[rpd] [Community-Discuss] Larus foundation fellowship

[Caleb Olumuyiwa Ogundele]

Dear Taiwo,

I do not speak for AFRINIC but I will like to correct some wrong assumption
or impression in you email.

See comments inline below in blue color markings


On Tue, Jul 2, 2019, 2:32 PM Taiwo Oyewande <taiwo.oyewande88 at gmail.com>
wrote:


> Hi all,

>

> Taking a good look at this resource, it is obviously a summary of the

> policies to be discussed.

>

> Larus fellowship tends towards promoting the youth - students included-. I

> think this summary will be a good starting point for new members who are

> fresh in the policy development process.

>

> On this note, i will like to encourage Afrinic to emulate the foundation

> and come up with an official summary like this before every meeting to

> enable new and interested members get up to speed quickly.

>


*Caleb:* You are within your right to encourage anybody or an organization
as you wish in a public mailing list.
However, I will take some exception to your opinion that AFRINIC should
emulate a fellowship program that recently started. If you have ever been
through the *rigorous and competitive selection process of being an AFRINIC
fellow,* you will reverse your statement and maybe tender and apology to
that effect. just to provide you with some information as a former AFRINIC
fellow:

1. Part of evaluation that might likely assist any applicant in getting
selected is the ability to have been *actively and independently
contributing to the mailing list of RPD* without being gagged/boxed into a
corner while expressing his / her opinion. The prospective fellow would
have gone through the  RDP archive, made reasonable contributions
irrespective of the bias they have in expressing their views. In every  AFRINIC
fellowship form that is pushed out during fellowship application call,
applicants are asked to demonstrate by posting evidence of their
contribution to the RPD mailing list. I will not know the reason but i'm
sure it sure gives the applicant some competitive edge over other
applicants.

2. *After selection as fellow*:  Applicants will pass through some
pre-meeting webinars where you will be given policy summaries and asked to
read ahead and discuss among other fellows. These fellows are given a
mentor who guides them and helps them understand any grey area also with
the help of staff.

3. *Onsite:* A WhatsApp and mailing list is esthablished for continuous
interaction of fellows. The interesting part is where fellows have a *DAILY
RECAP session on the policies through out the meeting. *Fellows freely ask
mentors and AFRINIC staff questions on grey areas they do not understand
are encouraged to go to the open mic without any pre-conceived perception
to speak up freely. No one is penalized or won't get thier stipends if they
oppose or support policy.

4. On completion of the fellowship program, they are inducted into the
larger fellows program with alumni where there is continuous discussion
almost on a weekly or bi-weekly/monthly basis on AFRINIC policies either on
the fellowship alumni mailing list and WhatsApp group.

Therefore, it is imperative to separate the issues being discussed and not
bring in the AFRINIC fellowship program which I'm proud to be the alumnus
into any form of controversy as we like to engage strictly on issues that
affect the policy and the continent from an internet policy perspective
only.

We also welcome every active member to apply and participate in the AFRINIC
fellowship program as it is rewarding.

*Caleb Ogundele*






>

> Cheers.

>

> Taiwo O

>

>

>

> On Tue, 2 Jul 2019 at 20:36, Andrew Alston <

> Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com> wrote:

>

>> Wafa,

>>

>> So – let me say this.  I see a document here – which lays out the

>> policies – and provides a perspective of problems, it also lists the pros

>> and cons.  Yes, Lazarus may have used the foundation to lobby for its

>> position, but – one of the things that I have long accepted in my life is –

>> if you believe in something – you have to lobby for it – and to be frank –

>> the summary that I see in this document – is something that by and large –

>> should have been done long before they got around to it.

>>

>> If I, as an individual, feel strongly about something, I am entirely free

>> to go and advocate for my position.  I am also entirely free to sponsor

>> people to come to a public meeting – and I am entirely free to choose those

>> people as I so wish, if I choose the people who agree with me, well, that’s

>> life – but it certainly aint against the rules, it is the political nature

>> of internet policy development.  Do you think that similar does not happen

>> elsewhere?  People lobby for the positions that they care about.  It

>> happens in politics, it happens in life, and yet now we want to cry when

>> someone else does the same thing.

