[ICANN]<https://www.icann.org/> News Alert https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-10-08-en ________________________________ Call for Participation: Workshop on Internationalized Domains Names (IDNs) in Africa 8 October 2015 The Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will be hosting a workshop on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) from 26-27 November 2015 in Point- Noire, Congo, prior to the AFRINIC-23 meeting. Building on ICANN's Africa Strategy, which was launched three years ago, and with the support of ICANN's IDN program, this new workshop will focus on IDNs in the context of African languages and scripts. It will introduce the IDN Program at ICANN and the work being done by the script based Generation Panels. The objective of this workshop is to galvanize the African community's support and encourage them to participate in the necessary script-based work that is already underway. By contributing to this ongoing effort, participants will help promote IDNs in indigenous African scripts (e.g. Ethiopic) and the use of Latin script for African languages. Participants are expected to actively contribute to the discussions during the workshop, and are expected to volunteer for script-based panels - Latin or other scripts - that may be set up to support African scripts. Language experts, ccTLD managers, computer specialists and other community members interested in lDNs are invited to attend. Those interested in participating and contributing should send an email to yaovi.atohoun@icann.org<mailto:yaovi.atohoun@icann.org> (with CC to pierre.dandjinou@icann.org<mailto:pierre.dandjinou@icann.org>) no later than 15 October 2015. Candidates should indicate if they are able to fund their participation. There is limited logistical support available for participation from ICANN, and support will be based on the following criteria: * Relevant qualifications and experience; * Confirmation that you will volunteer for a script based Panel (specify Latin or other script); * Extent of support needed (travel or accommodation logistics, or both; candidates with at least partial support will be given preference).