<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>*************</div><div>ANNOUNCEMENT</div><div>*************</div><div><font size="+1" color="#1A1A1A"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#1A1A1A">I am pleased to announce the event</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#FB0007"><b>AFRICAN INTERNET OLDIES TO SHARE WITH THE YOUNG<br></b></font><font size="+1" color="#000000"><i>moderated by</i></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">Jessica Colaco and Alice Munyua</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">within</font></div><hr><div><font size="+1" color="#FB0007"><b>SYNERGISTIC COMMUNITIES</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">An initiative of the Kenya Internet Governance Steering Committee and iHub</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><b>iHub - Nairobi's Innovation Hub Kenya</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">4th Floor Bishop Magua Centre Off Ngong Road, opp. Uchumi Hyper</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#FF0000"><b>Thursday 29th September 2011</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><b>2.30 pm - 6.30 pm</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><b>Program</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><i>iHub Overview and tech in Kenya</i></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><i>Speaker Introduction</i></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><i>Youth innovation, local content development and technical community session</i></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><i>African internet oldies to share with the young</i></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><i>Fireside Chat with<b> Vinton Cerf</b> and Q&A</i></font></div><hr><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1">The program includes a presentation of<font color="#000000"><b> the RINAF project</b></font><font color="#1A1A1A">, which</font><font color="#000000"><b> Italian National Reasearch Council</b></font><font color="#1A1A1A"> implemented in Africa starting from the year 1991.</font></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#1A1A1A"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">The<b> Regional INformatics Network for Africa (RINAF) Project</b> was conceived by the Intergovernmental Informatics Program (IIP) of<b> UNESCO</b> in 1985. At that time, no initiatives to set up research network services in Africa existed. Due to delays incurred in gathering fundings and obtaining burocratical approval, the project was started late in 1991 with funding of about 1 million dollars <b>from the Italian Government.</b> The official opening of the project was held in DAKAR, in February 1992. </font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">At that time, a number of projects were started under the initiative of different governments, companies or institutions of the more developed countries; some initiatives were also started by the African countries themselves. For these reasons, the RINAF project decided to invest the funding available to promote the use of research network services by cooperation with the initiatives already existing.</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">Mainly financed by the Italian Government (1 million US$), with a limited contribution from the Republic of Korea, the project was aimed to support the interconnection of academic and research institutions within Africa and to the international research community through the provision of computer equipment, of basic network services and the organization of training activities for technicians and for end-users.</font><br></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">The project Technical Co-ordination was assigned to<b> CNR</b> (Italian National Reasearch Council) through the<b> CNUCE</b> Institute located in Pisa.<b> Stefano Trumpy</b> was the RINAF Technical Coordinator and the Technical Support Unit was formed by<b> Laura Abba</b>,<b> Adriana Lazzaroni</b> and<b> Abraham Gebrehiwot</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"> </font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">RINAF played a significant role in disseminating the concept of the Internet protocol by forging links with the<b> Internet Society</b> that later emerged as key advocate to Internet diffusion in Africa. The project was instrumental in introducing the vanguard African ISP managers to Internet protocol (IP) concepts.</font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1">Best Regards, Laura Abba</font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1">FOR FURTHER DETAILS:</font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">_______________________________________________</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">Italian National Research Council (CNR)</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000"><b>Institute for Informatics and Telematics (IIT)</b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">Via G. Moruzzi, 1- 56126 Pisa, (ITALY)</font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">webpage:<b> <a href="http://www.iit.cnr.it/">http://www.iit.cnr.it/</a></b></font></div><div><font size="+1" color="#000000">_______________________________________________</font></div><div><font size="+1"><br></font></div><div><font size="+1"><b>Stefano Trumpy</b><br>GAC representative and HLIG member<br>Institute for informatics and telematics<br>Italian National Research Council (CNR), Italy<br><a href="mailto:stefano.trumpy@iit.cnr.it">stefano.trumpy@iit.cnr.it</a></font></div><div><font size="+1"> +39 348 8218618</font><br></div><div><font size="+1"><b>Laura Abba</b><br>Head of Internet Governance Group<br>Institute for informatics and telematics<br>Italian National Research Council (CNR), Italy<br><a href="mailto:laura.abba@iit.cnr.it">laura.abba@iit.cnr.it</a></font></div><div><font size="+1">+39 348 7981001</font><br></div><div><font size="+1"><b>Adriana Lazzaroni</b><br>Head of Scientific Secretariat<br>Institute for informatics and telematics<br>Italian National Research Council (CNR), Italy<br><a href="mailto:adriana.lazzaroni@iit.cnr.it">adriana.lazzaroni@iit.cnr.it</a></font></div><div><font size="+1">+39 348 7981029</font></div></body></html>