Volume 4 - EN AFRALO NEWSLETTER Volume 4 | English French version to follow shortly The latest news from the African At-Large Regional Organization (AFRALO) Visit our Website From the Chair's Desk Seun Ojedeji, AFRALO Chair Dear Colleagues, I trust you are staying safe and maintaining all safety precautions during this period of pandemic which has impacted us all one way or the other. On behalf of the AFRALO Leadership (Myself, Aziz and Sarah), this quarter has been a source of hope that we will get through this global challenge stronger as the various countries and economies commenced relaxation of their lockdown protocols. AFRALO has continued her activities during this quarter and here are some of the current and ongoing activities of the RALO. In the Q2 update I indicated that we will develop implementation details of our FY21 Outreach and Engagement plan within and I am glad to inform you that the plan is now done and we have started implementation of some of its items. The 9 action points are hereby listed below: Increase the number of AFRALO members who are deeply engaged in and At-Large activities including At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and ICANN policy advice. Encourage the greater participation of AFRALO members through in-reach activities. Participate in remote based events (and physical when feasible) across Africa and especially in countries without ALSes to make adequate outreach to bring them into ICANN Arena: a) African Internet organizations and make them interested in joining AFRALO as ALSes; b) Non-affiliated African individuals and make them interested in becoming AFRALO Individual members. Make presentations about topics under discussion in ICANN to highlight the AfriCANN community effective participation in policy discussions. Exhibit ICANN structures information, activities and working methods. Where feasible organize local events, in partnership with local ALSes, to promote universal acceptance, DNSSEC and cybersecurity skills and enhance AFRALO members’ engagement in their respective countries. Continue to identify universities and academic institutions, organize discussions with students and teachers about Internet Governance and build young people’s interest in joining ICANN. Identify AFRALO role model leaders who will coach new members towards ICANN leadership positions. Share AFRALO ATLAS III Ambassadors’ best practices. With the completion of the implementation plan, our activities regarding outreach and engagement will be around the 9 action points stated above which we will be executing until 2021 the action points will be implemented with respect to the realities of the restrictions that we now have due to COVID-19. In view of these we continue to welcome volunteers to join us in executing the plan. More info can be found at this link here. It is no longer news that ICANN69 will be held virtually and I guess we are getting used to this and getting better at it as well. The last two remote based ICANN meetings (ICANN67 and ICANN68) were a success, ICANN69 however will be a special one as it is the first virtual annual general meeting (AGM) as well, which is usually the largest meeting of ICANN and we trust that it will be a great experience. As usual we will hold a Joint AFRALO-AfrICANN meeting, and discussion on the topic will be circled around Universal Acceptance. The session will also provide us the opportunity to hear from our GSE team, ALAC leadership, ICANN’s President and CEO and ICANN Board members from Africa. Let me use this opportunity to recognise our outgoing and incoming leaders: Tijani BEN JEMAA has been one of the fathers of AFRALO, contributing many years of selfless service to AFRALO development and the entire ICANN community, Tijani’s term on ALAC will end at ICANN69. I would like to thank Tijani for his enormous contribution to AFRALO, At-Large and ICANN as a whole, while I trust that he will remain close to the community. Secretary, Sarah Kiden, will end her term at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) as well and I would like to use this opportunity to thank her for her services these last four years during her two two-year terms. I wish her all the best as she takes on her new role as ALAC member from AFRALO. Hadia El Miniawi was our representative on NomCom and I would like to thank her for her service both on NomCom and also on the Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP). I welcome Mr. Abdeldjalil Bachar Bong who will be taking up the role of AFRALO Secretary at the end of AGM and look forward to his continued service to the community in that role. Finally, I commend members who have provided updates on their activities to us in this newsletter edition and I would like to once again encourage us all to keep us informed about your participation within the ICANN community, send us a mail on the Afridiscuss list (afri-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org),and let us know what current ICANN process you are contributing towards and how we may support you. Our monthly meetings, which resumed back in September after a break in August, will continue all through the year and I encourage us all to join the meeting to make our opinions and voices heard. Our meetings are open to everyone so feel free to join and contribute to the discussions and invite others from your At-Large Structure (ALS) or Internet community. Have a great ICANN69 Virtual Annual General Meeting! See At-Large 2020 Priorities Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Seun OJEDEJI Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Aziz HILALI Managing Editor | Secretariat: Sarah KIDEN Editor (English): Remmy NWEKE Co-Editor (French): Olévié KOUAMI CONTRIBUTORS ENGLISH Adetokunbo Abiola Aisha Hamid Bram Fudzulani Bukola Oronti Dave Kissoondoyal Hadia El Miniawi Haroun Mahamat FRENCH Adam Ahmat Brahim Mustapha Cedric Kinanga Christine Anaky Gabdibé Gab-Hingonne Ines Hfaiedh Minata Zong-Naba Full list of team members SUPPORT ICANN At-Large Staff staff(a)atlarge.icann.org About AFRALO African Regional At-Large Organization: Engaging Africa for Development AFRALO is the home of the individual Internet user community for the African region. It provides news, key resources and interactive information sharing tools for individuals and end-user groups in the African region who are interested in ICANN and in shaping the future of the Internet. AFRALO aims to: Strengthen users’ participation in ICANN decision-making structures Help ensure that its members will actively