Dear All,<div><br></div><div>This is a very welcome initiative in principle and the fact that the new CEO has African roots is a plus for ICANN. </div><div><br></div><div>However, many interested people present in Prague - I am one - have been excluded of this early thinking and, as a result their inputs, knowledge and network were also missed. So we need to increase participation by all already in ICANN who wish to see much more African participation in ICANN and can help in the process. I for one have spent 5 years of my life in Africa - as a consultant, an engineer, a fundraiser and a grantmaker at various time - and had the chance to carry-out short-term assignments in 31 countries in the process on that continent (and yet I feel I know very little about Africa!). I would like to help as much as I can.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Also, we need to think of increased participation beyond the usual ICANN arms' length folks, who are necessary of course and even critical but very far from being sufficient. Much increased and broader African participation will be a key asset for ICANN to continue its drive and succeed in becoming a global organization. Without a fully engaged Africa, it will be difficult for ICANN to becoming truly international, diverse and global.</div>
<div><br></div><div>A dimension that also comes to mind are the new relations between China and Africa, for better and for worse. That must be understood and leveraged for ICANN to succeed in both Asia and Africa.</div><div>
<br></div><div>Alain<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Aug 11, 2012 at 5:06 AM, Rafik Dammak <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rafik.dammak@gmail.com" target="_blank">rafik.dammak@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Hi Bill,<div><br></div><div>there was discussion (quite heated) in Africann list about the initiative to setup WG which will provide a strategy plan for toronto meeting since many people were unaware about the meeting in prague with the ICANN CEO and the board chair and also about the composition of the WG (a kind of self-appointment.. understood because ad hoc approach and short-time) , I think that Baudoin also expressed some concerns and he can probably give his point of view.</div>
<div><br></div><div>one of issue with that WG, acknowledging that is ad hoc is not ensuring yet regional balance (I heard that they will ask for representative from sub-region in africa) and more concerning representation from users, civil society and academics. I guess for NCSG we can intervene and comment when the strategy proposal will be send and then we must request a real cross-community work to be done within ICANN and calling for open consultation hopefully to have more african participation, I also understood that some people want to take the opportunity given by the CEO but they should follow more inclusive process.</div>
<div>for the appointment of Dr Kamel, I don't want to comment,</div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div><br><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Rafik Dammak</div>@rafik<div>"fight for the users"</div></div><div><div class="h5">
<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2012/8/11 William Drake <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:william.drake@uzh.ch" target="_blank">william.drake@uzh.ch</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';font-size:medium">Glen de Saint Géry <<a href="mailto:Glen@icann.org" target="_blank">Glen@icann.org</a>><br>
</span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';font-size:medium">August 11, 2012 12:03:01 AM GMT+02:00<br>
</span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';font-size:medium">"<a href="mailto:council@gnso.icann.org" target="_blank">council@gnso.icann.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:council@gnso.icann.org" target="_blank">council@gnso.icann.org</a>><br>
</span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';font-size:medium"><b>[council] A New Approach to Africa</b><br>
</span></div><div><div><br><span style="border-collapse:separate;font-family:Arial;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium"><div lang="FR" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div><div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-10aug12-en.htm" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-10aug12-en.htm</a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
<h1 style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:24pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">A New Approach to Africa<u></u><u></u></span></h1>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">10 August 2012</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">With the support of AFRINIC, Africa's Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources, ICANN and leading members of its community are today announcing an initiative aimed at increasing African participation and influence within ICANN.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">This initiative is the result of a June meeting involving Steve Crocker, Chairman of ICANN's Board of Directors, ICANN's CEO-Designate Fadi Chehadé and its Interim CEO Akram Atallah with African community members at ICANN's 44th Public Meeting, in Prague, Czech Republic.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The goal is to develop a framework for ICANN's Africa strategy and to announce an initial plan at the October 2012 Public Meeting in Toronto, Canada. The strategy will aim both to support a stronger presence for ICANN in Africa and to increase African participation in ICANN. It will also foster the promotion of the multi-stakeholder model in Africa at the government, civil society and private sector levels.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">This effort is a step toward stronger global engagement for ICANN, with a special focus on developing countries.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">To contribute to the development of the new strategy, a working group was created and endorsed by the African community members meeting in Prague, including key players in Internet governance from different regions in Africa. The working group has selected Nii Quaynor of Ghana, a well-respected Internet leader in Africa, to lead its efforts.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">ICANN has appointed Tarek Kamel of Egypt to serve as a Senior Advisor to its President and CEO on global issues, and to work with the group to develop the initial strategic plan that will be announced in Toronto. The working group unanimously endorsed this choice. Tarek is well known for his long record of achievements in promoting the Internet and its multi-stakeholder model in developing countries.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">For further information or to submit ideas, please contact<span> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="mailto:ICANN-ASWG@Afrinic.net" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US">ICANN-ASWG@Afrinic.net</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Journalists should contact Brad White, ICANN's Director of Global Media Affairs, at<span> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="mailto:brad.white@icann.org" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US">brad.white@icann.org</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Glen de Saint Géry<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">GNSO Secretariat<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="mailto:gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org</a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://gnso.icann.org/" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">http://gnso.icann.org</a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin-top:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><u></u> <u></u></div></div></div></span></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote>
</div><br></div></div></div></div></div>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Alain Berranger, B.Eng, MBA<div>Member, Board of Directors, CECI, <a href="http://www.ceci.ca/en/about-ceci/team/board-of-directors/" target="_blank">http://www.ceci.ca</a><br>
<div>Executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business, <a href="http://www.schulich.yorku.ca" target="_blank">www.schulich.yorku.ca</a></div><div>Treasurer, Global Knowledge Partnership Foundation, <a href="http://www.gkpfoundation.org" target="_blank">www.gkpfoundation.org</a></div>
<div>NA representative, Chasquinet Foundation, <font color="#0a246a" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><a href="http://www.chasquinet.org" target="_blank">www.chasquinet.org</a></font><br>Chair, NPOC, NCSG, ICANN, <a href="http://npoc.org/" target="_blank">http://npoc.org/</a><br>
O:+1 514 484 7824; M:+1 514 704 7824<br>Skype: alain.berranger<br></div></div><br>
</div>