>>

>> Let me also say – it’s not like this hasn’t been happening before – and I

>> want to quote from the OIF website: *IOF organises political activities

>> and actions of multilateral cooperation that benefit French-speaking

>> populations.*

>>

>> Yet – this is an organization that for years has spent money filling the

>> room with people – and that statement does not say – is of benefit to

>> Africa – it does not say is of benefit to the African continent – it does

>> not say is to the benefit of the continent – it singles out a single

>> demographic on the continent and says – we do what we do for their

>> benefit.   Now, let me be very clear, if they wish to do that – I’m

>> actually ok with it – though I admit I have waivered on this stance –

>> however, we cannot say – because it’s a government political organization –

>> it’s ok – but when a member chooses to have a foundation – and sponsor

>> people to the meetings – and then lobby for the positions that member is

>> passionate about – suddenly its wrong.  That is called hypocrisy.

>>

>> In Point Noire, I watched people walk to the microphone – with slips of

>> paper and read a comment on a policy – and then go and sit down – and the

>> same happened in Botswana.  Except, what I found was, when queried on the

>> position that was taken at the microphone, the individual reading what they

>> had off the paper, had patently obviously never read the policy and didn’t

>> understand the position they were taking themselves.  So who was behind

>> that?  And all of that – is on video for the world to see – but – it was ok

>> then – suddenly it changes now because we don’t like the individual doing

>> it?

>>

>> Sorry – this isn’t the way it works – and let me be clear – Lu Heng is

>> not a friend of mine, and in fact in Mauritius I had some pretty strong

>> things to say to him to his face, in front of others who will testify to

>> what I said to him – however – I respect his rights as a member to

>> participate in what is essentially a democratic process, that means – I

>> respect his right to lobby for his views, I respect his right to put boots

>> on the ground, and I respect his right to have his say.  In the same way –

>> I respect the right of any member to do that – and I respect the right of

>> the members to then rebut what is said if they do not agree with it.    It

>> is through this lobbying position and through the back and forth that

>> accompanies it, that great policy is born – it is not through acquiescence,

>> nor is it through the silencing of the rights of others.

>>

>> My view – if anyone wants to come into the room and have their say – so

>> be it – that is bottom up.  If people want to lobby their positions – so be

>> it – that is bottom up.  If people want to spend money running tv adverts

>> about their positions for all I care – so be it – that is the nature of the

>> democratic position.  If people want to bus a thousand people who share

>> their views – again – so be it – that is the democratic process.   However,

>> it is the community who then need to rebut – but – the rebuttal should be

>> on the policy itself.  What I see here however, is a rebuttal of policy and

>> a lobbying position taken on the **content** of the policy – unlike what

>> I have seen time and again in the meetings where the lobbying position has

>> NOTHING to do with the content or the policy.

>>

>> So rather than malign Lazarus for their actions here – quite frankly,

>> reading this document, and as much as as I have said, Lu and I have some

>> serious differences, I applaud Lazarus for the comprehensive work – and I

>> applaud them for taking a stance that was based on the policy and I embrace

>> their right to lobby for their position in any way shape or form.  That is

>> not to say I agree with the positions taken in this document – I will

>> reserve my policy comments for the policies and based on my own

>> interpretation of such – but – I embrace the fact that at least, it was

>> done based on what was written, and not on personal relationships, personal

>> attacks, demographics, or anything else.

>>

>>

>>

>> So – to Lazarus – thank you for a job well done in the fact that you

>> lobbied your position based on the policies – and left the other garbage

>> behind, which is what we so often see.

>>

>>

>>

>> Finally – again – I respect the right to do what they did – and

>>

>>

>>

>> *THAT IS DEMOCRATIC*

>>

>>

>>

>> Thanks

>>

>>

>>

>> Andrew

>>

>>

>>

>> *From:* wafa DAHMANI <wafa at ati.tn>

>> *Sent:* Tuesday, 2 July 2019 12:30

>> *To:* community-discuss at afrinic.net

>> *Cc:* rpd at afrinic.net

>> *Subject:* [Community-Discuss] Larus foundation fellowship

>>

>>

>>

>> Hi

>>

>>

>>

>> It fell under public domain, that those who benefited from Larus

>> foundation fellowship to attend the last afrinic meeting in Kampala, were

>> given a  confidential  Education package on AFRINIC Number Resources Policy

>> proposals detailed in the following link:

>>

>>

>>

>> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kf7K8JdL-zl5NYjlboltmoXeq2mAJvNg

>>

>>

>>

>> The document lists the proposals to be discussed, Larus Foundation views

>> of Pros and Cons on each of them, selective PDWG participants interventions

>> on the proposals.

