[Community-Discuss] "Fighting Internet Shutdown" - Any Role for AFRINIC?

Fri Apr 14 16:41:36 UTC 2017

AfriNIC is an Internet Registry
It has vision: "Be the leading force in growing the internet for Africa's
sustainable development"

AfriNIC can start to the gather concrete accurate data on such shutdown of
Internet. Compiling this data is not political and is most credible way it
can contribute to the debate.

I will hope that in board elections, any candidate from such government run
ISP who stand will not be voted for.

More important, AfriNIC leadership (board, CEO) must engage and speak out
against (diplomatic language) such repression at high level event on the
continent.

2017-04-13 19:59 GMT+04:00 Tutu Ngcaba <pan.afrikhan at gmail.com>:

> Dear Brother Folayan
>
> Yes this is the best way as we can not fight our governments. We can only
> engage them through all channels available like AFGWG and others.
>
> The Afrinic CEO already promised he shall organise open discussions at the
> AIS which is fantastic initial progress on how to go about this issue.
>
> We welcome all the initiatives that shall promote open dialogue and
> awareness.
>
> We should also reach out to different ISOC chapters in our countries and
> even ISOC day is another avenue to discuss such concerning matters.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Tutu Ngcaba
> Kwazulu Techno Hubs
> South Africa
>
> On 13 Apr 2017 6:11 p.m., "Sunday Folayan" <sfolayan at skannet.com> wrote:
>
>> Colleagues,
>>
>> This is a very reasonable proposition, consistent with the principles
>> that guide us.
>>
>> I shall bring it to the attention of the Board, to explore ways that
>> AFRINIC through the AfGWG can galvanize our engagement with Governments for
>> the common good.
>>
>> Best.
>> Sunday Folayan.
>>
>> On 13/04/2017 14:30, Noah wrote:
>>
>> Hi Omo
>>
>> Yes I would rather AFRINIC engaged all stakeholder including in members
>> and setup say a panel of different stakeholders to deliberate this issue in
>> a multistakeholder platform.
>>
>> Which is why i was of the opinion that in the upcoming  AIS meeting, the
>> issue be added to the AFRINIC agenda.
>>
>> This is a much better approach for such a non-technical issue. Because
>> even when we carefully examine the motive behind internet shutdowns and
>> censorship, its so complicated for a mere policy to even offer a lasting
>> solution and different government have had different reasons for taking
>> such measures.
>>
>> So AFRINIC engaging the community at large and governments through AFGWG
>> we can find solutions and Seun also shared some practical ideas....
>>
>> Noah
>>
>> On 13 Apr 2017 2:17 p.m., "Omo Oaiya" <Omo.Oaiya at wacren.net> wrote:
>>
>>> +1.  A practical approach that could yield good results.  Last thing we
>>> want Afrinic to do is to complicate the situation with empty rhetoric and
>>> make an already bad situation worse.
>>>
>>> Omo
>>>
>>> On 13 Apr 2017, at 12:11, Noah <noah at neo.co.tz> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Seun,
>>>
>>> Indeed Tutu has raise some great pointers and in addition to your
>>> centiments, i  am of the view this kind of approach is more fruitful ref:
>>> internet shutdowns and censorship.
>>>
>>> I suppose AFRINIC has been in the past engaging governments through the
>>> AFGWG and i would be keep to get some insights from AFRINIC regarding the
>>> same.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, could AFRINIC organise a BoF during the upcoming meeting
>>> where all those who will be on the ground can discuss some of these
>>> pertinent issues openly. We could have a panel discussion and discuss this
>>> issue way better.
>>>
>>> AFRINIC could also invite some of the government officials and other
>>> internet leaders to this kind of BoF.
>>>
>>> I believe a BoF is one way for AFRINIC to be proactive in engaging the
>>> wider community.
>>>
>>> Also we could get folk from countries where the internet has ever been
>>> disconnected including cameroon to share more ideas on how to approach this
>>> issue.
>>>
>>> Noah
>>>
>>>
>>> On 13 Apr 2017 12:24 p.m., "Seun Ojedeji" <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> <Taking this to the community list, where it belongs>
>>>
>>> Dear Community,
>>>
>>> Tutu raises a critical point and I also strongly agree that we should
>>> let this discussion live on.
>>>
>>> AFRINIC sure presently have provided various avenues to engage
>>> government and as i think there seem to be a slow but steady improvement in
>>> govt participation. I wonder how AFRINIC can futher leverage on this to
