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Welcome to DotConnectAfrica's archive page!

Here in our archives, you will find published documents in the past.   You will find our news letters, campaign letters, key communications, messages and other news items relevant to DotConnectAfrica. 

Please visit our website for more and current information at www.dotconnectafrica.org
Also press room is accessible at http://pressroom.prlog.org/dotconnectafrica/
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  • 2015 Archives
  • Season's Greetings! A Year in Review 2015 - DotConnectAfrica!!!  (12/30/2015)
  • • Season's Greetings, 2015 End of Year Message from DotConnectAfrica! Message from the Founder/CEO ~ ~ As Founder and CEO of DotConnectAfrica Group, it gives me great joy and honor to send this end of year message to the entire Pan-African constituency and international community of supporters and well-wishers all over the globe.
  • Thought Leadership Keynote Panel: #Female #Entrepreneurship #Technology  (12/3/2015)
  • • Sophia Bekele, International entrepreneur, ICT activist and philanthropist provides Thought Leadership on a Keynote Panel at the 2nd Quantum Global Advisory Board Symposium, Zurich, Switzerland
  • DCA Quarterly Tedbits - The #Accountability Issue  (11/3/2015)
  • • Accountability' remains to be one trending word globally, looking at recent accountability meltdowns at FIFA, Volkswagen, Carnegie Hall Board, ICANN, WIPO.
  • DotConnectAfrica Wishes Kenya a Happy Mashujaa Day  (10/19/2015)
  • • DotConnectAfrica Trust (DCA Trust), and its affiliate DCA Registry Services (Kenya) Ltd. extends very warm wishes to the President of the Republic of Kenya
  • KEYNOTE:"Market Has No Morality" Sophia Bekele speaks on Business Ethics and P  (10/5/2015)
  • • Founder/CEO of DotConnectAfrica Group & CBS International, Sophia Bekele was invited to speak on the subject of Business Ethics at the School of Business, Lincoln University, Oakland California. She was asked to share her experience and that of her organizations in IT Audits, Corporate Governance and her recent Moral & Legal victory over the global internet governance body the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN
  • DotAfricaTV: Africa is Rising: President Barack Obama remarks at #GES201  (7/28/2015)
  • • The future of Africa is up to Africans. For too long many looked to the outside for salvation." ---President Barack Obama at GES, Kenya
  • DotConnectAfrica Trust Wins Resounding Victory Against ICANN in IRP Accounta  (7/13/2015)
  • • In a landmark decision, an Independent Review Process (IRP), at the International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) has ruled that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has violated its Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation following an expert determination of an IRP suit that was filed by DotConnectAfrica Trust in October 2013 to challenge an ICANN Board decision at the American Arbitration Association (AAA), New York, USA. The DCA vs. ICANN IRP decision was issued in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, July 9, 2015
  • DotConnectAfrica at #GES #African Entrepreneurs Silicon Valley Forum  (7/10/2015)
  • • San Francisco: DCA Trust participated and shared its experience at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) "African Entrepreneurs & Silicon Valley Forum: 'Bridging Gaps and Making Connections' " forum, organized by the White house and USAID on 8th July 2015. This forum was organized as a precursor to the GES 2015 to be held in Kenya.
  • Happy Independence Day America The DCA Group and US Affilaites  (7/3/2015)
  • • The DotConnectAfrica Group and its U.S. affiliates are pleased to extend warmest felicitations to the President of the United States of America, Honorable Barack Obama; Senior United States Congressional and National Leaders, and indeed, all American citizens on this happy occasion of the July 4, National Independence Day celebrations.
  • Newsletter - The Innovation Issue  (6/30/2015)
  • • Internet industry updates, policy trends, tips, and news on Africa...
  • DotConnectAfrica Wishes Kenya a Happy Madaraka Day  (6/1/2015)
  • • Nairobi, Kenya, June 1, 2015: DotConnectAfrica Trust (DCA Trust), and its affiliate DCA Registry Services (Kenya) Ltd. is pleased to extend a very warm wishes to the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, His Deputy, H.E. Mr. William Ruto and all the people of Kenya on the occasion of celebrating Madaraka Day.
  • • DotConnectAfrica joins the Congressional Black Caucus Launch of TECH 202  (5/28/2015)
  • • Speaking to participants of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at the sidelines of the CBC Tech 2020 Diversity Initiative DCA Trust Founder and CEO Ms. Sophia Bekele said "We are passionate about the future of our Miss.Africa Initiative as well as generation.africa, because there is a great future in technology especially in Africa. STEM remains an integral part of catalyzing a digitally empowered Africa".
  • #AfricaDay: Celebrate the Land of Digital Opportunity  (5/25/2015)
  • • DotConnectAfrica joins the Africa people and the world at large to celebrate Africa Day, an annual commemoration of the 1963 founding Fathers of Africa
  • Miss.Africa announces 2015 Seed Funding Tech Initiative for women in Afr  (5/14/2015)
  • • Miss.Africa Initiative led by DCA Academy, is announcing a Seed Fund in Africa that will a small grants to support women and girls in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields to launch or expand their own initiatives that will increase their digital opportunities in IT related training, jobs and leadership roles.
  • SOLD OUT KeyNote: Sophia Bekele Catalyzes the 2015 Africa Busine  (5/7/2015)
  • • The organizers of the 2015 Africa Business Forum at the Haas School of Business in the University of California, Berkeley invited the Founder/CEO of DotConnectAfrica Group & CBS International, Founder of Yes2dotAfrica Campaign to present a keynote speech on the Theme "Africa: The Next Frontier for Mobile Technology".
  • Sophia Bekele invited to give a Keynote Address at 2015 E-learning Africa Conf  (4/22/2015)
  • • The event is co-organized by the African Union and hosted by the Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
  • We join All in Condemning the murder of Ethiopian Christians in Libya by ISIS  (4/21/2015)
  • • With heavy hearts, the DotConnectAfrica Group solemnly conveys its deepest sympathies to the Prime Minister Desalegn; the government and people of Ethiopia, families and friends of the victims following the release of video purportedly showing a mass execution of Ethiopian Christians in Libya by terrorists affiliated with Islamic State
  • Sophia Bekele Exclusive Commentary "No Legal Basis for IANA Transition"   (4/11/2015)
  • • A Post-Mortem Analysis of Senate Committee Hearing: "Only proper regulation by an independent agency with full Congressional mandate will ensure that a 'FIFA-Mafia type' organization of systematic corruption does not emerge. ICANN should not be trusted by Congress to regulate itself".
  • A Condolence Message to Kenya and Victims of Garissa University  (4/7/2015)
  • • With heavy hearts, DotConnectAfrica Group hereby wishes to join all lovers of peace in the world to solemnly convey its deepest sympathies to the President of Kenya, H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta; the government and people of the Republic of Kenya as well as the bereaved families, and friends of the 147 innocent Kenyans who were brutally killed following the cowardly attack at Garissa University during the Easter Season
  • DotConnectAfrica #CONNECTing-the-Dots: Options for Future, at UNESCO  (3/9/2015)
  • • DotConnectAfrica was invited to participate in the UNESCO international multistakholder conference, under the theme CONNECTing the Dots: Options for Future Action to discuss the first draft of the Comprehensive Study on Internet-related issues
  • DCA: Happy International Women's Day  (3/9/2015)
  • • "To be truly transformative, the post-2015 development agenda must prioritize gender equality and women's empowerment. The world will never realize 100 per cent of its goals if 50 per cent of its people cannot realize their full potential."