>>

>>

>>

>> The education package so proposed intends to condition these participants

>> views on the proposals  and their contributions at the PPM and after....

>>

>>

>>

>> I like to remind us that the PDP is open for any individual willing to

>> participate. Views expressed are personal. No need to know who is behind

>> each source email address... only opinions expressed in the context of the

>> PDP matter. The substance of contribution really matter. Diversity of views

>> are encouraged. Lack of disagreement is more important  than of agreement.

>> Also PDP is not a matter of volume, repetition or persistence.

>>

>>

>>

>> RFC 7282 section 6 and 7 are clear  on these aspects of  the rough

>> consensus  process.

>>

>>

>>

>> Section 6

>>

>> One hundred people for and five people against might not be rough

>> consensus.

>>

>>

>>

>> Section 7

>>

>> Five people for and one hundred people against might still be rough

>> consensus

>>

>>

>>

>> My African fellows,

>>

>>

>>

>> Your desire to participate to AFRINIC policy development Process is

>> legitimate and must be encouraged. I hope the last meeting  was useful to

>> you and allow you to identify the issues, understand what is going on and

>> what Africa needs...  I hope you’ve made your minds and  now able to speak

>> on your personal  capacity..

>>

>>

>>

>> The real education package  is as below:

>>

>> =====

>>

>>

>>

>> Proposal to establish AFRINIC

>>

>>

>> http://web01.jnb.afrinic.net/en/library/policies/archive/ppm-minutes/862-kuala-lumpur-1997

>>

>>

>>

>> IANA report  on AFRINIC (Accreditation)

>>

>> https://www.iana.org/reports/2005/afrinic-report-05aug2005.pdf

>>

>>

>>

>> AFRINIC constitution

>>

>> https://www.afrinic.net/bylaws

>>

>>

>>

>> Registration Service  Agreement

>>

>> https://www.afrinic.net/membership/agreements#rsa

>>

>>

>>

>> AFRINIC policy manual

>>

>> https://afrinic.net/policy/manual

>>

>>

>>

>> AFRINIC policies before the adoption of the CPM

>>

>> https://www.afrinic.net/cpm-pre

>>

>>

>>

>> AFRINIC PDP

>>

>> https://www.afrinic.net/policy

>>

>>

>>

>> Rough Consensus

>>

>> https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7282

>>

>>

>>

>> AFRINIC current policy proposals

>>

>> https://www.afrinic.net/policy/proposals

>>

>>

>>

>> RiRs PDPs

>>

>> https://www.nro.net/policy/regional/

>>

>>

>>

>> RIR comparative  policy overview

>>

>> https://www.nro.net/policy/regional/rir-comparative-policy-overview/

>>

>> ==============

>>

>>

>>

>> Please read and process them, ask questions and find your way.

>>

>>

>>

>> Come build African Internet by Africans.

>>

>>

>>

>> As for Larus Foundation, your relationship to cloud innovation, afrinic

>> member with suspicious activities, holding 6 millions of IPv4 is long

>> established and discussed many times on this list. I hope the fellows would

>> find these discussions in the archives.

>>

>>

>>

>> I call the attention of the board on the  repetitive attempts of this

>> resource member to hijack the PDP for its sordid intentions...  the

>> provisions of the bylaws and RSA must  carefully be applied to recall

>> members to acceptable code of conduct.

>>

>>

>>

>> The African Internet community as well as the global Internet community

>> must pay close attention and protect the RIRs Policy development process

>> and operations.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> -Wafa

>> _______________________________________________

>> Community-Discuss mailing list

>> Community-Discuss at afrinic.net

>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/community-discuss

>>

>

>

> --

> *Vivien *

> *Larus Cloud Service Limited*

> p:+852 29888918

> f:+852 29888368

> e:a.v.p at laruscloudservice.net

> w:laruscloudservice.net/

> a:B5,11/F,TML Tower,No.3 Hoi Shing Road,Tsuen Wan,HKSAR

>

>

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