encourage more direct participation by end users Build Internet policy making capacity in the region Reach out to Internet users on the issues in the scope of ICANN Represent users’ interests and defining public interest aspects of Internet governance with specific focus on the areas of privacy, transparency, and accountability Strengthen consumer protection in ICANN policies Identify social impacts of technical infrastructure design Take cultural diversity into account when formulating technical standards (e.g. IDN implementation) AFRALO currently consist of 65 ALSes located in 32 countries and territories, as well as 14 Individual members and 3 Observers. To learn more about the ongoing work of AFRALO, you are welcome to check out the AFRALO workspace. ICANN Update The ICANN69 Online Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held from 17-22 October, and features one Prep Week of webinars to brief the community, one week of SOAC Internal work, and one Plenary Week. To see the full schedule of ALAC/At-Large activities, please visit this page. In addition, ICANN: Announced that ICANN75, the Annual General Meeting will be held on September 17-22, 2022 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC). An instance of the ICANN-Managed Root Server (IMRS) was successfully installed in Monterrey, Mexico, jointly with Transtelco. ICANN staff Baher Esmat was appointed Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa Regional Office (MEA). The Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) hosted a webinar on the “Universal Acceptance (UA) Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2021” on August 20th. PTI and IANA hosted a webinar on the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget on August 27-28. ICANN has launched the ICANN69 Internet Access Reimbursement Program Pilot. Application deadline was October 2. ALAC Update The ALAC held regular monthly meetings over the past several months. The most recent ALAC monthly meeting was held on September 22 and was chaired by ALAC Chair, Maureen Hilyard and featured guest speaker and ICANN CEO/President Göran Marby. An ALAC statement on the Final Report on the Phase 2 of the Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP) on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data and addendum led to a robust discussion between ICANN President and CEO Göran Marby and ALAC members during the September ALAC meeting. In addition, the meeting focused on: Monthly ALAC Policy Development Activities. Review of ALS Membership Applications from Organizations and Individuals Reports and Discussions with the At-Large Plus Group leaders Discussion with Leon Sanchez - ICANN Board Vice-Chair. Post-ATLAS III At-Large Priority Activities / 2020: Review and Development of Recommendations for ALAC. Initial discussion of At-Large at ICANN69 and At-Large Planning Committee for ICANN69 ALS mobilization update In addition, ALAC ratified the 2020 ALAC Representatives to the Nominating Committee. The following individuals will serve as 2020 ALAC Delegates to the Nominating Committee from their regions for a period of one year, beginning at the end of ICANN69: Hadia Elminiawi - ALAC Delegate to the NomCom from the African Region Amrita Choudhury - ALAC Delegate to the NomCom from theAsia, Australasia and the Pacific Islands Region Bastiaan Goslings - ALAC Delegate to the NomCom from the European Region Vanda Scartezini - ALAC Delegate to the NomCom from theLatin America and Caribbean Region Glenn McKnight - ALAC Delegate to the NomCom from theNorth American Region During the ICANN68 At-Large Leadership Wrap-up session on June 25, Maureen Hilyard, ALAC chair, requested ALAC endorsement for the Final Implementation Report for the Second At-Large Review (ARI) to the Organizational Effectiveness Committee (OEC). The ALAC strongly endorsed the Final Report. ARI's final report was presented to the OEC on June 30, 2020, and the Board accepted the ARI final report at their September Board meeting. ALAC / At-Large Policy Comments & Advice All of AFRALO and the At-Large community are invited to contribute to ICANN public comment proceedings. For more information, please visit the At-Large Policy Advice Development Page or contact At-Large staff. The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is currently developing (1) response to public comment proceedings: Comment Reference Label Generation Rulesets (LGRs) for the Second Level 15 October 2020 In addition, there are an ongoing workspaces regarding CPWG SubPro Comment and PDP 3.0. Have your say! To contribute to ALAC public comment, please comment on the wiki space or volunteer as penholder, and join the weekly At-Large Consolidated Policy Working Group (CPWG) meetings. The ALAC submitted (8) policy comments since the last AFRALO Newsletter: GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report Executive Summary TBD Addendum to the ALAC Statement on the EPDP (August 2020) Although the ALAC and the BC, IPC, GAC and the SSAC each took a somewhat different approach to addressing their positions in respect to the report, the ALAC is in general agreement with the positions taken in the GAC, SSAC and BC/IPC statements. In particular, the ALAC appreciates the in-depth and insightful analysis provided by the GAC, SSAC and BC/IPC. Improving ICANN's Multistakeholder Model Effectiveness: Next Steps The At-Large community is pleased to follow up on its prior ALAC statements regarding ICANN’s Multistakeholder Model (see: 13 June 2019, 14 October 2019, February 2020) with this ALAC statement on Enhancing the Effectiveness of ICANN’s Multistakeholder Model - Next Steps. The ALAC made recommendations on priority issues, moving out of silos, restoring recruitment and demographics, reviewing previous responses, identifying gaps, pandemic related issues and evaluation of success with respect to the latest Public Comment on the topic. Final Report of the Cross-Community Working Group (CCWG) on New gTLD Auction Proceeds The ALAC appointed five Members to the CCWG and these Members, alongside several participants from At-Large, were very active contributors to the work of the CCWG. The ALAC believes that all of its concerns have been addressed and therefore was pleased to accept and ratify the Final Report of the new gTLD Auction Proceeds Cross Community Working Group. Third Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT3) Final Report The ALAC strongly supports the limited and focused number of recommendations proposed by the ATRT3 report, reflecting the pending