. Afr frica ica The New Internet Currency BY SOPHIA BEKELE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FORMER POLICY ADVISOR, ICANN DOTCONNECTAFRICA AITEC Africa: Lagos Nigeria
1. Principles of Intenet currency 2. Entrepreneurship 3. The need for Africa Specific Regional Domain 4. Who is DotConnectAfrica? 5. How do u get involved, aside from being a consumer? - Sponsoring Member 6. Governance Representation & Community 7. Interested sponsors 8. Who is ICANN? 9. Status of “.Africa” 10.Next Step for you! • Africa
• Africa
Principles of Integration - Common Market - Intra-trade - Local capacity Building ( Individual/institutional) - Stable Business Environment - Sharing best practices - Identify common threats • Africa
A Common Vision Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare . Japanese Proverb • Africa
What drives regional integration • will always be governments setting the policy frameworks for an open market; • allow for regional and global cooperation in order to create opportunities for private sector organizations could flourish • Africa
Key to speedy success • Common Vision • Entrepreneurship • Breeding of Black Swans • Continental Integration of our economies • Africa
Entrepreneurship = Opportunity = Accelerated Development CBS International
The Black Swan The Platonic fold - the explosive boundary where the Platonic mindset enters in contact with messy reality, where the gap between what you know and what you think you know becomes dangerously wide. • Africa
Your Mobile African Identity aitec.africa mobilemoney.africa paynet.africa la lagos. s.afr frica ica safaricom.africa tourism.africa Si.africa sunmicro.africa misys.africa pesapal.africa copycat.africa sevenseas.africa UnitedBa UnitedBank nk.a .afri rica visa.africa COMESA .africa ecobank.africa chamberofcommerce.africa citibank bank.a .afric frica Iveri.africa Iveri.africa biggame.africa biggame.africa Renaissance capital.africa webtribe.africa Cybercrime.africa allafrica.africa KDN.africa wildlife.africa icann.africa banking.africa microfinance.africa cooking.africa shoes.africa mobicash.africa Intrepid Data.africa 2030.africa dgi.africa.africa USAID.afri gatesfoundation.afric GrameenFoundation.africa • Africa african fricanun unio ion.a .afric rica powered b Dot Connect Africa
Need for Africa-specific regional 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
Need for Africa-specific regional 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
Need for Africa-specific regional domain • G enerate demand-driven research relevant to practical policy issues • F acilitate cross-border knowledge sharing and research partnerships with key knowledge end-users. • E nhance regional identity and global presence • Africa
The DotConnecAfrica Organization • DotConnectAfrica Organization is to be the Sponsoring Organization and Registry Operator for the .Africa sponsored Top Level Domain. • The .Africa domain is to develop into a global force in the international commercial, political and cultural network. • The .Africa domain aspires to embrace this dynamism in the African Century to become a nucleus, intersection and breeding ground for Internet activity and development in the region • Africa
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
Organizational Structure Is 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
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
Governance Structure Board of Directors Key Pan African CO-Sponsor Sponsor Org members • AU Chairman’s • Businesses • UNECA Advisory y • Internet orgs • ADB Council • IT org, • Teleco • NGO, • Non-profit, CEO • Other relevant Functional VPs Africa-based orgs Marketing & Customer Admin • Governments Support Bus Dev Staff • Africa
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
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
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
Status • Endorsed by Regional Key African organs, and governments • The African Union, ECA, ADB and 20% of African Govt as of endorsement date • The required demonstrable will of policymakers were there!. • Awaiting for ICANN to issue the application of TLDs, mid June (Expression of Interest) • Africa
NEXT STEPS for you! • African Banking sector is key to .Africa partnership • Reserve your names for registration! • Become Sponsor and sponsor members • Follow-us on Twitter, Facebook & our blog • Google us @ “ dotConnectafrica ” • Africa
Your African Mobile Identity Contact us at: Support@dotconnectafrica.org Thank you for your attention
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