  • Sophia Bekele Commentary: ICANN Africa Strategy - A view from the Inside  (3/2/2015)
  • • The rise of "Exclusive Mulistakholder"
    Will Africa be able to move and stand on its feet?
  • Singapore: IBCA made presentation to ICANN GAC on its Proposal for Prote  (2/22/2015)
  • • The Internet Business Council for Africa (IBCA) was invited by ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) to present comments it had submitted for the proposed Protection of Geographic Names in New gTLDs during ICANN GAC session.
  • Welcome 2015 - To the Year of Creative Disruption :A New Year's Message  (2/10/2015)
  • • In 2015, we are betting on more. Our theme and engagement for 2015 is therefore, Creative Disruption, and here is why?
  • Exclusive Commentary: Congress will oversight ICANN: and  (1/15/2015)
  • • Therefore, I wish to call for the establishment of such a new body that will work in cooperation with the NTIA to exercise supervisory responsibilities
  • Keynote Remarks to Nazareth School from Ms. Sophia Bekele at the Diamond Jublie  (1/5/2015)
  • • I am deeply honored and thank you for inviting me to make this keynote remark. It is with great pleasure that I send this goodwill message to the 60th anniversary celebration to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Nazareth School.
  • DCA Registry Services makes its voice heard at the ICANN Africa Strategy, Addis  (3/12/2013)
  • DCA registry services and its UK Partner CentralNic participated at the African Mufti-stakeholder Internet Governance meeting held at the UNECA Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 6-8 March 2013 PRLog
  • REJOINDER Part II: DotConnectAfrica's Letter of Complaint to US Congress  (3/5/2013)
  • Domain Incite agrees that "if UniForum did lie to the AU and other governments about submitting a Community application, it's within the governments' power to withdraw their endorsements... " Rejoinder to Domain Incite regarding the Letter to Congress Part 2
  • REJOINDER: DotConnectAfrica's Complaint to U.S. Congress  (3/2/2013)
  • Rejoinder & Official Response to Kevin Murphy -DOMAININCITE:
    Even though you have continued to demonstrate your penchant for biased and negative reporting against DCA Trust, we think that the use of the pejorative 'nutty' is uncalled for and shows your disrespect and disdain for our organization and we believe you owe us an apology
  • The East African: DCA's Boss, Sophia Bekele - Internet War: Scramble for  (1/27/2013)
  • Giving the AU an upper hand in managing of the domain name raises conflict of interest issues, as some players in this process are planning to pre-qualify organization that will apply for .africa, while they themselves have vested interest in the .africa TLD, because they floated themselves .africa proposals of their own, and have also openly identified with some prospective applicants.
  • Welcome 2013 - The Year of Internet Governance: A New Year message from our  (1/10/2013)
  • As we inaugurate a new year, I decided to peer through what may be ahead of us in 2013, and here is what I would share with you....Our 2013 Resolution is simple: A free and open .africa and internet!
  • 2012 Archives
  • Season's Greetings! A Year in Review, 2012 - Yes2dotAfrica Campaign!  (12/22/2012)
  • ----As Executive Director of DotConnectAfrica Trust (DCA Trust) and spearhead of the Yes2DotAfrica Campaign, it gives me great pleasure to send this end of year message at Christmas to our entire Pan-African constituency and global community of supporters and well-wishers all over the world. 2012 was truly and eventful and memorable year. It was a year of many firsts and though Africa is recovering from the natural disasters faced in 2011 as well as leadership changes all over the world, we had some positive land marks as well
  • DCA Newsletter- 5 Years, Buenos Aires,Toronto, Baku, Africa Strategy, IBCA...  (12/6/2012)
  • A Note From Founder, Dear Readers, DotConnectAfrica Celebrates Five (5) years of informative and concise news through our periodic and regular Newsletters and TedBits. Indeed it is a testimony of documented hard work getting to take Africa to the world, while exploiting every available chance to educate Africa on its anticipated future on Internet Governance, ICANN, .Africa gTld, New TLDs and more. Reciprocally, we also educate our global stakeholders and supporters and committed subscribers on Africa and its heartbeat. At DCA we are happy to continue giving you more industry digests and news as they happen.
  • Goodby .DOTAFRICA - A significant landmark Victory in the battle for .Africa gTL  (11/2/2012)
  • Change Request for .Africa gTLD Domain Name String Approved by ICANN for DotConnectAfrica Trust! Toronto: A Considerable Success for DCA
  • DCA Exclusive Commentary: The "ICANN Africa Strategy" Is Not the Same as  (10/25/2012)
  • ---You could also see it in the tremendous enthusiasm for the AUC-endorsed dotAfrica (.africa) application, which has become a real a (sic) focal point of an emerging "African Agenda"., wrote Andrew Mack.
    ---Again, this is a very wrong assertion which is very misleading. Andrew Mack's confusion is rather palpable, by mixing-up the new ICANN Africa Strategy with the previously failed African Agenda. The point has already been made that the "African Agenda" aimed to take the DotAfrica new gTLD outside the oversight of ICANN's new gTLD program under an opaque plan that would have enabled the African Union Commission (with the 'guidance' of its Task Force on DotAfrica) to separately delegate the .Africa gTLD to a structure that it had identified and selected based on a flawed 'special treatment process'. Andrew Mack's recent posting was therefore in grave error by assuming that the AUC-endorsed dotAfrica (.africa) application has become the focal point of an emerging "Africa Agenda".
  • DCA Participates in -45 at Toronto -Unveils new IBCA InitiaICANN  (10/24/2012)
  • ----Unveils new IBCA Initiative at ICANN Public Forum: The objective of the IBCA is to increase and promote the participation of the African Private Sector, and the Africa/Global non-governmental constituency (involved in Africa) in the ICANN community and in Global Internet Governance.
  • Sophia Bekele profiled as "Achieving Women" by Standard Daily - Nairobi  (10/22/2012)
  • ---Taking stock of her decade of professional activities and achievements, including the policy advise she has rendered to global organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) and a number of others; her initiation of the .africa project at ICANN and being the first African to be appointed on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)'s powerful policy seat of the GNSO and more...
    BRENDA KAGENI, the editor of Standard Group, spoke to the Achieving Women on how "she intends to put Africa on the ICT world map".
  • ICANN-45 Public Comment Toronto:Multi-Stakeholder DCA & Africa Str  (10/19/2012)
  • At the ICANN-44 Prague meeting, DCA Trust had been concerned that a preliminary meeting was held between some ICANN officials and certain group(s) of the African constituency at ICANN. DCA Trust was not invited to that meeting, for which reason we demonstrated our grievance by writing a letter to ICANN to protest our exclusion. It later transpired that the meeting was to lay the initial framework for commencing the ICANN Africa Strategy, and we interpreted our apparent exclusion from participating in that meeting as a prelude to our non-involvement in the process of the ICANN Africa Strategy - both in formulation and implementation. We complained again based on multi-stakeholder principles. We strongly believe that all those participating as recognized constituents of the African Community at ICANN should be involved in any ICANN Africa Strategy. Even whilst maintaining that our initial complaints were valid, we also believe that all that is now in the past and that DCA Trust was able to make its point. DCA Also introduced its IBCA Initiative
  • Sabotage to Our Wikipedia Sites  (10/1/2012)
  • ----We wish to inform the global Internet public that our Wikipedia pages have been willfully and maliciously attacked. The Wikipedia pages containing entries for
    ---DotConnectAfrica http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DotConnectAfrica,
    ---.africa which was attributed based on DCA's initial work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/africa and that of its
    ---Executive Director, Ms. Sophia Bekele http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Bekele have been seriously affected by this act of sabotage.
