DotAfrica Presentation Johannesburg South Africa- African Leadership Retreat

.Africa 1bn people, 54 countries, 1domain By Sophia BekeleAfrican Leadership Retreat, 2020 Executive DirectorJohannesburg, South Africa DotConnectAfrica Former Policy Advisor, ICANN

1. The need for Africa Specific Regional Domain2. Global Economy and the Internet3. Status of the Internet in Africa4. Who is ICANN?5. Need for Africa specific Continental name6. Who is DotConnectAfrica?7. Governance Representation & Community8. Interested sponsors9. Achievement to date10. Challenges11. Why Support the DCA Initiative • Africa

My passionwww.sophiabekele.com UNICT, UNGAID, UNECA, AU Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Information Society to Internet SocietyComputer Science is no more about computersthan astronomy is about telescopes. - E.W. Dijkstra Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

OpportunitiesThe global Economy is reforming• Affordable internet, phone, pc devises, prices, CapEx Vs. OpEx, NGN• Web 2.0 (social tipping point); Viral ; Cloud computing• where one has a convergence of 70% of the planet bring universal access and democracy of information• Interesting business models and consumer reach and increase in productivity expand knowledge , creation capacity, advances In science and health. Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

A Paradigm shift - Convergence OpportunitiesInternet use has exploded globally • more than 300% since 2000 • 1.4 million Internet users • 3.6 billion people use mobile telephony just over half of the world’s populationThis intersection– where users access theInternet from their mobilephones – maps arevolutionary digital paradigmshift Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

What does governance of the Internet mean? Who What When Where Building under Construction DotConnectAfrica.org

Information Society to Internet SocietyComputer Science is no more about computersthan astronomy is about telescopes. - E.W. Dijkstra Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN) A nonprofit organization that manages and coordinates the Domain Name System. ICANN focuses on preserving the stability of the Internet; promoting competition; achieving broad representation of global Internet communities; developing policy through bottom-up, consensus-based processes. • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

"yea" or "nayyea" or "nay" on Internet Governance – The Policy Divide Participation & Vote "yea" or "nay" Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

A Common Vision Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Japanese Proverb • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

1bn people, 54 countries, 1domain • Africa

Your Mobile African Identity paynet.africa aitec.africa mobilemoney.africa lagos.africasafaricom.africa tourism.africa Si.africa sunmicro.africa pesapal.africamisys.africa copycat.africa sevenseas.africa UnitedBank.africavisa.africa COMESA.africa ecobank.africa chamberofcommerce.africa citibank.africa Iveri.africab Renaissance capital.africa webtribe.africa Cybercrime.africa allafrica.africa KDN.africa wildlife.africa icann.africa banking.africa microfinance.africa cooking.africa shoes.africa Intrepid Data.africa mobicash.africaUSAID.afri gatesfoundation.afric dgi.africa.africa 2020 .africa GrameenFoundation.africa • Africa

