DotConnectAfrica December 2010 Newsletter
Your Mobile African identity!
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Seasons Greetings to All.
This year, 2010, was a year to remember and has been a productive one for DotConnectAfrica (DCA) and there is much more to come in the next several months. It was also a year that has embedded in it lots of clues about the risks and opportunities that lie ahead, which we want to be sure to mine.
First, I would like to thank many of you who have been supportive in helping to get the dotAfrica initiative running. Your support has come in many forms, including those who have become generation.africa volunteers, spokes people, clients, advisors or generally been helpful in many ways. Whatever the form, we are grateful for your confidence in us and are working hard to repay that confidence by providing our brand of intelligent Internet name-space and service with a smile.
With that, I would like to invite each of you to visit our site www.dotconnectafrica.org and/or call us with any questions or comments on this letter or any other issue. We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions about any of these concepts or developments discussed in this letter, we at DCA would be happy to review them with you.
As is already the case, word of mouth is our single greatest source of supporters. So if you know anyone that many need information or assistance with learning a bit more about the dotAfrica initiative, please let us know. You can add them to our mailing list and/or we can introduce ourselves and have a conversation with them about DotConnectAfrica.
The unique message I want to convey within the context of DCA and its work is that we are working uniquely and creatively to put Africa on the global map. We have done this by being the 1st at many things. Pioneers are created everyday as part of a journey through creativity and entrepreneurship and the ideas that influence and benefit people. We cannot expect to remain or only recognize those that have done something of the past. DCA will look to work and seek those pioneers that are on this journey and bring them to the forefront and recognize their efforts and work so we can have clusters of pioneers of generation.africa to look forward to in 2011.
Have a blessed & joyous holiday Africa & the world!
Sincerely,
Executive Director
DotConnectAfrica
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DCA officially caters to the French and Arabic speaking Pan-African and African community with the introduction and registration of facebook & twitter sites below.
Introducing generation
dotAfrique & dotAfriqya !!!
   Make your clicks and find us here! 
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DCA and IDNs
The 1st African to hold the seat of the gNSO policy council, Sophia Bekele has shown great commitment to ensuring that everyone in the African continent has a voice in the internet space. This has been greatly influenced by her work in ICANN as an elected representative of NomCom.
In her capacity as a gTLD policy advisor to ICANN, she worked very hard to influence the policy initiation and discussion of International Domain Names (IDNs) with ICANN. Ms Bekele further went on to aggressively to bring the voices of many early adaptors of IDNs businesses and countries to the policy dialogue of ICANN.
She was instrumental in drafting the IDN policy guidelines within the working group, as well as developing a framework for leading a language group. Her passion for ensuring a voice for all members of the Pan-African and African Community can be further seen in her interview in Libya (on this issue) and her efforts through DotConnectAfrica.
Towards the above, DCA has received a full endorsement of the IDRU (Internationalized Domain Resolution Union - http://idru.org ) , an organization that brings a group of operators and inventors of IDN who have practical expertise installing IDN capabilities and running IDN registries and aims to make the Internet accessible in all the world's many script writing systems. Read further: :http://prlog.org/11133461.
As a result, DCA has had global coverage of its activities by many of the top IDN languages of the world from China, Russia, Germany, French, Arabic and more...(google: Dotconnectafrca).
Consequently, the recent registration of social media sites "dotAfrique" (French) and dotAfriqya (Arabic) dedicated to the needs and penetration of the Francophone and Afri-Arab community.
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Domain Names
(identity, exclusivity, unity)
Contribution from gen.africa, by Gideon Rop
 Top level domains are instrument s used to point to the origin of resources thereby giving a compass to the online user letting them appreciate and thereby utilize them more suitably.
Country code top level domains like .co.ke or .ug have been instrumental to give identity to websites and articles found in the virtual world; however its difficult for a user who may not be very keen on the details to have the exact source of what they are consuming online, unless otherwise they do extra back ground research.