implementation of proposals from previous review teams. In moving forward, the ALAC advises the ICANN Board to: (1) Swiftly implement ATRT3 recommendation to evolve both specific and organizational reviews as per Section 8 of the final report; (2) Fully endorse the recommendation to enhance current methods of Prioritization and Rationalization of Activities, Policies, and Recommendations (as per Section 10 of the report); (3) Share the ATRT3 Review Team’s approach to the review process and methodology behind it, aiming to ensure that all elements contributing to achieving strategic objectives and their subcomponents are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based (SMART) and that all reporting on these refers to well specified metrics, to be reviewed on a regular or timely basis (as per Section 9 of the report). ALAC Statement on the EPDP (July 2020) A vast amount of work has been done, but the ALAC believes that if and when the SSAD is deployed, the probability of its meeting the goals needed by the communities whose efforts we support will be low. Therefore, in order for the ALAC to support the EPDP Final Report, the ALAC noted the following GNSO Council outcomes would be required: GNSO Council would agree that any Evolution Standing Committee recommendation on additional SSAD decision use-cases (that are in full accordance with the EPDP Policy Recommendation 9.3) will be treated as Implementation and not require further policy deliberations. Legal vs Natural, Accuracy, WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System and Anonymized contact email will be fully addressed with full participation in all aspects of discussions by the ICANN Advisory Committees that wish to participate. If these issues are deemed to be policy, they must be addressed by a group empowered to make policy recommendations, led by a qualified, non-conflicted chair. The GAC, ALAC and SSAC must be involved in setting the mandate or charter of such groups. The target for completion of all work should be no later than April 2021. The GNSO Council would agree that ratifying the Evolution Standing Committee recommendations will only require a GNSO Majority as currently called for in the GNSO Policy Manual. The GNSO Council would acknowledge that deliberations during implementation setting of prices for the SSAD must involve the future potential users of the SSAD and not only look at cost recovery but the actual ability and willingness of SSAD users to pay the prices being set. LACRALO Statement on the Regional Strategic Plan FY2021-2025 The LACRALO statement was in response to the ICANN Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Strategic Plan for FY2021-2025. As all LACRALO countries fall under the LAC Regional Plan, a diverse drafting team from the region provided feedback on strategy topics such as security, ICANN governance, unique identifiers system, geopolitics, and financials. Note: Ratified by the LACRALO Leadership Team and the ALAC. ccNSO PDP3: Initial Proposals for the ccTLD Retirement Process: Initial Proposals for the ccTLD Retirement Process As a whole, the ALAC supports the ccNSO PDP3. From an end user perspective, the ALAC suggested two points to be considered: 1) As a user of the Internet, the removal of a TLD will mean less likelihood for confusion as usually a ccTLD would be removed to make way for a new one. This enhances Trust in the domain name identifiers; 2) As a domain name registrant, the retirement of the ccTLD could pose a problem when correspondents are accustomed to use the "old" address using the obsolete ccTLD. Some companies have built a brand around the "old" ccTLD. See: At-Large Website Policy Comments & Advice See: Executive Summaries: ALAC Policy Comments & Advice See: Consolidated Policy Working Group (CPWG) See: At-Large Operations, Finance and Budget Working Group (OFB-WG) ALAC/At-Large Policy Issues Note from GSE Africa Pierre Dandjinou, VP, Stakeholder Engagement - Africa As the Pandemic persists and with various parts of the world experiencing different levels of relief and severity, ICANN org and specifically our GSE Africa team has continued to explore and work to progress the engagement journey in Africa. Our focus remains to ensure that the ICANN community in Africa remains fully aware and involved in our activities as an org while we continue to support relevant initiatives by the community and other regional organizations in a safe manner and in line with our ICANN Regional Plan for Africa. In the 3rd edition of your newsletter, we notified you of the decision of the Africa DNS Forum organizing partners (ICANN, AFTLD and AFREGISTRAR) to hold the event virtually. The 2020 edition was to be held in Dakar Senegal and hosted by Senegal Network Information Centre with the support of the Government of Senegal, unfortunately, the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic made this impossible. I am happy to report that despite these circumstances, this flagship event was held successfully as planned and we sincerely thank you the community. The agenda of the meeting was reduced to four sessions spread over a 2-day period and held from July 27-28, 2020 under the theme “DNS as a Catalyst for Social and Economic Resilience in the face of Calamities.” Each session lasted 120 minutes and covered four thematic topics: DNS and Emerging Issues during the Covid-19 Pandemic Policy Focused Session (DNS related Policy Issues in Africa) Technical Focused Session: Behavior of the DNS during this Pandemic (Security- Resilience- Abuse and lastly Marketing / Online Branding / Intellectual Property Focused Session The virtual format recorded impressive participation with over 250 unique participants over the 2 days. French and English interpretation was provided. Considering the other competing events during this same period (ATU WTSA-20 Africa Prep Meeting and Rightcon2020 both running from July 27-31) we are satisfied on the success of this inaugural virtual version of the Africa DNS Forum and happy that once more, Africa was leading and pioneering the pilot of the same. Please see full agenda details on the event website here. I am happy to share full recordings of the sessions are as below: Day 1, July 27: Morning Recording: Afternoon Recording Day 2 July 28: Morning Recording; Afternoon Recording In July and August 2020, we have also collaborated with some ccTLD registries who have organized information workshops for their local communities (Benin, Kenya). They are doing their best to maintain their business and better serve the community. In July 2020, we contributed to the SIG (School of Internet Governance) and the West Africa School of Internet Governance and the West Africa IGF, hosted virtually in July, and the Internet Governance Forum organized by the ALS “FFGI” in Benin Republic and also in Ghana. Finally, we have also contributed to the series of webinars on Internet Governance and COVID-19 organized by CAPDA In Cameroon. Stay well and stay safe! AFRALO Interviews We bring you an interview between the Editorial Team and Yazid Akanho, Regional Technical Engagement Specialist, Africa & ME, ICANN. 