    ---Crucial information pertaining to the work of DCA Trust, .africa and Ms. Sophia Bekele
    were willfully deleted from the published pages, even though the items of information that were removed have been unmodified and generally available on these pages for the past five (5) years.
    --Our opponents have directly substituted their own .africa version and have also deleted relevant text from our Wikipedia page, thus defacing the contents of our Wikipedia sites, including professional history and credentials of Ms.Sophia Bekele which has existed over five years.
  • Official Public Commentary to UNIFORUM's Application to ICANN  (9/27/2012)
  • ---Pursuant to Section 1.1.2.3 ('Comment Period') of the new gTLD Applicant's Guidebook that allows public comments to be posted on any submitted application during the Application Comment Period, DCA Trust had reviewed the public portions of the application for .AFRICA submitted by UniForum ZA Central Registry (Application ID: 1-1243-89583) and formally submitted certain comments on the posted application materials of UniForum during the public comments period of the new gTLD Program Time-Table.
    ---It is anticipated that these comments will be made available to the ICANN Evaluation Panels performing the Initial Evaluation Reviews, and would be noted, verified and analyzed with a view to disqualifying or failing the UniForum application for .AFRICA gTLD string name.
  • DCA Trust puts .africa New gTLD Users and Registrants First  (9/10/2012)
  • ---With user affordability in mind, DCA Trust proposed the sum of US$10.00 as the registration cost per standard domain name in the new .Africa gTLD extension.
    ---In addition, DCA Trust also provided the hefty sum of US$300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand United States of America Dollars) as a financial guarantee for the mandatory Registry Continued Operations Instrument (COI) required by ICANN to ensure user and registrant protection in the event of registry business failure. The Registry COI amount would be utilized to enable ICANN safely transition the operation of the .Africa gTLD registry to an approved Emergency Back-End Registry Operator (EBERO) thus ensuring uninterrupted registry services for users and registrants.
  • DCA Trust puts .africa New gTLD Users and Registrants First  (9/10/2012)
  • ---With user affordability in mind, DCA Trust proposed the sum of US$10.00 as the registration cost per standard domain name in the new .Africa gTLD extension.
    ---In addition, DCA Trust also provided the hefty sum of US$300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand United States of America Dollars) as a financial guarantee for the mandatory Registry Continued Operations Instrument (COI) required by ICANN to ensure user and registrant protection in the event of registry business failure. The Registry COI amount would be utilized to enable ICANN safely transition the operation of the .Africa gTLD registry to an approved Emergency Back-End Registry Operator (EBERO) thus ensuring uninterrupted registry services for users and registrants.
  • REJOINDER: "Bizarre twist in .africa tale" TechCentral South Africa  (9/9/2012)
  • ---From what we have gleaned from the published parts of the UniForum new gTLD application for .Africa, it is not a Community TLD application. It is possible according to the statement made in the preceding paragraph that the African Union has indeed provided UniForum with a letter of appointment to apply on behalf of the African Community, but UniForum clearly did not submit an African Community TLD application according to the putative African Union appointment or endorsement.
  • DCA's Commentary on ITWebAfrica Story . -Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.africa  (8/25/2012)
  • ---African governments should NOT have a case against DCA- Instead they should withdraw support from UNIFORUM When the African governments discover that they really have no case against DCA Trust, they will start withdrawing their support from UniForum. DCA therefore stands ready to defend itself against any form of Objection.
  • Alice Munyua: STOP Misrepresenting and Distorting Facts to the African  (8/7/2012)
  • ---Misrepresenting a non-Community TLD application as the official AUC-sponsored .AFRICA gTLD application for the African Community
  • REJOINDER: DCA believes only ICANN should decide on DotAfrica  (7/31/2012)
  • ---For us, the crux of the matter, which remains our strongest point of disagreement with the competition, is whether the ICANN or AU holds the key to determining the ultimate fate of DotAfrica gTLD. We believe that it is ICANN, and DCA Trust will continue to put its faith in ICANN. This is why we remain confident, that if the guidebook principles and ICANN's criteria are scrupulously followed, and no extraordinary, third-party measures are used to influence or manipulate the process, DCA stands a very good chance of victory. Our opponents on the other hand believe that the AU holds the key to any ultimate decision regarding DotAfrica, but we refuse to allow ourselves to be marginalized out of the process. We believe that the process should be left to the ICANN evaluation alone. Thus, DCA is reiterating "that ICANN, and not the African Union, should be the body that gets to decide who should run .africa."
  • DotConnectAfrica Clarifies its .africa bid at EAIGF   (7/25/2012)
  • ---Mr. Gedion Rop dismissed such wrong reports as an exercise in mass media manipulation with a view to misinforming the public, which is quite unethical. DCA also sought to emphasize that the geographic string name applied for was indeed .Africa gTLD as clarified in its post reveal Press release. Contrary to the unfounded allegations that DCA did not apply for .AFRICA (dotAfrica) string.
    ---DotConnectAfrica remains a strong contender for the DotAfrica string name and actually stands the best chance of being awarded the mandate to operate the .AFRICA gTLD registry since it has adhered to, and respected all the guidelines of the new gTLD programme, in addition to accepting ICANN's oversight of the entire process, unlike UniForum which might be penalized for wrongly attributing the rights of DotAfrica gTLD to the AU instead of ICANN in direct contravention of the new gTLD programme guidelines.
  • DCA TedBits - Prague, post gTLD "reveal" , ICANN New Leadership, what   (7/13/2012)
  • The Reveal Surprises -All about New gTlds
  • Governments have a role in gTLDs, but..." warns Sophia Bekele in a Mai  (7/8/2012)
  • ---At the end, it will not be an individual or corporate victory by DCA, but the collective success of the larger pan-African constituency and peoples who understand the compelling imperative to defend Africa from monopolists, special interests and disinformation campaigns on a well intentioned initiative.- Sophia Bekele
  • DCA Press Release: DCA Reports a Successful ICANN 44 at the Panoramic and Histor  (7/3/2012)
  • ---DCA a was ably represented by a great team that included the Exec Dir/CEO Ms. Bekele and a high level delegation from Kenya. DCA has been able to muster lots of effort in campaigning for an African geoTLD for the past 4 years within the global ICANN societies and Africa. DCA assured all stakeholders that asked including ICANN representatives that its applied for gTLD application is for "Africa" string and not a ".dotafrica", as has been circulating in the press. As in previous ICANN meetings, DCA continued to thereby participate in the most exciting way in the commercial stakeholder, AFRALO, AfriICANN as well as technology forums,, and its team members and advisers were most active in their comments.
  • DCA Trust & UniForum SA have both applied for the same 'Africa' Geographic Name   (6/14/2012)
  • ---In order to guard against the insidious effect of any mass media manipulation that the 'AfricaInOneSpace' team might already be engaging in, we wish to issue the following clarification for the avoidance of doubt regarding the string DCA Trust applied for, and to reassure the supporters of DCA's new gTLD application.
