[kictanet] ICANN: Africa must work hard too...

Thu Mar 11 18:02:16 EAT 2010

My limited experience (as Mc Tim will shortly remind me) indicates that after the general orientation one has to have some objectives for engagement. Long term ICANNers appear to have an agenda: sealing business deals, pushing for policy changes to do more business, protecting and promoting national and public interests, knowledge gathering and research etc. 

In terms of getting the lay of the land, ICANN has a great website with all sorts of tools to engage. The site also breaks down all those acronyms (without a quick acronym check, attending a meeting will be a waste of time). However, I think beyond attending a meeting, reading up and having an agenda, actors may still need some help on where the opportunities are.

To somewhat illustrate, I met a registrar yesterday from Europe who got domain name accreditation in 1994 while he was still a college student. He has never missed an ICANN meeting although he rans one of the leading European registers. This is the kind of headstart Kenyans would be up against in various ICANN 'sectors'.

On a light note, I must now change my line and say Kenyans are true ICANNers. The party at the Carnivore was filled with Kenyan merriment, butt wriggling and shouting. The Kenyan energy infected most of the visitors who danced wildly for hours sweating away in masaai blankets with no sense of modesty whatsoever. What a great party!

regards, Wamuyu

________________________________
From: Emmanuel Khisa <Emmanuel.khisa at kadet.co.ke>
To: wamuyulearn at yahoo.co.uk
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Thu, 11 March, 2010 12:26:41
Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICANN: Africa must work hard too...

Hi All,

This has most certainly been a very enlightening session for the short while I have been around. I must say that it does help to encourage more industry players to participate through creation of visibility and demystifying the whole Internet Governance/ ICANN setups. I don’t think we in Kenya lack the drive or even the tricks to lobby, I just think the whole ICANN/Internet Governance are generally shrouded in lots of secrecy, you would almost think there are limited opportunities to go around.

My challenge to which I direct to myself first is that the broader ICT community and Internet community more specifically MUST seek to get the information out. More like the OFC kind of awareness that was created. The internet community need not make this area such a technical and secretly run group that the majority of stakeholders should be kept out but rather make it a deliberate intention to inform the wider public about them through media. The challenge goes to ICT Journalists as well, write more articles to do with the subject. This way more and more members will gain awareness and next time such chances come up it would be like CISA, CCNA Academies etc (Just examples of how interest aroused creates even greater impact).

Just my thought.

EK

PS: McTim and the rest of the Kenyan “delegation” in the conference great job. And the LOC, Congratulations for putting this together, Alice & Co.

From:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Judy Okite
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 12:13 PM
To: emmanuel.khisa at kadet.co.ke
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICANN: Africa must work hard too...

Hello All,

as much as we discuss all these,clearly, there is a difference between attending the ICANN meeting and participating actively in the event/conference/deliberations.

and yes, most importantly we need to understand the process....there have been meetings where it seems like the panel is talking and discussing amongst themselves, but again there has been opportunities granted to us, as, Africans....and we've let them slide under.

Yesterday, I was VERY,VERY disappointed....this is not a personal attack....AfTLD had an opportunity to make a presentation,but they were missing in action.....it is one thing to make your presentation and put emphasis on particular sessions and it is another for your presentation to be flipped through....so why pass on such an opportunity!!!

we've got a whole lot of learning and working to do.....both individually and continentally.

Kind Regards,
On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 11:48 AM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
Mctim,

I think the same case applies to all the other African countries,
collective bargaining is the thing, how else will we handle emerging
security challenges and dispute resolution, brings in the question of
"Internet Governance"
Regards

