Dear Hadia and Afralo,
Well done on the great work so far. I’ve carefully reviewed the 37-page ICANN Africa FY26–30 Regional Plan. In light of the strong contributions already made—particularly by Prof. Abdulkarim Oloyede—I’ve aimed to avoid repetition.
Drawing on my expertise in gender and inclusivity in tech, please find below my brief input for your consideration.
AFRALO FY26 Outreach & Engagement Plan Input by Martha Alade, WITIN.org
Q1: Objectives for AFRALO Strategic Plan for FY26
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Localize ICANN Understanding Through Indigenous Contexts
Translate ICANN's complex frameworks into formats grounded in African oral traditions, local analogies, and storytelling. This enhances comprehension and retention, particularly in communities with limited exposure to digital governance. -
Institutionalize Gender, Disability, and Youth Accountability in Participation Metrics
Move beyond general inclusivity by embedding tracking systems and equity benchmarks in AFRALO programs to ensure fair representation of marginalized demographics, including women, persons with disabilities, and rural youth. -
Empower Community-Owned Digital Identities
Facilitate the emergence of digital identifiers rooted in African linguistic and cultural identities—driven not only by technical standards but also by heritage preservation and local pride.
Q2: AFRALO Main Activities to Achieve Identified Objectives
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Host “ICANN in My Language” Knowledge Jams
Organize multilingual, community-led meetups where participants co-create glossaries and explainer materials about ICANN in indigenous languages (e.g., Igbo, Wolof, Amharic), published in open formats. -
Launch the “Digital Custodians Lab” Fellowship
A program for cultural and community leaders (not just tech professionals) who steward digital access in their communities—e.g., teachers, religious leaders, youth mentors—giving them tools to engage with Internet governance from a social impact lens. -
Co-Create Domain Identity Projects with Cultural Institutions
Partner with museums, language revival groups, and traditional councils to co-design proposals for TLDs or IDNs tied to endangered languages, oral heritage, and pan-African identity narratives. -
Map “Silent Zones” and Run Listening Missions
Conduct participatory mapping and consultations in countries or regions with no AFRALO/ICANN presence. Use storytelling booths and analog surveys to collect perspectives, then feed findings into AFRALO strategy.
Q3: Communication Strategy Approaches
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Design “ICANN Dramas” as Culturally-Driven Storytelling for Public Awareness
Commission short radio drama series and video skits in local dialects that explain ICANN concepts through fictional everyday stories (e.g., a domain dispute between market traders). For Memetic and Satirical Storytelling for Public Awareness, co-create humorous, culturally embedded media (e.g., animated skits, memes, audio drama series) that explain ICANN concepts using familiar formats and characters to attract younger and less formal audiences in urban and rural settings. -
Activate “DNS Champions” in Community and Market Spaces
Identify trusted local figures in markets and community gathering spaces who can serve as intermediaries to share ICANN messages through accessible formats such as printed flyers, short talks, or voice notes during regular interactions -
Deploy Visual Listening Boards in Public Places
Set up boards in schools, libraries, and markets where people can pin questions or concerns about the Internet. These boards are collected monthly/quarterly and translated into engagement themes. -
Create “Policy Snapshots for People” Packs
Replace lengthy policy texts with postcard-sized printed summaries, comics, or “Did You Know?” cards tailored for non-expert audiences and distributed via schools, buses, and salons. Design targeted digital pathways based on community roles (e.g., “I’m a student,” “I run a cybercafe,” “I’m a policymaker”) with auto-personalized content, feedback options, and opt-in alerts for consultations, webinars, and learning opportunities
Warm regards,
Martha Omoekpen Alade
Executive Director,
Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN)
witin.org
Follow our WSIS+20 page for our Session Outcome
Dear Hadia and AFRALO Colleagues
Thank you for sharing the ICANN Africa Regional Plan for FY26–30 and for initiating this important conversation on aligning AFRALO’s FY26 Strategic Plan and Outreach Strategy with broader regional goals. Based on my engagement with capacity-building efforts and technical community development across Africa, I am pleased to offer the following contributions:
1. Proposed Objectives for AFRALO FY26 Strategic Plan
Strengthen Multistakeholder Participation: Empower underrepresented communities across Africa to participate meaningfully in ICANN processes, ensuring geographical, linguistic, and generational diversity.