    ---DCA Trust applied for the same geographical string name for 'Africa', pronounced as 'DotAfrica', as shall be revealed soon by the ICANN Technical Evaluation. It is important to note that the initial evaluation process will also consider string similarity - and all strings applied for will be reviewed; and applications for the same or similar strings will end up in the same "String Contention Set". The prescriptions of the ICANN new gTLD Guidebook (Section 2.2.1.1) are quite clear in this regard.
  • DCA Press Release: DCA Announces the Establishment of a World Class Registry  (6/12/2012)
  • ---DotConnectAfrica (DCA) wishes to announce to the global Internet public and Domain Name Industry that it is going to establish a world-class Internet registry system infrastructure to be located in Nairobi, Kenya, the commercial hub of East Africa. DCA believes that setting-up a world-class registry system infrastructure that is physically located in Africa will be an important 'criticality' to the unconditional success of the DotAfrica generic Top Level Domain(gTLD) project. To this end, DCA has reached a landmark agreement with CentralNIC London U.K., a world-class registry services provider, to set-up a registry services system in Africa, and has also signed important agreements with Safaricom (Kenya) Ltd. and FINCOM Technologies (Kenya) Ltd. for the co-location of mission critical computer hardware and network technical infrastructure that would support the registry functions of DotAfrica gTLD.
  • DCA Open Letter to United States Congress on Global Internet Governance and Mul  (6/8/2012)
  • ---However, success in the current programme is not guaranteed, and in our estimation, one reason that poses severe risks to the entire new gTLD programme is the possible changes to the Global Internet Governance Architecture that is presently overseen by ICANN that handles the IANA mandate under a contract with the U.S. National Technology & Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce. Honorable Senator, it is clear that since ICANN is 'midwifing' the new gTLD programme, any change to the present Global Internet Governance structure and its multi-stakeholder underpinnings could very well have an impact on the outcome of the new gTLD programme, with potential disruptions and unforeseen risks to those organizations, including DCA Trust, that have already participated in the present gTLD application round, not forgetting the disappointment to all those that are looking forward to a smooth Internet expansion programme.
  • DCA Exclusive Commentary: A Moral Victory: ICANN response to AU  (6/13/2012)
  • ---ICANN's Official Response to African Union on Request to Reserve DotAfrica Name: A Strong Vindication for DCA and a sign of things to come! "ICANN is not able to take actions that would go outside of the community-established and documented guideline of the program to provide the special treatment you have requested. ICANN does wish to explain, however that protections exist that will allow the African Union and its member states to play a prominent role in determining the outcome of any application for these top-level domain name strings."
  • A Note of Appreciation from our Executive Director - Sophia Bekele  (6/5/2012)
  • ---On behalf of DCA Trust, I am pleased to inform our Pan-African and Global Internet constituency that we have successfully submitted a new gTLD application for the DotAfrica domain name space under the new programme for Internet Top-Level Domain expansion launched by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
  • DCA Press Briefing :African Union & UNIFORUM SA should bewar  (4/24/2012)
  • ---Most of these press reports are quite misleading since a firm cannot be selected to administer a domain that has not yet been delegated, even as we understand the very impossibility of the African Union mainstreaming itself strategically within a particular proposal in a policy-oversight role whilst also playing the tactical role of a 'self-endorsing' entity in order to singularly control the fate of DotAfrica. It is therefore important to set the records straight in the global public interest." -DotConnectAfrica.
  • DCA Exclusive Commentary: The Empire Fights Back! BAR UN regulation of   (4/6/2012)
  • ---Exclusive Commentary by Sophia Bekele: If the United States House of Representatives is now introducing legislation to bar the UN Regulation of the Internet, then it only implies one thing. The Empire is fighting back!
    It is quite apparent that the U.S. would view UN governance of the Internet as 'anathema'. The U.S. invented the Internet and its potential as an America public diplomacy tool has grown over the years, to the chagrin of those countries that are clamoring for U.N. oversight of global Internet Governance.
  • DCA Update: Battle ROYALE -US. Reps. Introduce Resolution to Bar UN Regulation   (4/2/2012)
  • ---The battles lines are already drawn. At DCA, we see the expected opposition of Internet regulation by the U.S. Permanent Mission at the UN as reminiscent of DCA's strident and principled opposition at ICANN-42 Dakar of the move by the African Union (AU) to include the DotAfrica namespace in the Top-Level Reserved Names List. ThusDCA has consistently argued for unconditional support for the current multi-stakeholder model, and not too long ago, strongly argued why such support should continue, (see 2012: The Year of the New gTLD program and the year to support ICANN
    -The present move by the United States Congress is a public vindication of DCA's position. We believe that such moves of putting the Internet under U.N. control would be 'obstructionist' to the Internet's potential as a platform for continuing inventiveness and innovation - prospects that can only be fully realized in an unfettered multi-stakeholder Internet governance model that is now operative. Read below:
  • DCA TedBits - Costa Rica "COI" Top Internet Governance Agenda   (3/24/2012)
  • ---The Internet Governance Issue
  • CHANGE IN COMPOSITION OF DCA STRATEGIC ADVISORY BOARD   (2/8/2012)
  • ---At the end of 2011, Ms. Njeri Rionge had expressed to DCA Executive Director, a direct interest in competing for the soon to be vacant ICANN CEO position, and for this reason, was kindly requested by DCA to submit her resignation from the DCA Strategic Advisory Board for ethical/conflict of interest reasons. This was done after due internal consultations with concerned parties. Accordingly, Njeri Rionge is no longer involved in DCA and DCA Registry Ltd either as a Board Member or shareholder and will not represent neither would she be affiliated with DCA in any capacity, now or in the near future.
  • Welcome 2012 - The Year for new gTLDs: A New Year's Message from our Executive  (1/14/2012)
  • ---As Executive Director of DotConnectAfrica (DCA) and spearhead of the Yes2DotAfrica Campaign, it gives me great pleasure to send this end of year message at Christmas to our entire Pan-African constituency and global community of global supporters and well-wishers all over the world.
    ---We are thankful to all our supporters - for the hope they have provided to enable us sustain our global promotional efforts, their constant encouragement and the strength we drew from that, even as we underscore the need for their continuous support in this last mile of our long journey, for the realization of the DotAfrica vision.
  • 2011 Archives
  • Season's Greetings! A Year in Review, 2011 - Yes2dotAfrica Campaign!  (12/23/2011)
  • ---As Executive Director of DotConnectAfrica (DCA) and spearhead of the Yes2DotAfrica Campaign, it gives me great pleasure to send this end of year message at Christmas to our entire Pan-African constituency and global community of global supporters and well-wishers all over the world. 2011 was indeed a very interesting and unforgettable year. It had its share of natural disasters, environmental pollution, humanitarian emergencies, civil strife, armed conflict, economic crises, and some positive developments too.
  • The EastAfrican: DCA's Boss - Internet War: Scramble for .afric  (12/16/2011)
  • --- "Giving the AU an upper hand in managing of the domain name raises conflict of interest issues , as some players in this process are planning to pre-qualify organization that will apply for .africa, while they themselves have vested interest in the .africa TLD, because they floated themselves .africa proposals of their own, and have also openly identified with some prospective applicants.