On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 10:43 AM, Barrack Otieno
<otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
> Mctim,
>
> I appreciate your point the thing is understanding the ICANN process,
> you must be empowered to participate in at-large discussions, maybe
> people like you or Njeri Rionge or Waudo can enlighten interested
> members in a townhall meeting, i was just thinking aloud :-), Africa
> is communal.
>
> Regards
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 10:36 AM, McTim <dogwallah at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi barack, It would be fairly trivial for kictanet to become an als
>> (member) in at-large. The bottom line is that individuals should
>> become involved as per individual interests. Rgds, mctim
>>
>> On 3/11/10, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Good observation Becky,
>>>
>>> Am glad similar concerns were raised by the CEO KIXP at a forum with
>>> the President Rod Beckstrom, she articulately raised the fact that the
>>> constituencies need to be demystified and the president alluded to
>>> this fact, i noted that there are "ICANN VETERANS" and they are quick
>>> to notify you on this which literally freezes a fast timer, however
>>> the fact that we are thinking this way shows that we are moving in the
>>> right direction, Dr. Siganga has for a number of times urged the local
>>> community on this forum to join those constituencies the dilemma is
>>> which one to join, we need forums at country level to look at how we
>>> can contribute significantly to the ICANN process, the constituencies
>>> are many and it is easy to get lost in the cloud. Probably it can be a
>>> structured discussion on KICTANET, what do you say Walu?
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Wamuyu Gatheru
>>> <wamuyulearn at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> The notion of the USA contributing 90% to ICANN ,because most registrars,
>>>> are based there was challenged at the ccNSO meeting yesterday. The
>>>> registrars obtain their revenues from internet users across the world -
>>>> and
>>>> Africa's share is growing especially with broadband. Europeans and others
>>>> who spoke thereafter in the ccNSO meeting all began their statements by
>>>> saying that they make payments to ICANN.
>>>>
>>>> regards, Wamuyu
>>>> ________________________________
>>>> From: "alice at apc.org" <alice at apc.org>
>>>> To: wamuyulearn at yahoo.co.uk
>>>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>>> Sent: Tue, 9 March, 2010 17:52:40
>>>> Subject: [kictanet] ICANN: Africa must work hard too...
>>>>
>>>> http://wanjiku.co.ke/
>>>>
>>>> ICANN: Africa must work hard too...
>>>> 08 03 2010
>>>> Comments: 3
>>>> Available in: English
>>>>
>>>> There are many African governments and citizens who do not understand the
>>>> role of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
>>>>
>>>> For some, ICANN should operate in the bottom later ensuring that we have
>>>> internet access and that the pipes are faster. Others think that ICANN
>>>> should be involved in the running of domain registries, which are in
>>>> shambles and in some cases fighting over petty issues. Others think that
>>>> ICANN is there to fund them; talk of reliance on aid.
>>>>
>>>> Of course ICANN has no role in all these things and what it points is that
>>>> more outreach is needed and maybe ICANN should have an office in Africa.
>>>>
>>>> But how? According to Rod Beckstrom, 90 percent of ICANN contributions
>>>> come from North America, so that may be the reason why we have 3 offices
>>>> in the US and none in Africa.
>>>>
>>>> That makes sense; if Africa does not contribute anything, how will the
>>>> office be supported? So, for Africa to be on level terms, then we must
>>>> also be willing to contribute, but am not sure how when our registry
>>>> operations are still manual.
>>>>
>>>> I was chatting with Rafik Dammak, who accuses me of complaining or whining
>>>> too much but then, what do I do?
>>>>
>>>> Rafik told me of how the various constituencies within ICANN are always
>>>> looking for participants but what do you do when they dont contribute to
>>>> those meetings and in some cases stay outside within the coffee houses
>>>> instead of meeting rooms?
>>>>
>>>> Yes, its good to have geographical representations but we also need to
>>>> start bringing something on the table and contributing to the debate more
>>>> than we do currently.
>>>>
>>>> Regarding the financial contributions, I have no words; will leave it for
>>>> the others.
>>>>
>>>> Ends
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>> This message was sent to: wamuyulearn at yahoo.co.uk
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>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>
>>>> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack at gmail.com
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Barrack O. Otieno
>>> Administrative Manager
>>> Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
>>> P.o.Box 21682
>>> Nairobi 00100
>>> Tel:
>>> +254721325277
>>> +254733206359
>>> +254202498789
>>> Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
>>> www.afriregister.com
>>> www.afriregister.co.ke
>>> ICANN accredited registrar.
>>> Skype: barrack.otieno
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> kictanet mailing list
>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>
>>> This message was sent to: dogwallah at gmail.com
>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dogwallah%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Sent from my mobile device
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> McTim
>> "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
>> route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Barrack O. Otieno
> Administrative Manager
> Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
> P.o.Box 21682
> Nairobi 00100
> Tel:
> +254721325277
> +254733206359
> +254202498789
> Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
> www.afriregister.com
> www.afriregister.co.ke
> ICANN accredited registrar.
> Skype: barrack.otieno
>

--
Barrack O. Otieno
Administrative Manager
Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
P.o.Box 21682
Nairobi 00100
Tel:
+254721325277
+254733206359
+254202498789
Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
www.afriregister.com
www.afriregister.co.ke
ICANN accredited registrar.
Skype: barrack.otieno

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