[governance] the IGF : what does it mean for Africa?

Mon Nov 16 17:35:28 EST 2009

Bonsoir Aaron

(j'écris en français car cela semble être notre langue commune)

Autant je suis d'accord avec vous pour condamner l'action prédatrice de la "Françafrique" sur votre continent depuis des décennies (voire plus loin mais cela est un autre débat), autant je suis désolé de ne pas partager votre opinion sur au moins deux points.

Le premier point :
En Guinée, Dadis Camara n'a pas eu besoin de la France pour perpétrer ses crimes contre son propre peuple : à ma connaissance les victimes du stade n'ont pas été tuées avec des armes françaises et cela a été attesté par la presse africaine. Par contre, dès que l'Union européenne a pris des sanctions contre la Guinée pour condamner ce crime organisé par leur président autoproclamé, la Chine s'est précipitée au secours de Dadis Camara pour "offrir" (si on peut dire) sa collaboration et ses services. Ce sera le pillage de la bauxite comme en Zambie c'est celui du cuivre depuis deux ans. Il faudrait demander au peuple zambien ce qu'il pense d'une telle "aide".

Le deuxième point :
En France et plus généralement en Europe il ya des organisations de la SC dont une partie est fortement imprégnée du devoir de solidarité entre peuples du "Nord" et du "Sud" et en particulier l'Afrique. Mieux, ces associations comptent des militants voire des responsables africains qui secouent leurs responsables politiques -nationaux et européens- et agissent dans leurs domaines respectifs en offrant (dans le plein sens du mot) leur compétence, leur expérience et leur temps voire leur personne afin de contribuer à la solution progressive des problèmes majeurs avec leurs partenaires de la SC africaine, des associations de village jusqu'à celles actives dans le domaine de l'enseignement supérieur, en passant par les TIC et ... l'accès de ceux qui le désirent et en ont besoin à l'Internet. La gouvernance de l'Internet est donc de facto un problème que nous devons aborder en commun, auquel nous pouvons réfléchir ensemble, et auquel nous devons donner des réponses adaptées aux situations respectives. 

Le schéma de coopération, de collaboration et d'interaction entre nos associations en Europe et en Afrique est donc une voie vertueuse dans la mesure où nous tous y veillons, et elle aura des résultats pour les peuples africains dans la mesure où nous tous nous nous y engageons. 

C'est ce que l'association CSDPTT que j'ai eu l'honneur de présider pendant cinq ans a démontré par son action réelle sur le terrain et ce que l'association CESIR dont je suis un des co-animateurs avec Christian Nguekeng se propose de faire avec votre soutien. Et je peux ajouter que dans ma ville de Strasbourg où plus de cinq mille jeunes africains étudient à l'Université, nous nous retrouvons fréquement dans diverses organisations -y compris de jumelage- pour entretenir ces liens forts qui nous relient à l'Afrique. 

Je souhaite que mes propos vous ont enlevé quelques soupçons et donné l'espoir d'un travail en commun futur, au bénéfice de vos soeurs et vos frères.

Bien cordialement à vous

Jean-Louis Fullsack
CSDPTT et CESIR 

> Message du 16/11/09 09:13
> De : "Nyangkwe Agien Aaron" 
> A : "Jeffrey A. Williams" 
> Copie à : governance at lists.cpsr.org, "Lohento Ken" 
> Objet : Re: [governance] the IGF : what does it mean for Africa?
> 
> Jeffrey wrote
> 
Ergo expecting assistance from the west as you suggest may be a slippery slope and not generate the kind of assistance you seem to be asking for.
> 
> My appeal is to the international community as a whole and not only the West.That is calling for a win-win collaboration. As an African I can tell you that we are already to the fill with the "West". You can name SAPs, Democracy proclaimed at the door and, dictatorship and profligacy whispered through the window. You can say like De gaulle that "in international relations there are no permanent friends but permanent interest".
> 
> Finally, I agree with you that we have to solve our ligitimacy problems ourselves as nothing could be expected from the "West"
> 
> But we expect an outcry from the international community when a Western country (France) destroy the Airforce of an independent country (Côte d'Ivoire) or teleguide what is now known as the polgrom of Dada Camara's Guinea because contracts are awarded to China
> 
> Warmly
> 
> Aaron
> 
> 
On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 9:23 PM, Jeffrey A. Williams  wrote:
> 
> Nyangkwe and all,
> 
> Unfortunately many in the west face the same ligitimacy considerations but perhaps to a lessor
> degree, as you articulate is being faced or recognized in Africa. Ergo expecting assistance
> from the west as you suggest may be a slippery slope and not generate the kind of assistance
> you seem to be asking for.
> 
> This said, Africa will need to solve it's own governmental ligitimacy problems and expect little
> to no significant positive help from the west. Perhaps the EU can aid Africa in this regard, but
> again some of the same ligitimacy problems exist or are precieved in the EU as well.
> 
> 
> 
-----Original Message----- 
> From: Nyangkwe Agien Aaron 
> Sent: Nov 15, 2009 3:21 AM 
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org, Lohento Ken 
> Subject: Re: [governance] the IGF : what does it mean for Africa? 
> 
> Hi All
> 
> Thanks Ken for the research
> 
> However:
> 
The involvement of the academia is laking, as well that of regional economic organizations (ECOWAS, SADC, etc.), maybe because governments seems less interested in the process.
> 
> This is due to the fact nearly all the governments of the regions are illigitimate and have less concern for issues that concern those governed
> 
> The mandate of the Forum (which is not seen as a space for solutions that Africa is urgently longing for), due to the basic access to ICT needs and to the crucial need to strengthen internet governance on the continent,
> 
> You hit the nail square Ken. 
> Capacity building is what is mostly needed here. Internet access dispite the availability of a down stream optical fibre that is not optimally exploited (nobody know why, may be reason is due my remarks above) 
> May I say that after a Marshall plan to rebuild Europe after the second world war, we need an ICT plan for Africa that includes AN EFFECTIVE ROUTING OUT OF ILLIGIMATE GOVERNMENTS SUPPORTED BY THE WEST.
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Aaron 
> 