Having more precise Top Level Domains to which the country code TLD's will be derived from therefore opens an easier most appropriate way to spur developm ent within and without the IT infrastructure and systems. ".africa" for instance is a perfect domain to give Africa an identity, exclusivity and unity of purpose which translates to a paradigm shift in governance, Finance, Health, Agriculture, Education and basically everything, commercially it becomes an "e-patent " thereby paving an easier way to actually "OWN " development.
A change in the way domains are structured by having more specific domains will bring a dawn that all continents and Africa especially have desired to have for too long.
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There are various way to keep in touch with DCA
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generation.africa
Generation.africa, the next generation of ".dotafricans"that are organized under DCA, were among the speakers at the Tandaa Symposium in Nairobi Kenya providing a presentation expounding on the need of having a top level domain catering to the African continent and the pan African and African community. This was a well received event.
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A Domain Name ".Africa"
It  all 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.
The rest became history as our footprints were recorded by the African media following us wherever we went, as the renowned Jeff Koinange said: ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME
The ".africa" name is to develop into a global force in the international commercial, political andcultural 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.
Read further: http://prlog.org/10439833
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Strong Support for DCA, Nairobi
Local Nairobi technology companies and a large
number of local African communities expressed high support for '.Africa ' domain. Over 50 local African communities showed up from Nairobi to the ICANN forum to support the efforts of DCA and '.Africa' at the public forum at ICANN Nairobi.
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Mobile Money .Africa
"It is your mobile identity" said Ms Bekele, Executive Director of DCA in her presentation to the audience at the conference. An unusual amongst the common banking business, the ".africa" domain name for an African identity took everyone by surprise
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Miss Nigeria Meets .Africa
Lagos, the New York of Africa - it never sleeps and neither does DotConnectAfrica in pursuit of a unified domain for Africa. 
All members were in common agreement- proud of our continent and keen to have a single, virtual African presence of which to be proud. Read Further: http://prlog.org/10690505
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Movers and Shakers of Africa,
Ivory Coast
Jeff Koinange, Kenya's much renowned and famed former CNN TV host, and currently host to the popular TV channel K24, caught up with Sophia Bekele, Found er and Executive Director, DotConnectAfrica (DCA) at the African Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting, and put her on the bench of his highly popular talk show "Capital Talk."
Read further: http://prlog.org/10701870
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Getting Online is a Must for Businesses,
DCA will provide an amazing platform to expand businesses and their brands and provide advanced marketing and advertizing techniques. This will further promote continental and regional integration for businesses. - DCA speaking to CIO
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Making History in Libya
DotConnectAfrica discussed its initiatives at Libya's first International E-governance conference. The domain name ".africa" with its unique continental vision mirrors the aspirations of the African people for unity across the continent, which the Libyan leadership has often encouraged.
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Promoting Africa's Common
Interest on Internationl fora!
Brussles
The 1st African TLD ....
The first ever African TLD to sponsor an international event, DotConnectAfrica also sponsored African delegation interested in community gTLDs at the ICANN Brussels 38, and announced its interest to support African gTLD applicants
Read Further: http://prlog.org/1080342
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Re-branding Africa, SouthAfrica
DCA was a key Delegate in Cape Town, Johannesburg where DCA was invited to
present the '.Africa' project a nd partake in a
panel discussion that was set to re-brand the continent.
During closing of the Leadership Retreat(ALR), Mr. Mamadu Toure said, "We are acting to change, not speaking about change. Let's build a better Africa for all".
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Calling for Support, IGF Nairobi
There is a need for people to recognize the benefits and opportunities of ".africa" and its importance, and not to parallel its treatment and consideration with the generic commercial Top Level domains such as .ban k or .food, as ".Africa" falls under a "geographic domain" requiring for e.g. endorsements from governments.
Bekele said that they had already made their expression of interest with ICANN. "After the high level endorsements we received as per the application, we are now in the process of reaching out to the technical community to gain support based on the merit and the benefits of the initiative." Said Ms Bekele.
Read Further: http://prlog.org/10810259
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Domain .Africa at Kampala
DCA presented its ".africa" project as its premier and only initiative at the meeting and was warmly received by the participants.