>>> drive down the point about why government needs to stop considering a
>>> shutdown of internet or certain service as an option. May be good to hear
>>> from staff how participation of the AFGWG has been so far - especially to
>>> try to identify challenges to participation and how to resolve them.
>>>
>>> One other thing that comes to mind is whether AFRINIC can be pro-active
>>> instead of re-active i.e they are made aware of the planned act and issue
>>> strong statement against it hoping that it will get to the ears of relevant
>>> authorities and get them to reconsider. This may also be effective if the
>>> relationship between AFRINIC and the AU (and regional bodies like ECOWAS,
>>> EAC, COMESA etc) is strengthened as that can serve as a channel of
>>> communication to the respective governments.
>>>
>>> That said, I will like to pause on the role of AFRINIC as it also seem
>>> to me that the role of ISPs is quite critical in this. Traffic distribution
>>> structure/topology varies by countries hence there is some level of
>>> dependencies that would exist and I wonder if ISPs can leverage upon that
>>> as well. Also there are situations where government would ask for shutdown
>>> of certain services of the internet(like social media) so connectivity
>>> still exist to reduce the outcry, perhaps in those cases, ISPs could also
>>> make it clear that its either a total shutdown or nothing and then hope
>>> that the country's community/citizens will notice and be loud enough to get
>>> government to change their order.
>>>
>>> Just a few ideas i thought I should throw in here since we seem to have
>>> an understanding as a community that an RIR policy cannot be a way to
>>> address this very important issue.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 9:31 AM, Tutu Ngcaba <pan.afrikhan at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear the Afrinic Ltd,
>>>>
>>>> Since you put out a statement a few days ago condemning internet
>>>> shutdown problem which is a serious issue.
>>>>
>>>> Can you please take this issue up and drive it. I request that the
>>>> Afrinic shall and should make this as an angenda topic also in meetings to
>>>> come.
>>>>
>>>> We should also involve all isoc chapters in all our countries.
>>>>
>>>> We can discuss the internet shutdown under the Africann and community
>>>> mailing list and engage all members but not through policy.
>>>>
>>>> This will make the statement the Afrinic made as about shutdown as the
>>>> main agenda and even we use avenues like the Afrinic AFGWG.
>>>>
>>>> Multistake holder meeting is also important for engaging our
>>>> governements.
>>>>
>>>> So i believe we can all take this discussion to community and Africann
>>>> mailing list and the Afrinic can engage the people.
>>>>
>>>> This way we can get all concerned african people together and find
>>>> wiser ways of engaging our governments.
>>>>
>>>> Most African country economy depend on agriculture and not Internet. So
>>>> internet is nothing to governments when they chose to shutdown temporaly
>>>> since to them shutdown has only small term economic impact that is why some
>>>> do it in most cases to contain chaos or riots.
>>>>
>>>> Let us keep in mind that some countries presidents are in power for so
>>>> many years and the government can do anything.
>>>>
>>>> So simple questions like why do some governments do it are important.
>>>>
>>>> Awareness and education is more important not policy.
>>>>
>>>> Best Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Tutu Ngcaba
>>>> Kwazulu Techno Hubs
>>>> South Africa
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> RPD mailing list
>>>> RPD at afrinic.net
>>>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Seun Ojedeji, Federal University Oye-Ekiti web:
>>> http://www.fuoye.edu.ng <http://www.fuoye.edu.ng/> Mobile: +2348035233535 **alt
>>> email: <http://goog_1872880453/>seun.ojedeji at fuoye.edu.ng
>>> <seun.ojedeji at fuoye.edu.ng>*
>>>
>>> Bringing another down does not take you up - think about your action!
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>> —
>>> Omo Oaiya
>>> CTO/Directeur Technique, WACREN
>>> Mobile: +234 806 4522778 <+234%20806%20452%202778>, +221 784 305 224
>>> Skype: kodion
>>> http://www.wacren.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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-- 
Borg le Chevalier
___________________________________
"Common sense is what tells us the world is flat"
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