1. Congratulations on your new job, kindly introduce yourself briefly. Thank you very much, this new job is partly thanks to this community which gave me a lot these last years in terms of knowledge and experience in the Internet ecosystem. My name is Yazid AKANHO, I am a telecoms engineer, passionate about the Internet and technology. I have worked for the two main telecommunications operators in my country, Benin Republic and at the same time have always been actively engaged with the local Internet community since 2010, contributing in my way to promote digital and Internet access for all. Then, slowly but surely I started being involved in several Internet-related communities at regional and global levels because I had a strong passion for what was going on there, especially the technical aspects. 2. How did you get here as a Technical Engagement Specialist for ICANN MEA? I don’t really know how to reply to this question because everything I have been doing for 10 years in the community in addition to my day to day work have been very useful, if not mandatory to get this position. How the Internet works is a real passion for me and sharing my knowledge as well as learning from others have always been my motivation. From 2011 to 2014 in Benin, I was an active organizer of Barcamp Benin where we talked about the power of technology and how the Internet and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can help us innovate. Then it was through the Benin Domain Name System (DNS) Forum where I engaged, and we got real success with new ideas we brought into this program. Then in 2018, I accepted to conduct the rejuvenation process of the Internet Society (ISOC) Benin Chapter after 8 years of dormancy. All this in combination to my daily professional activities which were very hard as well because I was always at critical operation positions. All this road has been a day to day challenge, but I never gave up. Also I have met great people on my journey and learned a lot from each of them. Of course people used to say that I never get tired but I think it is just a matter of passion. I still recall my former colleagues who gave me the nickname “Mr DNS”, others used to call me "Mr Internet" or "Mr IP" because I was always talking about the Internet, Internet Protocol (IP) or the DNS. I have been a radio show speaker where I used to explain technology in very simple words to my colleagues and our customers. I spent a lot of time at the office preparing and delivering presentations to my colleagues and anytime I was lucky enough to attend an Internet conference, I used to share what I learned with them. I volunteered for many things also in the ecosystem as soon as I was interested. So finally when I found this recruitment in the AFRALO mailing list in August 2019, some of my friends told me that I should apply for it. I never imagined that I would be selected but finally realised that everything that I have been doing since almost 10 years was not lost. 3. What does your job entail? My job is mainly to support ICANN Org technical engagement efforts at a regional level. In this regard, I will mainly deliver technical training and capacity building programs across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, and promote the security, stability and resiliency best practices for the Internet’s systems of unique identifiers in the region. My main partners will be network operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), hosting providers, universities, regulators, policy makers, and the community in general. 4. As far as AfrICANN is concerned, how does this position you as one of the ambassadors in the ICANN ecosystem? I feel honoured. There are so many other fantastic people in the community who deserve this position. At the same time, I take this as a new challenge to continue what our well known elders have been doing for more than 20 years and not giving up. And I am proud of that. I will do my best and give my energy to prove that in Africa we have excellent resources who can do a lot. And being from the young generation, I also keep in mind that I have to succeed whatever maybe the challenges and barriers. 5. What does the future hold with regards to technical development in the Internet ecosystem? I think that we have many challenges to overcome in order to continue to contribute to the overall security, stability and resilience of the Internet. We must continue awareness toward the different stakeholders on the effective implementation of standards and best practices in our networks. We must also federate our efforts at the global level of the ecosystem to ensure active collaboration and coordination in keeping the Internet safe. Thank you, Yazid. We wish you the best in your role! In the next edition, we shall bring you an interview with Paul Muchene, Regional Technical Engagement Specialist, Africa & ME, ICANN. ALS Activities Will the health crisis unleash the digital potential of the Global South? Michel TCHONANG LINZE Working Group Members Coordinator & CAPDA General Coordinator The events took place during the period 30 June to 15 July 2020. Mankind faces today one of the greatest disruptions to daily activities due to the third novel human Coronavirus. The spread of the virus and the severity and potential duration of the pandemic require States, institutions and organizations to develop strategies that go well beyond conventional resilience plans. For these activities to be efficient, effective and holistic, they would need to be supported by a careful, mature and well-conducted reflection that integrates considerations related to the planning of priority measures and actions and the management of existing resilience and aims to establish a comprehensive response plan and, among other things, ensure the continuity of services and the survival of our species. The IGF Cameroon Working Group tackled this herculean mission head-on, organizing a series of