[rpd] New Policy Proposal - "Anti-Shutdown (AFPUB-2017-GEN-001-DRAFT-01)"

Wed Apr 12 14:36:56 UTC 2017

Arsene / all

I am in total agreement with you on your different points. The issue however we like to put it stands behind political/government decisions. The regulator acts on behalf of the government and of course forces ISPs to act or react. The fight for net neutrality and freedom of the internet which United Nations has described and laid down as a human right. 

The challenges exists everywhere. America for example has decided to kick the subject of Net neutrality away and the FCC is going to lay down its plans sooner than later. On our continent this reality does not always come forward. We all are fighting for an equal right as any one person in the world. The driver is to grow internet penetration everywhere on the continent but if we start or lets say the governments start putting in actions like we know what happens in china and in our cases shutdowns when there is an election or bipartisanship. A technology that brings social and economical benefit in our region is only harmful. 

I am with many of you to say we need to revisit the actions we are talking about but am sure the community at large would surely find a reasonable action that does not affect too much of the membership and community whilst doing so.

I don’t think i have a magic wand that would see through an action or a solution just now. But i am incumbent to say this internet shutdowns and many actions around them is unfair to all. I am sure and believe the community at large would surely find something that would realistically impact greatly. 

Seun has also put in the right action towards Government working group. The issue is we can try to make regulators more complacent and understanding but if you look back they act not by themselves but what the ruling political party wants and decides. Personally, i am unsure how we tackle the government and not the regulator directly but surely something is needed to be done. Perhaps the actions specified in this policy may not be the right approach but i have to commend that we are all in agreement that something needs to be done.

One area is afrinic outreach messages for sure but there is more each one of us can bring to the table. I feel we would eventually find the balance going forward. We need to fight the right war not ourselves to get a result. That is my utter belief.

