[Chapter-delegates] BoT Elections : Mohamed El Bashir - Questions & Anwsers

[Mohamed El Bashir]

Dear All, 

Please find bellow the BoT election's questions and answers that i have provided in the connect platform :

Question 1: Why do you want to be on the ISOC Board?

 have established Sudan Internet Society in 2001, one year after I have graduated from University I was 23 years old back then, one year later the organization have been delegated the management of Sudan’s ccTLD registry. The chapter has managing the ccTLD registry since then and using its revenues to funds its activities, which was a win-win situation for all the local internet community.

ISOC chapter activities are my volunteer work as many of you, although lots huge energy and effort as consumed in ISOC volunteer work but its rewarding experience over the years because I was empowering my community through the use of the Internet, I am passionate about the Internet and its social and economic impact and believe that ISOC Chapters are the local champions whom can make big impact at the local level with the support of ISOC.

If elected as a board member representing the chapters, I will be another voice of the chapters in the board, expressing the chapters’ issues and help ISOC Board and management in developing  programmes that empower and develop the chapters.

I believe that ISOC Chapters can be empowered and supported to achieve ISOC goals and objectives at a national/country level, The chapters are the neutral fora for discussing local internet community issues. I had a good experience in building Internet related institutions at the national and regional level, empowering and sustaining them through building partnerships and collocations with multiple stakeholders working all together for one common goal which is to utilise the internet for the social and economic development.


Question 2: What skills and experience would you bring?

I have more than 15 years of experience in Internet policy development, governance and operations managing complex National Internet Infrastructure Projects. Equipped with excellent project-management skills, I hold an MBA for a worldwide reputable UK Business School and a Msc. in Information Technology beside executive business education from MIT Solan Business School.

Extensive Experience with Internet Society and Internet Policy Development:

Beside being the founder of Sudan Internet Society, I have initiated and supported the establishment of some ISOC chapters in Africa and the Middle East Region. one of the founders of Africa Top Level Domains Organization “AfTLD”, founder of ICANN AfRALO and I Have been actively involved in ISOC chapter’s activities and events in Africa, in 2012 I lead the organisation of the first Regional INET event in MENA region.

Regional and International Engagements:

I have been actively involved in Internet policy development at national, regional and international level with strong network and relations with key policy/decision makers in Africa and MENA region.

Have Served in several leadership positions within ICANN, I was a council member of the Country Code Naming Supporting Organization “ccNSO”, member of ICANN’s At-Large Advisory committee, Founder of Africa’s At-Large Organization AfRALO and member of ICANN’s
Nominating Committee.

Participated in UN World Summit for Information Society “WSIS” (Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005 ), in 2006 I did attend the first Internet Governance Forum “IGF” held in Athens and since then I continued to participate in the IGF meetings as a panelist and had organized several IGF workshops.

I have actively participated in ITU-WCIT process and conference held in Dubai, I have contributed to the debate regarding the Internet and the International Telecommunications Regulations “ITRs”, where I was an active supporter and defender of the Internet’s muil-tistakeholder’s model and ISOC’s vision of an Open and Accessible Internet for all.

In the last past 7 years I have been actively working on technical internet infrastructure projects, where I have launched major national Internet/ICT projects ( e.g Establishing new ccTLD and IDN ccTLD Registries, implemented National IPv6 migration strategy and an Internet Exchange Point, ..etc) beside been involved in Internet’s policy development.

I have expertise and experience all of ISOC's key areas of focus: Internet capacity building, program funding, public policy, communications and technical areas of Internet standards.


Question 3: What specific challenges do you expect . . .?

Briefly I would like to list the bellow main Internet challenges:

1) Trust, Privacy and Security:
In the recent few years, the trust in the Internet privacy and security has been shaken by major events like the Snowden revelations, increased cyber attacks and the continues breaches to Internet users privacy cases.

Restoring the regular internet user’s trust is critical for the future of the development, ISOC and IETF has an important role to play in developing more secure internet standards, ensure integrity of encryption and build awareness of the global internet privacy and trust issues.

2) Openness and Open Standards Development:
Its important for the Internet future development that we support and maintain its open standards development, the IETF important role should be supported, empowered and sustained. ISOC should ensure a stable financial support for IETF activities.

Currently we are observing aggressive internet content and applications blocking. Therefore defending the openness of the Internet is important for for developing a digital a economy and encouraging innovation.

3) Access and Capacity Building:
Although 3 billion Internet users are currently connected and online, we still have more work to be done to connect the next billions of people to the Internet and improving their life to the better by using the Internet.

ISOC should continue its efforts to ensure more Internet Exchange Points are build, support the efforts for connecting the unconnected and provide capacity building to the local communities on how best to utilize the Internet.


Happy to answer any other questions raised in the mailing list.

Thanks

Kind Regards,
Mohamed
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