webinars that started on July 30 and ended on July 15, 2020. A conceptual research team set on transforming the health crisis into a real development opportunity through digital tools. Experience these webinars as if you actually attended them. COVID 19: An Unprecedented Health Crisis Several crises have shaken modern history and jeopardized our way of living. This third novel human coronavirus, declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic, set a new record. It spread so rapidly that statistics on deaths and infections quickly became obsolete as days passed. The most worrisome and potentially most disturbing aspect of COVID-19 is the fact that it has massively polarized public attention. Information and details about the health crisis circulated at the speed of light, while at the same time traditional media, social networks, and other informal sources of information, spread news, rumors and misinformation about the pathogen and its impact. The novelty of this health crisis prompts us to question our societal models, and that is just what the IGF Cameroon Reflection Group has been doing. The group organized a series of four (4) online webinars that took place between June 30 and July 15, 2020. Held on ZOOM, these popular webinars brought together representatives from government, business, the technical community, academia and civil society. A total of 169 participants attended the online sessions, including around 24 panelists and 6 members of the organizing committees as shown in the charts below. SESSIONS AND THEMES Panelists included academics, researchers, parliamentarians, engineers, civil society players, and teachers. The organizers were driven by an ambition to spark intuitive, empirical, methodological reflections, or the kind of legalism required within the ICT sector. The four sessions did not deal with simple topics. It was understood that the Internet is obviously not a simple subject. The sessions focused on concepts that are meant to be representative and consubstantial symbols of the digital world, starting with the world in general. As a result, reflections could not be addressed with a simple binary digital logic. On the contrary, the presentations and subsequent discussions touched on many subtle subjects, with their innumerable nuances of meaning and perception. The various panelists demonstrated with rare skill and persuasiveness worthy of great believers that in order to manage, promote and protect the presence of digital technology in our daily lives and in our States, “ . . . we must be as creative as its inventors” as Kofi ANNAN puts it, and did so under several prisms, both for major themes and underlying ones. Several contributions touched on the impacts of the pandemic and the post-crisis period, exploring and problematizing the notion of digital emergence. This resulted in several reflections, the highlight of which being COVID-19 as an enabler of a more digital world. Challenges and benefits for women were discussed, and the effectiveness of distance education in times of pandemic was scrutinized. The discussions identified the need to develop the infrastructure and the community networks and to put together a legal arsenal to guarantee data protection and, more importantly, the safe surfing in cyberspace. AN ARSENAL OF POSSIBLE PROPOSALS It is safe to assume that the IGF Cameroon Working Group will come up with proposals, though not exhaustive, to be implemented and which could feed into broader discussions on our future and on new models of economic and social development. These cognitive outputs build on those already initiated by the Government and implemented by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MINPOSTEL) in Cameroon. While the pandemic has exposed our multifaceted shortcomings and inadequacies in the management of such crises, fact of the matter is that it has also subtly transformed into an opportunity for multi-sectoral development. In addition to strong recommendations and suggestions addressed by name to several entities, these webinars offer avenues for reading and outline judicious reforms that should indisputably be implemented in certain sectors, particularly in education, health, telecommunications, regulation of the telecommunications sector, energy, local governance, to name but a few. The contributions broadly underlined as urgent the need to rethink urbanization plans, the obligation to master digital tools in all school and professional curricula, the development of distance learning and the promotion of more coherent soft skills that are more accessible and better shared in the teaching/learning process. On the one hand, it calls for recrafting the eligibility rules for new municipal administrators, requiring specific skills and for protecting end users from misuse and/or abuse of the Internet. CAUSE FOR SATISFACTION, REASON TO HOPE The series of webinars held between June 30 and July 15 on ZOOM has the merit of proving that governments have focused on flattening the coronavirus curve in order to slow the spread of the infection, mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and save lives, without undervaluing the discussion on the post-pandemic. Through these intellectual agapes, the IGF Cameroon Working Group examined sector-wise how digital technology has already changed and transformed our daily lives, and more precisely during the COVID-19 confinement. The world is being digitized day by day, and we cannot postpone the indispensable discussion about the possibilities open to us, to our States, to our administrations. Moreover, digital tools, if wisely exploited, could sediment common life, deconstruct the various exclusions related to gender, disability, and political, philosophical or religious affiliation. . . by connecting the consumer community to a wide range of possibilities and by providing them with the skills they need to thrive in a digital world. And if digital technology is inviting itself and imposing itself on us like an irresistible wave, it should be noted that, unless we broaden access to it, build the infrastructure, design the related legal arsenal and set up the digital watch team, this technology could create new divides that would jeopardize the exploitation of its full potential. These webinars ultimately call for faster and more considered action, targeted investments in well-known industries, and greater collaboration and cooperation among different actors to realize the digital emergence that everyone dreams of. Internet Society Ghana Chapter