Kris

> On Apr 12, 2017, at 6:13 PM, Arsène Tungali <arsenebaguma at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> 
> 
> Internet shutdowns is a topic that I am interested in so much and have been involved in research, drafting statements sent to government officials, have spoken in various avenues and have written pieces for websites, blogs, journals, etc. I consider myself being an advocate of an open and accessible internet to all. I am opposed to any form of disruption over the network including Internet shutdown whatever the reason.
> 
> 
> 
> For those of us who have little knowledge on this, I would suggest two links:
> 
> -          One which is a report on the State of Internet freedoms in DRC (my country): http://cipesa.org/?wpfb_dl=234 <http://cipesa.org/?wpfb_dl=234>
> -          And a blogpost I recently wrote for CIPESA on the same issue: http://cipesa.org/2017/03/the-evolution-of-internet-shutdowns-in-dr-congo/ <http://cipesa.org/2017/03/the-evolution-of-internet-shutdowns-in-dr-congo/>
> I am also a believer that we need concrete actions (more than just statements) to help our governments understand that for no reason, they should shutdown the Internet. In DRC, we are at 4% Internet penetration, yet we have experienced Internet shutdown more than 4 times, being one of those African countries that have been seriously touched (Cameroon is now leading). And we felt the effect of being disconnected to all communications including SMS, Internet, etc. It is harmful!
> 
> 
> 
> I was one of those who sent praises to AFRINIC for issuing a statement condemning Internet shutdowns and I am glad as a community, we have been thinking on some practical measures that will, hopefully, force our government to no longer consider Internet shutdown whenever they are trying to hide something. I would like to congratulate the authors of this proposal but I am not yet in support of the measures they have suggested because, to sum up my point here, this will cause so much damage to those entities that will not benefit from resources though they are not associated with the decision (which is a Gov decision most of the times) to shutdown the Internet.
> 
> 
> 
> I note so many other people including Seun have mentioned this in this thread.
> 
> 
> 
> After reading the proposal, I have the following comment which are leading my worry in supporting this proposal as it is:
> 
> We need measures that will only affect the entity ordering the shutdown (the Government then the Regulator). In my country for example, it is the Regulator who is executing an order that came from the Gov. If we decide to not deliver resources to other entities (Schools, research centers, etc), be they related to the Gov, we will be doing more bad to them as they will simply be victims.
> 
> 
> 
> I am glad the authors are all from ISPs (if I am not mistaken), which is a good sign. In this debate across Africa, there were close to no statement or action from ISPs with regards to Internet shutdown though they are the ones executing, in most cases, the decision to turn it off, a request they receive from the Regulator. In most cases, they have no means to say no given the fact that they have signed an agreement (MoU) with the Gov to abide by any request from the Gov including network disruptions (this is applicable in DRC as per the report I previously shared).
> 
> 
> 
> I do believe there is more ISPs can help with in the battle against Government ordered shutdowns and if something like this can be added to this policy, that will be helpful. One of the possibilities are to engage the Gov. in a win-win discussion. You guys are doing business with the Gov. and you lose money whenever there is shutdown. There is a way you can find an agreement with the Gov. and discuss the fact that you cannot continue losing money when there is no appealing reason to shutdown the Internet. We have ISPs as AFRINIC members, this is something they can think of and come up with a proposal (with the support of the community).
> 
> 
> 
> If ever this proposal goes further, I would suggest these measures to ONLY affect the Regulator (not sure if they are also members of AFRINIC but they might) rather than any entity owned or related to/by the Government. We will be doing more harm than good.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Arsene
> 
> 
> ------------------------
> *Arsène Tungali*
> Co-Founder & Executive Director, Rudi international <http://www.rudiinternational.org/>,
> CEO, Smart Services Sarl <http://www.smart-serv.info/>, Mabingwa Forum <http://www.mabingwa-forum.com/> 
> Tel: +243 993810967
> GPG: 523644A0
> Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
> 
> 2015 Mandela Washington Felllow <http://tungali.blogspot.com/2015/06/selected-for-2015-mandela-washington.html> (YALI) - ISOC Ambassador (IGF Brazil <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/igf-ambassadors-programme/Past-Ambassadors> & Mexico <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/Current-Ambassadors>) - AFRISIG 2016 <http://afrisig.org/afrisig-2016/class-of-2016/> - Blogger <http://tungali.blogspot.com/> - ICANN Fellow (Los Angeles <https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2014-07-18-en> & Marrakech <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/marrakech55-attendees-2016-03-14-en>). AFRINIC Fellow (Mauritius <http://www.afrinic.net/en/library/news/1907-afrinic-25-fellowship-winners>) - IGFSA Member <http://www.igfsa.org/> - Internet Governance - Internet Freedom. 
> 
> Check the 2016 State of Internet Freedom in DRC report <http://cipesa.org/?wpfb_dl=234>
> 
> 2017-04-12 15:20 GMT+02:00 Mukom Akong T. <mukom.tamon at gmail.com <mailto:mukom.tamon at gmail.com>>:
> **wearing NO hat**
> 
> On 12 April 2017 at 14:02, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com <mailto:otieno.barrack at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Hi Mukom,
> 
> Understood, i raised this point because i am aware of the fact that it has not been easy to get the Afrinic Government working group going and this could be a great area of engaging this group since most of the shutdowns can be attributed to lack of knowledge by key actors and sheer ignorance.
> 
> 
> The job of building capacity with governments is important and definitely will continue - not just from AFRINIC, but also from other stake-holders - irrespective of the outcome of this proposal. But that's a side issue.
>  
> As a key stakeholder it would be  great idea to include them in this conversation.
> 
> 
> I don't see any attempt to exclude them. The AFRINIC PDP is open to all. Each and every person that has ever been to the AFGWG knows about this mailing list and how to take part in it. I'm hoping that they are following and we'll be seeing contributions from them soon (some already have responded)
> 
> My point was that there's no room in the PDP for the community to wait ad-infinitum for a response from them. 
>  
> The proposal is well intentioned but the outcome might be in the interest of proponents of Internet shutdowns.
> 
> 
> It would greatly enhance this discussion if you could state how this will be in their interest. 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Mukom Akong T.
> 
> LinkedIn:Mukom <https://www.linkedin.com/in/mukom>  |  twitter: @perfexcellent  
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> “When you work, you are the FLUTE through whose lungs the whispering of the hours turns to MUSIC" - Kahlil Gibran
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Kris Seeburn
seeburn.k at gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/kseeburn/ <http://www.linkedin.com/in/kseeburn/>

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