    ---Also, if the AU insists on controlling, owning, and leading the process by using its political influence to gain official control of this new gTLD, then the AU should be treated just as any other prospective applicant that also needs to abide by the ICANN applicant Guidbook and should not be given preferential treatment to the detriment of other appicants" Sophia Bekele
  • DCA UPDATE: Only 1 month left: Join our "YES2dotAfrica" campaign!  (12/1/2011)
  • ---Here DCA presents an African identity
    in such context as 'tribalfashion.africa' which given the opportunity to brand various tribes for the purpose of harnessing our tourism potential, also helps in identifying peoples and places for necessary Pan-African development interventions that would help improve the livelihoods of local nationalities & grassroot communities within the continent.
  • Dites "NON" à l’Appel d’Offres de l’Union Africaine pour l’exploitation de Do  (11/26/2011)
  • ---Les auteurs de ce document avaient alors plaidé pour un soutien sans faille de différents pays africains pour soutenir le processus de l'UA pour "sécuriser l'espace de noms afin de permettre à l'UA de demander DotAfrica sans être contestée par un individu ou une institution qui tiendrait à une demande de réclamation de l'espace de noms"
  • Yes2dotAfrica Campaign sayd "NO" to African Union RFP  (11/23/2011)
  • ---The authors of that document had then advocated for support to be garnered from different African countries to sustain the AU process for "securing the namespace so as to enable the AU apply for DotAfrica without being challenged by an individual or institution that would like to stake a claim to the namespace"
  • DCA Commentaire exclusif:ComputerWorld "la demande de la CUA pour DotAfrica com  (11/20/2011)
  • ---"Il n'y pas avait d'unanimité concernant l'adoption de la resolution pour obtenir DotAfrica inclus dans la liste des noms reservés du Top Level, afin d'accorder une protection législative spéciale au profit de l'UA. et lui donner des pouvoirs extraordinaires pour négocier séparément et déléguer ces noms en dehors du programme de l'ICANN" - DotConnectAfrica.
  • DCA Exclusive Commentary:ComputerWorld: " AUC request for .africa Reserve Names"  (11/18/2011)
  • --- "There was no unanimity regarding the adoption of the resolution to have DotAfrica included in the Top-Level Reserved Names List, so as to give special legislative protection that will benefit the AU, and give it extraordinary powers to separately negotiate and delegate these names outside the ICANN programme " - DotConnectAfrica.
  • DCA Press Release: Yes2dotAfrica Campaign Triumphs at ICANN 42 Dakar  (11/15/2011)
  • ---DotConnectAfrica (DCA) was one of the principal participants and silver-level sponsor of the ICANN-42 international gathering, and was involved in various activities that took place throughout the week-long meeting in Dakar. DCA also mounted a well-attended exhibition on DotAfrica, and its Yes2DotAfrica campaign, which was visited by the Senegalese President and Head of State, H.E. Monsieur Abdoulaye Wade, and the Senegalese Minister for Telecommunications and Information/Communications Technologies, Monsieur Moustapha Guirassy. ICANN-42 was a great opportunity to focus positive attentions on DCA's Yes2DotAfrica Campaign, and we are pleased to present a summary of the main activities and important accomplishments for the benefit of our Pan-African constituency.
  • DCA Press Release: ICANN 42: A Successful Yes2dotAfrica Campaign in Senegal!  (11/7/2011)
  • ---DCA had displayed an important exhibition of its Yes2DotAfrica Campaign and used it to further communicate its DotAfrica vision to visitors of the Exhibition and other delegations that attended the meeting. It was a successful meeting that focused positive attentions on the Yes2DotAfrica Campaign, and full media focus was provided by the Agence de Presse Senegalese - a prominent government-owned national newspaper that covered the main personalities who played key roles at the event such as the ICANN CEO, AfriNIC CEO, Executive Director of DotConnectAfrica, President Wade of Senegal, and The Senegalese Minister responsible for information technology and telecommunications played a commendable role in ensuring a successful meeting.
  • ICANN-42 Public Forum, Dakar-DCA's Executive Briefing Note with ICANN Leadership  (11/2/2011)
  • ---DCA participated in the recent ICANN Public Forum organized on Thursday 27th October 2011 and used the opportunity to express its opinion on a range of issues that are of concern to the ICANN global and African publics.
    ---"We believe that the DotAfrica issue is a battle test-ground for ICANN's leadership and oversight of the Global Internet Governance process. If AU imposes its will on ICANN, and prevails on this issue it will set a bad precedent that will be detrimental to ICANN's ability to control the multi-stakeholder process". - Sophia Bekele
  • DCA a assisté à la récente réunion AfrICANN qui a été convoquée le mardi 25 Oct  (10/27/2011)
  • ---DCA avait honoré l'invitation par respect, d'abord pour les organisateurs, et le second, à utiliser l'opportunité d'exprimer ses objectifs organisationnels, et aussi d'exprimer son avis sur l'ordre du jour qui avait été présenté par les organisateurs de la réunion AfrICANN. Par conséquent, DCA tient à réitérer ses positions quant à DotAfrica sur le dossier
  • DCA Commentary: DCA’s STATEMENT AT THE AFRICANN MEETING ON .AFRICA AT DAKAR  (10/27/2011)
  • ---DCA had honored the invitation out of respect, first to the conveners, and second, to use the opportunity to express its organizational objectives, and also express its opinion on the agenda that had been presented by the conveners of the AfriCANN meeting. Therefore, DCA would like to reiterate its positions regarding DotAfrica for the record: 1) DCA intends to apply for the DotAfrica gTLD to ICANN based on the guidelines of the new gTLD programme that has been launched by ICANN.
  • DCA TedBits2 - Towards Senegal - Did you know this about Africa?  (10/23/2011)
  • ---You know this about Africa? Africa is second-largest of the Earth's seven continents - covering about 30,330,000 sq km (11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world's total land area.
  • DCA Exclusif comentary: Réponse officielle de la DCA au PROJET DE RÉSOLUTION  (10/21/2011)
  • ---DCA réaffirme sa position antérieure que le programme de l'agenda de la réunion de nombreux exclus parties prenantes importantes, qui a rendu impossible pour la voix et des vues techniques de nombreuses organisations, dont DCA devrait être entendu lors de la réunion (s). DCA est donc d'avis que cette exclusion délibérée a été pré-déterminé d'une façon orchestrée afin de produire une certaine «ruiner-estampillé« résultat de la réunion.
  • DCA Exclusive Commentary:DCA Commentary on the African Ministerial Table Outcome  (10/21/2011)
  • ---DCA re-affirms its earlier position that the programme of the meeting agenda excluded many important stake-holders, which made it impossible for the voice and technical views of many organizations including DCA to be heard at the meeting(s). DCA therefore believes that this deliberate exclusion was pre-determined in a stage-managed fashion in order to produce a certain 'runner-stamped' outcome by the meeting.
  • DCA Press Release: ICANN 42 Dakar: Meet the Yes2dotAfrica Campaign in Senegal!  (10/16/2011)
  • ---DotConnectAfrica is delighted to inform its Pan-African constituency, and indeed, its significant community of stakeholders and avid supporters of the forth-coming ICANN Conference for Developing countries to be held in Dakar, Senegal from 23 October to 28 October 2011.
