[Chapter-delegates] FW: [Internet Policy] Internet restored in Cameroon

[Walid AL-SAQAF]

Dear Chapter delegates,

Thank you all for your support, efforts and words of encouragement to your
colleagues in Cameroon during this ordeal. I personally know how it feels
to be shut down and censored, so I commend our members in Cameroon and all
those who fought the shutdown inside the country for their tireless efforts
to seek support from the world as well as do their best to get their
country online again.

But please remember that there are unsung heroes, who worked tirelessly to
help convince the authorities to bring Cameroon back online. They have
exerted a lot of effort without much noise and without expecting any
personal benefit in return. I wish to extend to those unsung heroes a
special 'thank you' in my capacity as an Internet user, who cares about the
open Internet and its future.

Nicolas and I have felt and seen first hand at RightsCon and through other
initiatives how small efforts can make a big different. What we need to do
is keep the momentum and remain vigilant since shutdowns have happened
before and may happen again across the world. In fact, they are still
happening in some parts of the world as we speak. Therefore, there are a
lot of challenges ahead and much work to do as a community.

Let's keep it up!

Sincerely,

Walid Al-Saqaf
ISOC Trustee

On Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 5:17 PM, Richard Hill <rhill at hill-a.ch> wrote:

> Dear Chapter Delegates,
>
>
>
> Here is some additional information and context on this issue, with many
> thanks to Nicolas.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Richard
>
>
>
> *From:* InternetPolicy [mailto:internetpolicy-bounces at elists.isoc.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Nicolas Seidler
> *Sent:* vendredi, 21. avril 2017 14:54
> *To:* internetpolicy at elists.isoc.org
> *Subject:* [Internet Policy] Internet restored in Cameroon
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
>
>
> As some of you may have heard already, after 94 days, the Internet has
> just been put back on for the more than 5 million people living in the
> anglophone regions of Cameroon. Here is the link
> <http://crtv.cm/fr/nouvelles/top-news-24/rgions-du-nord-ouest-et-du-sud-ouest-les-connexions-internet-sont-rtablies--19138.htm> to
> the official communiqué by the Communications Minister (in French).
>
>
>
> The government of Cameroon in January had ordered the disruption of the
> Internet in the Southwest and Northwest administrative regions of the
> country, where English-speaking residents protested again language
> discrimination related to French language administration and court rulings.
>
>
>
> Today’s positive news is a testament to the efforts and persistence by the
> local and global communities that have fought to bring the Internet back on
> in Cameroon and around the world. The Internet Society issued a public
> statement <https://www.internetsociety.org/lets-keep-internet-everyone> back
> in February, and many ISOC members were instrumental in supporting the
> #BringBackOurInternet campaign that generated a lot of attention on the
> situation in Cameroon.
>
>
>
> Yet, we must remain vigilant. The letter lifting the shutdown stresses
> that the government reserves the right to use measures in the future to
> avoid for the Internet to disrupt public order. Also, beyond the human
> impact of this measure, economic losses due to the shutdown have been
> estimated at a minimum of USD 4.5 million. The impact on trust is
> particularly concerning in a region that is known as Cameroon’s “Silicon
> Mountain”, home to creative and leading tech entrepreneurs.
>
>
>
> With several Internet blackouts still in effect around the world, we must
> stay alert and continue the fight so shutdowns don’t become the new normal.
> But as of now, let us celebrate and rejoice for the people of Cameroon who
> are finally back online!
>
>
>
>
>
> Nicolas Seidler
>
> Senior Policy Advisor
>
> Internet Society
>
> seidler at isoc.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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