Need for Africa-specific continental domain• Currently, Internet users in the Pan-Africa and African region only have the option of utilizing a generic TLD (gTLD) whose registrants are dominated by US and European individuals and businesses, or country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) that are intended for local use• Current gTLDs also tend to focus on a vertical group (e.g. commercial entities, network providers, organizations , etc.) within the global Internet, “.Africa” will embrace a horizontal perspective with a clear brand to reach and enrich the broad global community. • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Need for Africa-specific continental domain• Unlike ccTLDs, which provide for a local audience, “.Africa” will allow the user to express membership in the larger Pan African and African community.• “.Africa” domain will also allow Africa to take its rightful place alongside .EU, .ASIA and .LAC• Also it complies with WSIS objectives on empowering undeveloped countries using ICT, and fits as an ICT4D project.• “.Africa” complies with AU, ECA and ADB policy of development for the continent. • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Compliments Existing National Domain Names• Offering of second level domain names by cross marketing of domain names such as .za.africa; .co.ke.africa; .et.africa; ug.africa ; .ng.africa• Elevation of national names to Continental and Global Identity inherent in the Africa name• Supporting goal of regional /continental integration of National countries • Africa East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Who is DotConnectAfrica?The Mission• To sponsor, establish and operate a continental Internet namespace with global recognition and regional significance, dedicated to the needs of the Pan-African and African Internet community.• To operate a viable and technically advanced TLD registry for the Pan-Africa and African community.• To reinvest partial surpluses in socio-technological advancement initiatives relevant to the Pan-Africa and African Internet community; and • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Organizational StructureIs to be made up of different sponsor organizations: • Sponsor Members • Co-sponsor Members • Businesses • Non-profit - NGOs • Other relevant community organizations in the region • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Organizational Structure, cont’d.Members will make up of Board of Directors• The BOD will be advised on policy matters by an Advisory Council• AC will be populated by one representative from each co-Sponsor organization.• A proceeds Steering Committee (PROSCOM) will be created and appointed by the Board to oversee the allocation of surplus proceeds from registry operations. • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Governance & Representation of Community• The governance of the .Africa Organization is to be driven thru a multistakeholder representation and augmented by regional and international expertise.• Having direct and close involvement of many Governments, Businesses , NGO’s ensures a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the operational and policy management of a TLD registry in the Pan-Africa and Africa region.• Governance model is to be adapted from the Africa’s development policy model augmented with other geo –TLD names. The .Africa Organization intends to operate openly & transparently.• Public Policy consideration will include direct input from policy makers , therefore consulting with the AU/ECA/ADB on policy matters. • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Governance Structure Key Pan Board of Directors African CO-SponsorSponsor Org members• AU Chairman’s• UNECA • Businesses Advisory y• ADB • Internet orgs Council • IT org, • Teleco • NGO CEO • Non-profit, • Other relevant Functional VPs Africa-based Customer orgs Marketing & Admin Bus Dev Support Staff • Governments • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Interested Sponsor Members & Co-Sponsors• African Union (AU)• Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)• African Development Bank (ADB)• Other Pan-African Organizations• African Private Sector Actors• African Non-Profits• African Internet Actors• National ICT Policy organs • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Achievments to date• Introduction to Regional Key African organs, and Governments• Endorsements by the African Union, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and 20% of African Govt• Travel Across Africa campaigning, 8 African countries since February• Established website with informative content showing progress and prototype• Established Newsletter to communicate status/activities• Established presence on social media sites, Twitter, Facebook , creating that “generation .africa”• Mailing list of 600 & growing since February 2010• Substantial Relevant African Media coverage• Official Sponsor at ICANN 38 Brussels- The 1st African TLD to sponsor International conference• Sponsor/ East African IGF, Kampala Uganda • Africa East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Our promise of putting .africaon the global digital map Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

NEXT STEPS for you!• Reserve your names for registration!• Become Sponsor and sponsor members• Follow-us on Twitter, Facebook & our blog• Google us @ “dotConnectafrica” • Africa Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

.africa - the first African TLD to be sponsored at an International European event – Brussels ICANN 38East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Challenges!• Political - continental project• Adaption from existing gTlds, .com, .org • Branding • Cost • Access to internet • Good Infrastructure • Capacity building/training • Africa East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Challenges!• Other African groupings that have resisted our applications – political blocking - cant stop us from implementation• A substantial misrepresentation of our initiative • PRIVATE SECTOR; • U.S BASED; • not an “ICANN” establishment; • belongs to “individual” • fake endorsement• Not being invited to relevant internet community platforms to represent ourselves properly• Blocked from posting to relevant community forums so as not to share our work• GeoPolitics of African countries, which would want host/registry in own countries• Threaten our early endorsements • Africa East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Why support the DCA initiative!• Early applicants to the .Africa name to ICANN• Early endorsements from the continental policy makers• Early endorsements from other stakeholders• Diaspora Africans who are committed to the continent bring transfer of knowledge & technology• Multi-stakeholder governance model – Best Practice• Non-Profit/Non-Partisan organization • (DCA is a TRUST registered in neutral country Mauritius• Open/transparent initiative - over 15 Press Releases since February 2010 disclosing our activities.• Inclusive cross marketing opportunity for ccTLDs• Support new African based gTLDs• Team committed to building “generation.africa”• Team committed to branding Africa in positive light • Africa East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

One Club Policy - Global policy Your African Mobile Identity Contact us at: Support@dotconnectafrica.orgDotConnectAfrica.org

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DotAfrica Presentation Johannesburg South Africa- African Leadership Retreat

by DotAfrica Initiative on Apr 29, 2011

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DotAfrica Presentation Johannesburg South Africa- African Leadership Retreat — Presentation Transcript