
--
Pierre Lotis NANKEP
IT Engineer / ANTIC
Web : http://www.antic.cm
Email (Pro) : pierre.nankep at antic.cm
GSM : +237 77 66 10 07
________________________________
De : Dandjinou Pierre <pdandjinou at gmail.com>
À : africann at afrinic.net
Envoyé le : Samedi 8 septembre 2012 23h43
Objet : [AfrICANN-discuss] A brief update on the ASWG
Dear Listers,
(NB : version francaise ci- dessous)
The Icann Africa strategy Working Group held its retreat in Mauritius
on 27-28 August. The meeting was facilitated by ICANN and AfriNIC.
The Group of 9 (4 initial core members + 5 Reps from regions and
Constituencies) had a fruitful gathering and will be posting its
working documents on a dedicated website to facilitate public access.
The community will then have 15 days for its further comments and
submissions before the group finalizes its recommendations.
The public website should be available early next week. Meanwhile, the
Group wishes to thank all those who took the effort to complete the
questionnaires. The evaluation of the questionnaires and primary
discussions with representatives of the
constituencies (Governments,
Registries, registrars, registrants, ALAC, Academia..etc) allowed the
group to brainstorm on strategic objectives, projects and measures of
impact. A key decision of the group is to conduct further
consultations and the website is going to be the conduit. You are
therefore kindly requested to provide your feedback, once the site is
up and running as of next week!.
We are also attaching an evaluation of the questionnaires, for your information.
Best regards
Pierre on behalf of the ASWG
NB : Group members : Maimouna Diop; Palesa Banda Legozi , Nii Quaynor
(Chair), Barrack Otieno; Alice Munyua; Mouhamet Diop; Tijani Benjemaa;
Michel Tchonang Linze; Pierre Dandjinou
La retraite du Groupe de travail pour la strategie africaine de
l'ICANN a eu lieu a Maurice du 27 au 28 Aout 2012. Elle a ete
facilitee par l'ICANN et AfriNIC.
Le Groupe de 9 personnes (4
initiaux et 5 autres representants les
regions et constituantes de l'ICANN) a eu une rencontre fructueuse et
les documents de travail generes seront postes sur un site des la
semaine prochaine.La communaute disposera alors de 15 jours pour ses
commentaires et propositions, avant que le groupe ne finalise ses
recommandations.
Le Groupe remercie ceux qui ont pri sur eux de remplir les
questionnaires. Sur la base de l'evaluation des questionnaires, et des
discussions tenues avec des representants de diveres constituantes
(Gouvernements, registres, registraires, registrants,ALAC et autres),
a pu mener ses discussions et retenir quelques objectifs strateiques,
des idees de projets ainsi que des criteres d'evaluation..Une decision
majeure du groupe est de poursuivre l'engagement avec la communaute
par le biais du site web. Merci donc de le visiter des la semaine
prochaine et d'y apporter vos remarques et
suggestions.
Enfin, pour votre information, nous attachons l'evaluation des
questionnaires recus.
Sinceres salutations
Pierre pour le ASWG
NB : membre du Groupe : Maimouna Diop; Palesa Banda Legozi , Nii
Quaynor (Chair), Barrack Otieno; Alice Munyua; Mouhamet Diop; Tijani
Benjemaa; Michel Tchonang Linze; Pierre Dandjinou
_______________________________________________
AfrICANN mailing list
AfrICANN at afrinic.net
https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann
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