  • DCA Exclusive: The Illegitimate 'African Agenda' for Dakar: Say No to the ARC  (10/12/2011)
  • ---However, it has also come to our knowledge that an 'African Ministerial Round-Table' is being organized from the 19th to 21st October 2011 that will generate an 'African Agenda' as a resolution that will be presented as an input to the official ICANN 42 Meeting.
  • DCA inNEWS: Is Google good for Africa?  (10/10/2011)
  • ---As the influence of companies like Google grows, the continent's techies are aware of the urgency to stake their own territorial claim.
    ---An African-led initiative is pushing for a .africa suffix aimed at breaking down the dominance of foreign hosting sites. Around 90% of African websites are registered as .com, says DotConnectAfrica's Sophia Bekele. When it costs $19 to register a .com site versus around $50 for a .co.ke in Kenya, the choice is obvious, but it is not helping to populate the African web.
  • DCA UPDATE: Only 3 months left: See how you can participate!  (10/9/2011)
  • ---In January 2012, DCA will formally apply to ICANN for the delegation of the dotafrica gTLD. Building on our past successes and representing your interests, we therefore ask you all to join us in this final lap towards realizing our common vision of a unified internet presence for Africa through a dotafrica Top level Domain name.
  • DCA Exclusive Commentary:A TRAVESTY - AFRICA Internet Governance Forum (AFIGF)  (10/6/2011)
  • ---As a corporate body that has an enduring stake in good Internet Governance as it pertains to Africa generally, DCA would like to express its acute concerns and overall dissatisfaction regarding how the AFIGF was inaugurated and the 'selection' of a Chairperson as an outcome of the meeting.
  • DCA Press Release:Generation.africa on their high @6th IGF International,Nairobi  (10/6/2011)
  • ---Indeed, DotConnectAfrica would like to lend its voice to the debate and reaffirm our support for multi-stakeholder-sm, which is a core part of our proposed governance model for DotAfrica.
    ---Our own generation.africa representative, Gideon Rop raised the issue of the African Union's prospective application to ICANN during one of the ccTLD workshops: "Does the AU have a legitimacy to apply for dotafrica?", he probed aloud but received no answers.
  • DCA Press Release:The Successful Yes2dotAfrica Campaign invited to Munich!  (10/3/2011)
  • At the end of September, the DotConnectAfrica was in Munich, Germany to talk to, and share experiences with, other prospective applicants for new gTLDs.
  • DCA UPDATE: Africa Hard Talk-NePAD Has Failed to Solve Africa's Myriad Problems  (9/23/2011)
  • Against the backdrop of recent critical comments and analyses in the media (http://allafrica.com/stories/201107111201.html) regarding policy failures and disappointing performance by AU and its baby NEPAD - the organization and its agency that are supposed to be leading the African Renaissance effort, but are now being evaluated and reproved based on a 10-year chronicle of failures as another example of 'Africa's inability to perform'.
  • You asked, We clarified: Why our "No" Campaigns?  (9/21/2011)
  • ---The Justification for our "NO" Campaigns
    Our 'No Campaign' is a deliberate effort targeted at those who have been attempting to undermine the Yes2DotAfirca Campaign. Furthermore, the 'No Campaigns' have also help to shed more light on the opaque activities and shifting tactics of our detractors that might not be readily transparent to those who have been following the DotAfrica debate. We therefore believe there is no need to confuse our 'Yes' and 'No' Campaigns, and would like to again clarify DCA's involvement in the 'No Campaigns' as follows:
  • DCA UPDATE: Only 4 months left! Join Our Yes2dotAfrica Campaign!  (9/20/2011)
  • More than just a Domain...It is your identity Billion people . 1 Continent . 1 Domain .africa
  • DCA Exclusive: Whither DotAfrica amidst Confusion, Promiscuity and many Strange  (9/6/2011)
  • Say "No" to the CABAL: (special-interest coalitions) that is trying to hijack DotAfrica! Whither DotAfrica amidst Confusion, Promiscuity and many Strange Bed-fellows
  • DCA Press Release:Start-Up Success San Francisco Web 2.0 meets Yes2dotAfrica  (8/25/2011)
  • ---The Yes2dotAfrca campaign was among the participant, and made very good impression in presenting its goals and missions. DCA was approached and interviewed by Bob Walsh and Patrick Foley who frequently cover start-ups at Web 2.0 and was asked to present its activities to their regular audiences ....
  • Be part of our Yes2dotAfrica Campaign!  (8/15/2011)
  • The group "generation.Africa", is young multi-faceted individuals who believe in what DCA is trying to do to move the continent forward.
  • DCA UPDATE:The next big .THING for Africa: FAQ  (8/22/2011)
  • ---A ".africa" will simply be Africa's home on the cyberspace. A "dotcom" for Africa.
    FAQ.africa : What is a top-level domain (TLD)?
  • Forbes News: DCA's Njeri Rionge - Africa's Most Successful Women  (8/16/2011)
  • ---"Forbes Magazine, is a highly influential and leading source of reliable business news and financial information for global leaders, analysts and wealth managers; and has named DCA's Founding Member Njeri Rionge as "Africa's Most Successful Women".
  • Join our Yes2dotAfrica Campaign!  (8/13/2011)
  • ---As part of generation.africa volunteer, you will be involved in, discussing marketing and internet strategies, organizing events, networking with key figures in your country as well as all over Africa through the generation.africa network and building and rallying for support for the 'Yes2dotafrica campaign' within Africa.
  • Africa Says Thank You to ICANN & DotConnectAfrica!  (8/10/2011)
  • ---The .africa campaign by DotConnectAfrica has been the strongest statement yet of Africa's determination to add its name to the DNS root thus giving one billion people an online identity; so instead of the bigwigs at the continental bodies scuttling the whole process, this is the time to give the organization and the initiative some impetus in order to see this pushed to conclusion. It will be a pacesetter, allowing new African gTLD initiatives to sprout based on DotConnectAfrica model.---Africa Domain
  • DCA: The Leopard Cannot Change its Spots: Say "No" to the ARC-African Registry  (7/26/2011)
  • ---The resuscitation of moribund dotafrica.org. Whilst all interested watchers were busy narrowing down the competition for the mandate for DotAfrica to DotConnecAfrica (DCA) and African Top Level Domains (AfTLD) organization, a new entrant recently emerged in the form of the African Registry Consortium (ARC) - an unregistered, yet to be established organization whose main mission, according to their web site is: "For the provision of a domain name registry solution to the African Top Level Domain Organization (aftld) for purposes of preparing, submitting, funding and promoting a successful bid to ICANN for the dotafrica.
  • Remarks by Lawrence E. Strickling Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communica  (7/22/2011)
  • ---DCA's Pan-African constituency on DotAfrica may recall that DCA undertook offical high-level lobbying efforts on behalf of DotAfrica, and in support of the ICANN gTLD process with the NTIA (National Technology & Information Agency of the United States Department of Commerce). DCA Open Letter
  • DotConnectAfrica: Our Score Card -The "YES2dotAfrica" journey continues  (7/20/2011)
  • ---In adherence to our core philosophical beliefs of continuous engagement with all stakeholders and commitment to transparency in constantly communicating our organization ideals and vision, DotConnectAfrica (DCA) has in the past employed a high-level scorecard, and currently would like to enunciate as part of its continuing 'Yes to DotAfrica' campaign.