DCA's
presentation covered many areas including
its approach
ccTLDs, which was the heartbeat of the forum. Additionally, it presented the state of Africa's Internet penetration, and DCA's achievements and challenges to date.
"DCA continues to seek and gain endorsements. Many large and small businesses and stakeholders want to be identified by ".africa" name.
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Official Launch of
"yes2dotAfrica" Campaign
AITEC Africa held an ICT summit in  Kenya where the Dotafrica panel attracted the largest gathering of internet experts and technical community in East Africa. Launching the
".africa" campaign at the event, the opening remark was made by DotConnectafrica who have openly championed the dotafrica initiative for nearly three years.
When DCA asked the audience how many would want to see a "dotafrica" domain, 80% of the room raised their hands by way of acclamation.
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DCA goes to Washington!
As part of the Africa business
champion delegation, DCA
met with Obama administration to discuss US investment in Africa. DCA met with Senior leadership of US Businesses
and Policy makers in a week's long activities and events in Washington DC during the annual Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) week.
DCA discussed its flagship project "DotAfrica" in a series of private and public meetings, with institutions and individuals made up of senior leadership of businesses and public policy think-tanks. Investments are created by such initiatives as "dotAfrica" which is able to re-brand the Continent so that its product an d services are positively presented. Towards this end, the dotafrica brand is very powerful UNITING the continent in a SINGLE domain and promoting regional integration" .
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Sullivan Summit, Atlanta
DCA visited Atlanta
, - Home of the Olympics, CNN, Coca-Cola and the legendary Hon. Amb. Andrew Young - and now host to the
2010 Leon Sullivan Foundation. It is certainly a great city for DCA to continue its campaign, build its constituencies and raise awareness for the .africa initiative.
It was an eye opening and unforgettable experience. Envision the possibilities of : cnn.africa, cocacola.africa, olympics.africa and 'andrewyoung.africa; that already have a home in the African continent. Let us not forget 'leonsullivan.africa' or 'drmartinlutherking.africa'.
Read Futher: http://prlog.org/11004037
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ICANN 39 Cartegena
Cartegena Colombia at xmas time was even a much more beautiful scene. A family oriented country, it was a delight to see children warming up to the season.
And so did DCA report a successful meeting at ICANN.
Here is a link to various activities of DCA at Cartegena:
. DCA Public Forum statement.
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Entrepreneur Trends 2011 Source: Entrepreneur Magazine, December 2010
While You Were Out
Now that the office has gone mobile, there are some things we won't miss at all.
By Seth Godin
Oh, I forgot, you're never out. You've got your cell phone in your pocket all the time, and wherever that is, you're on duty. And the rare exceptional moment when you are out, a computer plays tag for you. Wait. I was wrong. Never mind about the out thing. You don't even have to be in, do you? What's the point of paying money for a cubicle somewhere when your entire office fits into your laptop? There is no in. You say you miss the receptionist? She works at Starbucks now, you can visit her there.
Say goodbye to carbon paper, rubber stamps, a fax machine, the storage cabinet, the coffee cart guy, the office librarian, the secretary who sat in front of your door and guarded it, the guy who used to make announcements over the office call speaker to find someone when a delivery came, slide carousels for presentations, the team that made the slides, the woman who carried the slide projector, the copy machine, the curator of the company art collection, the man in the suit who fixed the PBX, the PBX, the guy in the mailroom (and the mailroom itself) and yes, sadly, the three magazines you used to read every month that were the sole source of business insight.
That's OK, though, because we also get to say goodbye to the two meetings a day we had with everyone in the office, mostly because everyone was in the office and we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. And we get to say goodbye to finger-pointing when a project hits a hiccup, because the timelines online don't lie.
And don't bother sending me the annual Christmas letter or telling me you've been promoted or run an ad letting me know that you've launched a new product or landed a new client. I saw all of it as it happened, on Twitter. I know it's difficult to imagine, but what's a briefcase? What's a brief? Is it something you brought with you to a chamber of commerce meeting? Or wore under your suit? What's a suit?
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Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Thomas Kamanzi,
Newsletter Editor
DotConnectAfrica
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