Bukola Oronti On 10th September, 2020 the Internet Society Ghana Chapter inaugurated seven sub-committees to serve as the functional arm of the Chapter till December 2021. The virtual event was chaired by Professor Nii Narku Quaynor, Chairman, ISOC Ghana and was also witnessed by several international guests from ISOC chapters in Nigeria, Benin, Kenya and the Internet Society Regional Engagement Manager. The sub-committees are: Programmes and Communication, Education, Membership Committee, Technical and Project, Youth and Women, Finance and Sponsorship, and Research and Advocacy. The Chairman emphasized the need to partner with other organizations to grow the chapter and to serve its members. He also commended the current administration for making the formation of these committees very transparent and was hopeful they continue the good work they have started. The President of ISOC Ghana Mr Francis Acquah Amaning, inaugurated the committees and in his remarks underscored the need for all-inclusiveness and the need to restore trust in the members of the Chapter. He called on members to bring their skills to bear to drive the agenda of the Chapter and also indicated that the activity plan for the rest of the months will be shared on the chapter’s website and would be accessible to all. ISOC Ghana is a chartered chapter of the Internet Society. It is a non-profit organisation founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. It is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of Ghanaians and the world At-Large. Yusif Amadu: Education Chair Benedict Obirim Sagoe: Membership Chair Vanessa Issah: Finance & Sponsorship Chair Theorose Elikplim Dzineku: Programs & Communications Chair Kester Quist-Aphetsi: Research & Advocacy Chair Lily Edinam Botsyoe: Youth & Women Chair Fred Kwadwo Aazore: Technical & Project Chair Internet Society Mali Chapter Bakary Kouyaté On Friday, August 14, 2020, the Malian chapter of the Internet Society organized a webinar on digital addiction. Approximately 60 participants attended on the KinguiCall platform this excellent webinar which. was facilitated by Ms. Diallo Assitan Diallo, socio-demographer by training. Discussions included the points listed below. What is digital addiction? ● It means being addicted to one or more terminals. The addictive state is related to the excessive use of digital platforms (TVs, Internet, smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.). ● It’s not being able to face without distress the loss, forgetfulness or theft of a device. ● The sense of lack felt in such cases is an indicator of the degree of digital addiction. ● Addiction results in complete oblivion to the cost of consumption (repeated purchases of Internet and Netflix packages and subscriptions) and the cost of access. Types of digital addiction by: ● Nature of equipment : Frequent and prolonged use of several terminals (desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, tablets) on a daily basis ● Usage time: ○ a minimum of 3 daytime hours, impinging on work, leisure and socializing time ○ almost 3 hours out of the minimum 7 sleeping hours, meaning at least 1/3 of the normal sleep and rest time, causing fatigue on the next day and a reduction in productivity. Eye, joint and concentration problems are associated with prolonged use of terminals. Types of digital addiction by user ● Children under 6 (Preschool): Addiction to video images and sounds, often due to the availability of terminals in child-care facilities to keep children occupied or calm. ● The very young and the teens (6 to 18 years old): Frantic use of Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube. . . ● Adults: Generally addicted to Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube. Why is ICT so attractive to young people? ● Multiplicity of applications creating a feeling of need and awakening curiosity: This youngest age group is characterized by the spirit of discovery, challenge and curiosity. These needs are in fact the target of many of the applications and notifications considered to be harassment (influencers: Bloggers, YouTubers, Tiktokers, etc.). ● Continuous notifications to promote adherence to news and other solicitations Consequences of digital addiction for the different social strata ● Younger (under 6): The negative impact of digital addiction usually manifests itself in the form of irritability, disinterest in socialization and lack of concentration in learning. ● Young persons between the ages of 6 and 18: ○ open-mindedness, acquisition of a wide range of information and strong curiosity ○ Premature exposure to the dangers of the Internet (pornography, fake news, manipulations of all kinds….) ○ seclusion and withdrawal ○ exposure to harmful content (violence, harassment of all kinds, scams), and obscene content (pornography, recruitment into mafia networks, jihadists/terrorists, sects, etc.) ○ mental disorders (depression, irritability) ● Adults: ○ Couples: Excessive use of terminals creates communication problems, reduces private time and fosters mistrust. The use of codes and passwords is often a source of family drama. ○ Seniors: TV Addiction is a way to combat their solitude and the telephone is seen as a solution to their reduced mobility. ○ Professionals: Digital addiction is a source of workplace distraction, lack of productivity, and a deficit in workers’ creativity. ○ Unemployed: Tendency to idleness, lack of initiatives, intellectual apathy and laziness in looking for jobs ○ Offenders: Diverse recruitment, fraud and scam opportunities of all kinds Is there a “gender dimension” to digital addiction? ● Increased vulnerability for young girls/young women through exposure of their bodies and their ambitions, and dangerous networking. ● Increased freedom of choice and access for women and girls, leading to undesirable behavior and revolt. ● Voluntary or involuntary overexposure, aggravating the risks of aggression and abuse ● Forms of vulnerability change according to gender: There are more female victims than males, and there are more male perpetrators of online deviances than women. What should be done to avoid or reduce digital addiction? ● Children: Maximum reduction of screen access before the age of 3 to 4 ● Young persons: Regular supervision, follow-up, control and monitoring; In practice: ○ Monitor their navigation and ban the access to certain websites. ○ Manage connection times to terminals ○ Provide stimulating alternatives (sports, gardening, DIY, drawing, music, writing, reading, etc.); ○ Organize collective