  • We have kept our promise! What NEXT?  (7/13/2011)
  • ---We promised you we will fight for your identity and your benefit.
    . We have won key endorsements on your behalf
    . We have traveled and campaigned across Africa so you are aware and included
    . We have campaigned hard and long for your interest at ICANN
    . We have represented your identity in the crowded international platform
    . We have made a case for your interest with the United States Government
  • The Daily Champion: Misleading and Unfair Reportage on DotAfrica  (7/7/2011)
  • ---DCA hereby notes with acute concern that this is about the second time that Mr. Remy Nweke has written these types of vexing articles that are obviously titled (with obvious bias) in favour of those who continue to sabotage and oppose DCA's efforts either by hook or crook on the DotAfrica issue. In the absence of balance and original analyses, it is easy for DCA to dismiss these write-ups as reckless pedestrian efforts, against the backdrop that they fail to draw due attention to the core issues that DCA has raised repeatedly.
  • Bekele speaks at World Affairs Council Freedom of Information as a Human  (7/4/2011)
  • ---FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AS A HUMAN RIGHT: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
  • DotAfrica (.africa) made history with ICANN Singapore!!  (6/30/2011)
  • ---Singapore provided DCA with another opportunity to further consolidate its position and the relevance of DotAfrica as a prospective outcome of the successful campaign for the introduction of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLD) on the Internet by ICANN.DCA's Singapore activities started with being part of the Breakfast meeting organized by ICANN for DNS Women in Singapore. Women in the Domain Name System, is a networking group for Professional women involved in the domain name industry.
  • Enterprise Technology News: ".africa Champion"  (6/23/2011)
  • ---Ethiopian Champion of the .africa initiative:
    Bekele is the Executive Director of a non-profit organization DotConnectAfrica, which adovcates for the adoption of a dotAfrica Top Level Domain. On 11th December 2010 the International Domain Resolution Union endorsed the dotafrica project for DotConnectAfrica stating that, "Ms. Bekele, as a former gNSO advisor to ICANN, you have worked hard and long to champion Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). You have made the case within ICANN for a policy development process that will see IDNs in service of the world community. And you have done so successfully."
  • Breaking News: The ICANN board has voted to approve the new gTLD program...  (6/20/2011)
  • ---The ICANN board has voted to approve the new gTLD program, which was first announced three years ago. The new program will significantly expand Top-Level Domains (TLDs) to allow companies, organizations and even cities to turn their own brands into domain name extensions. Think .ADIDAS, .HOTEL, .BRUSSELS, .FACEBOOK and the likes.
  • Africa: Clinton - Create Environment for African Businesses to Thrive  (6/14/2011)
  • ---Clinton also called for more women to be connected to their country's economic growth by making it easier for them to run their own business. There is overwhelming evidence that "small and medium-sized enterprises run by women are major drivers of economic growth," she said.
  • A Note of Thank You for all the Love & Encouragement /SB  (6/9/2011)
  • Dear Friends, Colleagues, Associates, Endorsers and Business Partners -- I wish to express utmost thankfulness to all those who sent kind wishes on my birth day anniversary on June 6, including our own 'Yes2dotAfrica' campaign and 'generation.africa', the new Internet-empowered generation that DCA has given birth to.
  • DCA TedBits - US House Representative Hearing on New gTLDs  (6/3/2011)
  • ---New gTLDs made news this past week stemming from a US House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on "ICANN Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) Oversight Hearing" and comments by Assistant Secretary for the US Department of Commerce, Larry Strickling, at the Global Internet Governance workshop at the American University in Washington.
  • DCA Commentary: ComputerWorld: AU requests proposals for .africa Registry  (5/30/2011)
  • ---Whilst the article aims to strike a certain balance regarding the positions of the contending parties on DotAfrica, DCA believes that the article should have amplified more, the genuine concerns that DCA has raised repeatedly concerning possible irregularities, conflict of interests, willful sabotage and unfair play and other large-scale illegalities that may have been committed.
  • DCA Commentary on AU "Briefing Note on DotAfrica"  (5/27/2011)
  • ---DCA uses this opportunity to set the records straight and debunk some of their untruthful claims, whilst exposing their lack of proper knowledge regarding how the ICANN process works:
  • Press Release: Congratulations Africa on AFRICA Day - 25th May 2011  (5/25/2011)
  • ---As a stakeholder in the new Africa that is being built, it is with great pride and honor that DCA wishes to seize this special opportunity to join all well-wishers and congratulate all the African peoples through the Africa Union as we celebrate this auspicious AFRICA day. A more relevant Africa today will own the future
  • Press Release: Yes2Africa Campaign say "NO" to Afriican Union "EOI"  (5/23/2011)
  • ---DCA believes that the African Union cannot be neglectful of the serious sentiments it as expressed in the above Communiqué of 12th May 2011, inter alia: "The African Union Commission takes this opportunity to again reassure the people and governments of Africa of its commitment to a transparent and accountable process in the selection of the winning candidate". The keywords are transparency and accountability - for these have a bearing on credibility, and institutional reputation. AU Clarification on dotafrica.
  • Press Release: DCA Commentary: Response to the AU Commission Communiqué  (5/17/2011)
  • ---As a party that was specifically named in the said Communiqué, since its provenance is unknown, DCA feels compelled to exercise its right to reply, and also issue a clarification of its own. Moreover, the Communiqué is unsigned and no one really knows what process led to its release on the AU Web Site. http://www.au.int/en/content/africa-union-commission-cla ...
    DCA feels VINDICATED that its concerted campaigns over the past couple of months has led the AU Commission to now issue this clarification.
  • Yes2dotAfrica Say "No" to Nii Quaynor, Vice Chair of AU dotafrica Taskforce  (5/15/2011)
  • ---Exposing the Activities of the 'Real' Dr. Nii Quaynor - Vice Chair of AU Taskforce and His Unwholesome Activities regarding DotAfrica. The DotConnectAfrica Organization ('DCA') has reached the unshakeable conclusion that Dr. Nii Quaynor has proved to be an unwholesome and a largely negative influence regarding the DotAfrica initiative. He must now dissociate himself completely from anything to do with DotAfrica - either proffering advice or consulting any organization or affiliating himself to any prospective bidder - whether eligible, real, or imaginary.
  • Press Release: Commentary: DCA's Reaction to AFTLD's Press Release on Ghana  (5/9/2011)
  • ---A Chameleonic exercise of shifting faces from previously seeking an "AU mandate" to now of seeking an "AU endorsement".
    First, DCA's concerted campaign against the "illegal proposal of awarding an unjustified mandate to AfTLD by the AU" has been again vindicated. This is against the backdrop that the DCA has already received the same endorsement from the AU more than one year ago. The position of the AfTLD and its backers is grossly untenable and very unjustified. This mandate can only be given by ICANN.
  • Press Release: Generation.africa hailed "Yes2dotAfrica" at DCA's Headquarters  (4/27/2011)
  • ---The "Yes2dotAfrica" Campaign trail continued to DCA's Headquarters in Mauritius
  • Press Release: KASS Media broadcasts the "Yes2dotAfrica" campaign  (4/27/2011)
  • ---"Pregnant with .africa" said Sophia: KASS Media spoke to Sophia Bekele on DCA accomplishment and DCA's "Yes2dotAfrica" campaign to put Africa in the digital map.