> On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 2:01 AM, Lohento Ken  wrote:
> 
Dear all,
> 
> One the eve of Egypt 2009, for your info, this article I wrote on the IGF and Africa - in French however, but please find a summary in English below - our list/caucus is somehow concerned - comments welcome - Regards KL
> 
> The Internet Governance Forum: what does it mean for Africa? - Octobre 2009 - working document in French - Download here http://www.iafric.net/benin/gouvernanceinternet.html
> 
> SUMMARY
> 
> This article seeks to understand the representation and interest of the IGF process within the African ICT community, and to give illustrations of its eventual impact. To do this, we, primarily, have analyzed exchanges on two key discussion lists on which African views on Internet governance are conveyed. To complement and validate if necessary observations, we have consulted some documents produced by some players and have questioned others. We have also based conclusions on our observation of the process since its launch in 2006.
> 
> The two lists analyzed are a panAfrican list (the AfrICANN list, created by the AfriNIC, the body responsible for managing IP and ASN addresses for the continent) and an international list (the Governance list, a discussion space for the international civil society Internet Governance Caucus). The first space was analyzed during six months (November 2008 - April 2009) and the second during a year (May 2008 - April 2009). These lists are two public lists, the most relevant for our analysis. It has been observed only 7% of contributions dealt with IGF on the AfrICANN in the period; this figure shows an interest in the international process, but it is minimal, on a space that gathered key African ICT governance players. However, as contributions on other subjects discussed on the list illustrates, Internet Governance as an issue is of a strong concern, specifically when it relates to its consolidation in Africa. “Localising IGF” has then become a common leitmotiv on the continent. From another point of view, 5.43% of the Internet Governance Caucus list came from African subscribers during the twelve months analyzed. This figure is at least below the continent's presence on this space (about 10%). However, it has to be stressed that Africa do contributes to life in this group at all levels, including during development of contributions submitted to IGF. On both lists, the feeble African participation that may be understood by several factors is regretted, by African stakeholders themselves first of all, and calls for reversing this trend are often made. All these conclusions are validated by the observation of the whole process, the analysis of some written productions and discussions with some key actors.
> 
> A main conclusion after this research is that, although Africa contributes and participates in IGF in different manners and for various reasons, its interest in the international process is minimal; this is due to the mandate of the Forum (which is not seen as a space for solutions that Africa is urgently longing for), due to the basic access to ICT needs and to the crucial need to strengthen internet governance on the continent, which is seen as a greater priority. In addition, the involvement of the academia is laking, as well that of regional economic organizations (ECOWAS, SADC, etc.), maybe because governments seems less interested in the process. The other main conclusion is that, capacity building for some African ICT actors, and the increased awareness on the importance of the multi-stakeholder approach in policy making the sector, are seen as the key advantages gained from the international process.
> 
> It is therefore crucial, in this period of mid-term “evaluation” of IGF, and some days before its fourth annual meeting organized in Africa, that mechanisms that support capacity building are strengthened and made more visible, if further enhancing the importance of the international process in the eyes of actors of the continent is an aim.
> 
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> -- 
> Aaron Agien Nyangkwe
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> Special Assistant The President
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> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jeffrey A. Williams
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> 

> -- 
> Aaron Agien Nyangkwe
> Journalist-OutCome Mapper
> Special Assistant The President
> ASAFE
> P.O.Box 5213
> Douala-Cameroon
> 
> Tel. 237 3337 55 31, 3337 50 22
> Fax. 237 3342 29 70
> 
>
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