Promote Technical Capacity Building: Develop practical skills in DNS operations, DNSSEC, Universal Acceptance (UA), and Internet governance to address Africa’s digital development gaps.
Support Local Internet Development Initiatives: Encourage the deployment of resilient DNS infrastructure, stimulate ccTLD growth, and improve cybersecurity practices aligned with ICANN’s strategic goals.
Enhance Youth and Academia Engagement: Create pathways for students and young professionals to join ICANN spaces, contributing fresh perspectives and securing the future of Internet governance in Africa.
2. Suggested Main Activities to Achieve These Objectives
Regional Training Programs: Conduct workshops, technical bootcamps, and policy briefings across Africa on topics like DNS security, UA adoption, and multistakeholder governance.
Mentorship & Community Development: Expand mentorship opportunities within AFRALO to support newcomers, especially in countries with low ICANN participation.
Collaboration with Local Stakeholders: Build partnerships with universities, ccTLD registries, ISPs, and local tech hubs to co-host events and support joint initiatives.
Policy & Technical Dialogues: Organise regular community dialogues to bridge the gap between technical communities, governments, and civil society on internet policy matters.
Knowledge Sharing Platforms: Develop repositories of learning materials (including local language content) and encourage AFRALO community members to contribute to ICANN Learn and regional best practices.
3. Strategic Approaches for Outreach & Engagement Communication
Localised Messaging: Create communication content in key African languages (Arabic, French, Swahili, Portuguese, and local dialects) to reach broader communities.
Multi-Platform Strategy: Use a blend of social media, WhatsApp groups, local radio, and virtual town halls to reach different segments of the community.
Storytelling & Impact Narratives: Share success stories from African participants in ICANN initiatives, demonstrating the tangible benefits of engagement.
Community-Led Engagement: Empower country-level or sub-regional AFRALO members to lead local awareness sessions, creating a bottom-up engagement model.
Regular Progress Updates: Provide clear, periodic updates on AFRALO activities and ICANN processes, making it easier for members to follow and participate meaningfully.
Warm regards,
Prof. Abdulkarim Oloyede
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM Hadia El Miniawi via AFRI-Discuss <afri-discuss@icann.org> wrote:_______________________________________________Dear AFRALO members, Friends and Colleagues,I hope this email finds you well. As shared with you a couple of weeks ago ICANN draft Regional FY 26-30 plan is now open for public comment, you can find the public comment proceeding at: Africa Regional Plan for Fiscal Years 2026-2030In order to prepare for AFRALO FY26 Outreach & Engagement Plan which of course needs to align with ICANN Africa FY26-30 Regional Plan, we kindly ask you to provide your input to the following three questions:Note: you can access AFRALO Outreach & Engagement strategic plan FY26 wiki page at: AFRALO Outreach & Engagement Strategic Plan FY26 - African Regional At Large Organisation (AFRALO) - ConfluenceObjectives:1. In your opinion what should be the main objectives of AFRALO Strategic Plan for FY26? – Please refer to ICANN Regional 26-30 Africa Regional Plan prior to providing your answer, you can find the draft plan at draft-icann-africa-regional-plan-for-fy-26-30-25-04-2025-en.pdfActivities:
2. In your opinion what should be AFRALO main activities to achieve the identified Objectives?
Communication Strategy:
3. The implementation of the AFRALO FY25 Outreach and Engagement Strategy will require an effective communication strategy tailored to the targeted audience in their respective communities. Please identify some strategic approaches
Thank you and looking forward to seeing you today at AFRALO Monthly callKind regardsHadia ElminiawiAFRALO ChairOn Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 04:34:12 PM GMT+3, hadia Elminiawi via AFRI-Discuss <afri-discuss@icann.org> wrote:Dear Yaovi,Thank you for sharing the draft Africa Regional Plan.Kind regardsHadia ElminiawiOn Tue, 29 Apr 2025 at 08:52, Yaovi Atohoun via AFRI-Discuss <afri-discuss@icann.org> wrote:_______________________________________________Dear all,
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers organization (ICANN org) is soliciting community input on the regional activities and desired outcomes defined in the Draft FY26–30 Africa Regional Plan.
For more information, and to participate in the proceeding, please visit this webpage.
The submission closing date is Friday, 6 June 2025
Thanks
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