  • DCA NewsAlert: UK Media Upper Reach, Covers DotConnectAfrica in ICT Kenya  (4/8/2011)
  • ---On a Country report covered by Upper Reach, http://www.upper-reach.com/about, a media Partner to the prestigious The Times of London, DotConnectAfrica and its work on ".africa" was covered as one of the companies highlighting the importance of the internet in Africa and quoted DCA's Executive Director as below.
  • DCA Tedbits: DCA's Comments on IANA Functions  (4/7/2011)
  • ---NTIA has published the comments it has received for Request for Comments on the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Functions Docket # 110207099-1099-01
    Comment link can be found here:http://www.ntia.doc.gov/comments/110207099-1099-01/
  • DCA Tedbits:Africa: Efficient Private Sector Key to Transforming African Economy  (3/31/2011)
  • ---It is noteworthy that the governance model of DCA is a consortium of public-private partnership and an economic regional integration agenda. that has been championed across Africa for the past 2 years. DCA's model dovetails (or keys into) the new socio-economic development paradigms being discussed for Africa by our Endorsing Parties (ECA and AU, including Ethiopia, and perhaps by many African governments and stakeholders that were not quoted by the Vanguard article, but gave DCA endorsement).
  • Exclusive Commentary: AfTLD seeks mandate to manage .africa  (3/29/2011)
  • ----Second, as the organization that first expressed interest to ICANN and followed the process vigorously over several years, we are not aware that the mandate for the management of the dotafrica registry is given by the AU. ICANN is the only governance authority that awards this mandate and this is done on a global scale and is not a regional or continental matter. To the best of our knowledge the process of winning the mandate from ICANN follows a set of application rules, procedures and guidelines which are open and transparent. Within the global Internet governance framework and the way it is modeled, the AU has no mandate to give to anyone. All of ICANN procedural guidelines are contained in a Rule Book.
  • Press Release:Yes2dotAfrica successful at ICANN 40 in San Francisco, CA  (3/23/2011)
  • ----Yes2dotAfrica Campaign successful at ICANN 40 in San Francisco, CA
    DotConnectAfrica accomplished a lot during the ICANN 40 meeting San Francisco, CA: Home to DCA, where ".africa" was first initiated as an African Diaspora project, new gTLDs were in everyone's mind at this Silicon Valley meeting.
  • DCA NewAlert: Freedom of Information as a Human Right with Sophia Bekele and...  (3/21/2011)
  • ---GGU invites Sophia Bekele to discuss the very timely topic of Freedom of Information as a Human Right, as she shares her own experience while present at the North African region of Tunis, Tripoli and Cairo during the uprisings.
  • DCA Commentary: Yes2dotAfrica Campaign says "No" to AfTLD  (3/17/2011)
  • ---AfTLD is asking"African Union" to get a mandate to run ".africa" registry. http://www.aftld.org. This is equivalent to AfTLD attempting an illegal coup d'etat against DotConnectAfrica (DCA) efforts www.dotconnectafrica.org
    .".africa" has already been endorsed by African Union to DCA since 2009.
    . AfTLD does not have the mandate to do ".africa" gTLD. They are associations of ccTLDs.
    . ccTLD organization running a gTLD will mean stifling competition as there will be a Conflict of Interest in their mandates.
  • DCA In News: generation.africa comment on IPV6 for .africa  (3/14/2011)
  • ---The East African talks about IPV6 and its relevance to .africa . Generation.africaAfrica ready for new Internet address regime
  • 2010 Archives
  • Yes2dotafrica Campaign -Default  (12/31/2010)
  • ---Be part of our "yes" campaign. You will be part of a new movement that has created the birth of 'generation.africa'
  • Happy Holidays December 2010 Newsletter3  (12/18/2010)
  • ---A Domain Name ".Africa" . It DotAfrica logo with no labelsall started with DCA making a home in Nairobi, after being invited by AITEC to speak at its conference. Then followed by the making of DotAfrica in Nairobi ICANN.
  • A successful meeting at ICANN 39 Cartegena for DCA  (12/17/2010)
  • DCA conducted a successful meeting at ICANN 39 Cartegna, Colombia.
    DCA would like to praise the outcome of the Cartegena meeting, despite the issues of delay around the gTLDs, and hereby expresses general satisfaction with the results achieved there for the good of one and all.
  • DCA Statement to ICANN Public Forum at Cartegena, Colombia  (12/15/2010)
  • ---At the public forum held at ICANN 39 Cartegena, DCA voiced the need for a ".africa" gTLD, being cautious not to ask for an exception for Africa.
  • DotConnectAfrica is endorsed by IDRU   (12/14/2010)
  • ---DotConnectAfrica is endorsed by IDRU - the Internationalized Domain Resolution Union, an organization that is represented by the original IDN Top Level Domain pioneers.
  • Brains Behind .africa reports Diplomat East Africa, on account of Bekele's work  (12/9/2010)
  • ---Diplomat East Africa, a premium political and economic monthly news magazines of East Africa, unveils Bekele's plan for a digital Africa, including the chronicle behind the endorsement process, the birth of "generation.africa", and the benefits of the dotafrica project to the continent.
  • Congratulations to Sébastien Bachollet  (12/2/2010)
  • ---Congratulations to Sébastien Bachollet Selected as ICANN Board of Director by the ALAC/At-Large Community
  • Thank You from DCA - Thanks Giving Note  (11/27/2010)
  • ---Thank you Friends, Colleagues, Endorsers, and Business Partners -- Today, when "generation.africa" the generation that DotConnectAfrica has given birth to, sat down with our families to give thanks, we want you to know that we'll be especially grateful for folks like you.
  • Be Part of Our "Yes" Campaign!   (11/26/2010)
  • The rules surrounding applications to ---ICANN are due to be finalized in December, leaving the way clear for applications to open on 31 May 2011.
  • Press release - ".africa" music & dance performance by DCA  (11/24/2010)
  • ---DotConnectAfrica released the video of it's exclusive ".africa" song and performance it hosted during the launch of 'yes2dotafrica' campaign in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Yes2dotafrica Campaign   (11/22/2010)
  • ---Join our Yes Campaign!
  • Vote "NO" for Pierre Dandjinou for ICANN Board  (11/15/2010)
  • ---At this moment, DCA wishes to express its strong objection to Dandjinou's nomination and appointment to ICANN Board seat no. 15, on 8 counts.
    ---Herewith below, we have submitted our report to your Esteemed group with references: These points are backed up by material sourced from websites, discussion groups and email exchanges. DCA has chosen to protect names of individuals used as sources. Nevertheless, it can disclose to the BCEC if required, with the permissions of the source.
  • Be part of our Yes Campaign!  (11/22/2010)
  • ----Greetings ALL, we are nearing the holidays again! We want to inform you that DotConnectAfrica (DCA) is currently running an aggressive marketing campaign to sensitize the Pan African and African community, on DCA's efforts to sponsor, establish and operate a regional Internet namespace, dotAfrica.
  • Launch of DCA e-Newsletter - The .Africa issue  (10/17/2010)
  • ---Welcome to our eNewsletter. I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. - Nelson Mandela
DotConnectAfrica
________________________________________
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Tel:+230 208 9022, Fax: +230 208 90333
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