and social activities (conferences, debates, talks, community service, thematic visits to museums, historical and tourist sites, etc.). ● Couples: ○ Common leisure activities (restaurants, sports, concerts, balls, etc.) ○ Restoring communication ● Seniors: ○ increase sociability (reconnect with past contacts, create gatherings) ○ promote intergenerational knowledge transmission ○ assist and coach against scams ● Professionals: ○ limit the use of terminals for recreational purposes during working hours ○ Set up a controlled access system ● Unemployed: ○ See the solutions mentioned above for youth. ○ reorient towards the search for professional versatility ● Offenders: Prevent delinquency and cybercrime ○ Strengthen security in the use of different terminals. How can we make the “all digital” profitable in the Internet age? ● Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet, most notably the zeroing of distances and the enormous amount of information and knowledge stored on the Internet and accessible instantly. ● Training and learning are becoming easier with every passing day: we register for online courses, learn new techniques, benefit from the experiences of others, etc. ● Ensuring you use the right information and opportunities without deviating into illegality or criminality. ● Follow the rules of good conduct and character even on the Internet. By Mrs. Diallo Assitan Diallo PhD. Socio-demographer Internet Society Nigeria Chapter Bukola Oronti The Internet Society Nigeria Chapter on the 26th of August 2020 presented a paper titled “Impact of COVID-19 Contagion on Digital Transformation and Economy” at the IEEE virtual conference. The research work was carried out by some members of the protocols and standard working group of the chapter. The aim of the research work was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the traditional economy and to assess its impact on the adoption of digital transformation for economic activities. The chair for the working group, James K. Ogundare who is also one of the co-authors for the research paper made the presentation during the conference. Other members of the chapter who co-authored the paper are (in alphabetical order): Abiodun Ayorinde, Adebimpe O. Olorundare, Adebunmi A. Akinbo, Aderonke F. Thompson, Christian N. Ahiauzu and Oluwafemi E. Ekanoye. The conference which spanned two days, 25th and 26th August 2020 had a minimum of forty-three participants each day. Also in attendance at the conference was the PRO for the chapter in person of Adebunmi A. Akinbo representing the executive council for the chapter. ISOC Rwanda approves proposal for Universal Acceptance Local Initiative On Sunday August 31, 2020, Emmanuel Mfitumukiza, Legal Representative of ISOC Rwanda Chapter chaired a board meeting to review the proposal of Universal Acceptance (UA) local Initiative. The goal of UA Local Initiative is to reach out to software/web developers, managers, Network operators, academia to promote and adopt UA readiness. Presenting UA proposal to the board, Jules NIZEYIMANA, Coordinator of UA Local Initiative said that it will facilitate developers and operators to consider UA in implementation of their projects to adhere the concept of UA that all valid domain names and email addresses should be treated equally, accepted, validated, stored, processed, and displayed correctly and consistently by all Internet-enabled applications, devices and systems, needs to be adopted to achieve the demand for digital openness, communication and global acceptability. Having heard the importance of UA, after reviewing the proposal, the board meeting approved it for implementation from September 2020 to December 2021. ICANN68 readout in Uganda The Internet Society Uganda Chapter recently hosted the ICANN68 webinar to readout reports and deliberated on some of the topics raised at the policy forum which held virtually between 22 and 25 June 2020. Gloria Katuuku, member Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC): She highlighted what transpired during the ICANN68 policy forum, including four aspects based on Inter-Constituency Activities and Community Engagement with GAC, Internal matters within GAC which covered ongoing discussions over the years like the public safety working groups and underserved regional working groups where they addressed most of the challenges we as countries go through; On Cross Community discussions between GAC and various communities, she said is a focused session on DNS abuse and malicious registration rates during the COVID19 etc. She equally highlighted that GAC held sessions with the board of ICANN where they looked at DNA abuse mitigation and related issues, subsequent rounds of new gTLDs etc. Lillian Kamara shared her experiences with the ICANN68 Fellowship she attended and briefly underscored the benefits of fellowships and how to get involved. She specifically talked about the fellows’ role play session on the trademark claims notice where fellow’s where given a chance to bring on table ideas about the recommended measures by the rights mechanism working group. She also shared recommendations by the rights mechanism working group which included notice to be written in English, then provided a link to the site where one could access translations within the only official six UN languages. Lilian further explained that fellow’s focused mainly on the issue of Language and recommended that more languages should be added because many people speak different languages across the globe and different people as well register for the domain names. Pointing out that the technicality of the language needs to be more user-friendly so that a person without a background of domain names could be able to register. Sarah Kiden pointed out what transpired during the ICANN68 Forum and how Internet Society fits into the ICANN structure. She further explained that the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) represents the interests of the Internet users like you and I and all policy advice they give focus on the end user perspective. About the ICANN68 she highlighted that the Joint AFRALO-AFRICANN, where like in most ICANN’s meeting; they issue a statement to the ICANN Board or any other constituencies they may be addressed to and in this case they focus on “Enhancing the resilience of ICANN Community in Case of Calamities” and focus was put on the COVID19 Pandemic how it has affected members engaging in the ICANN activities like the cost of access etc. Moses Serugo, co-chair at the Regional Internet Registry for Africa (AFRINIC) and also a member of ISOC Uganda chapter explained how AFRINIC works and how it also feeds into ICANN through policies related to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and autonomous system Internet numbers. He further explained that at ICANN there are Support organizations and AFRINIC falls under the Address Supporting Organisation (ASO). Noting that there are five IP Registries across the globe and their work is to assign these numbers to different local Internet registries like telecommunications companies. Stressing that each Registry gets to vote three people that come to represent at ICANN and they form ASO. Chapter committee member, Mutegeki Cliff Agaba, who also serves in the Universal Acceptance (AU) Steering group with the Communications Working group, highlighted what was discussed in the ICANN68 Session about Universal Acceptance and emphasized the need to raise awareness around the topic of UA. This included organising training in the commitment to learn how to fix the problem, encouraging fixing UA problems in the systems and sharing experiences within the community on how to be UA Ready. The event moderated by Lillian Nalwoga, President Internet Society (ISOC) Uganda Chapter, attracted a total of 29 attendees, where she encouraged Ugandans to join ISOC, ALAC and plug themselves into ICANN fellowships and conversations, that is how they will be able to understand more of what ICANN is all about. You can access the recording here. ZimNOG rejuvenates Nomsa Mwayenga The Zimbabwe Network Operators Group (ZimNOG) has rejuvenated since May 2020 with a number of activities to support the community like a mutually agreed norms for routing security (MANRS) session, a Network Programmability tutorial and our recent event was on Fibre & the complexity of hyper speed transceivers. Founded in 2015, ZimNOG is an initiative of the Internet Society Zimbabwe Chapter, as an open platform for network operators and technology enthusiasts. The community activities include discussions, tutorials, labs and other tech related events. We cover all technologies used on the Internet and those that make the Internet functional, like networking technologies, routing protocols, infrastructure technologies, coding, software development, web development, application development, cloud technologies, Internet of Things (IoT), cryptography, systems administration, machine learning, artificial Intelligence , security and much more. In the foreseeable future, we will be hosting an IoT session and possibly an introduction to ICANN talk. We are excited about the opportunity to support an enthusiastic technical community and are grateful for the support we have received from the volunteers who lead the community, the members and other organisations. We are currently reconstructing our website here. To join us, use this page and our events details can be found here. LISTU, P&T collaborate on technological empowerment Foldestine Pay Join the pending March for Digital Liberia. In Liberia, on 26th October, 2020, technologists and technology loving people in Liberia and its environs will be converging at the University of Liberia (UL) by 9am for a 30 minute walk to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in support of Science, Technology and Innovation. Technologists from various universities and other science focused institutions, as well as students, farmers and well-meaning Liberian will be converging for the event. The march for Digital Liberia 2020 is under the theme; "EMPOWERING LIBERIA CITIZEN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY." The focus of the march this year is on the role that Science, Technology and Innovation can play in helping Liberia meet Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2 and 3. These three goals aim at ending poverty in all its forms, improving nutrition and food security, as well as pushing for urgent steps to combat climate change and its impact through Technology. Kindly join us for this all important march. #LITSU REMAIN SUPREME✊🏿 WAIGF hosts 12th edition on digital inclusion, access Mary Uduma The West African Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) was held for the 12th time from the 22-24th of July 2020. This unlike the years before, hosted by ECOWAS, launched the virtual version of the Forum as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the level of professionalism implemented by the organizers, the virtual Forum was as engaging and impactful as the physical summits of previous years. This was preceded with 3 days certified virtual training in the West African School on Internet Governance (WASIG) with about 30 Fellows; on the need for Internet Governance in West Africa and its impacts on Business, Politics, and Technological Development in the Region. The WASIG ended with a project report presentation by representatives of the various groups assigned to research topics for better coordination of the Internet activities in West Africa. The main WAIGF started on 22nd of July 2020 with representatives from the 15 West African Countries with over 400 participants connected. Sessions focused on the following sub-themes: Cybersecurity and cybercrime in the era of digital cooperation; Human Rights Issues in the COVID -19 Pandemic; Privacy and Trust: Understanding the impact of Trust and Privacy in the current COVID-19 pandemic; Emerging Issues in the Digital World; and Emerging Technologies. The forum recognized the need to ensure user and market confidence to own the benefits of the Internet at all levels. Respect human rights in responding to the COVID-19 This also brought about the need to build an innovative, dynamic, stable, secure and united sub-regional internet community. However, a strong call to have internationalised Domains for Africa was made which could lead to inclusive and ensure Universal Acceptance. Investment in capacity building, holding respective Digital stakeholders accountable in their respective roles and responsibilities in ensuring availability, (no Internet shutdowns), affordability and meaningful connectivity in the region and in Africa. The full Communique of the vWAIGF 2020 can be accessed here. Stay Connected At-Large on Twitter | At-Large on Facebook | AFRALO Website | Mailing List ICANN | 12025 Waterfront Drive, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90094-2536 Unsubscribe afri-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by staff(a)atlarge.icann.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!
