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

Sat Apr 22 10:45:12 PDT 2017

Thank you dear José,
You, like us as a Chapter, We work together in the same spirit for the same
purpose: Internet accessible everywhere for everyone.
Cheers,
Janvier

2017-04-22 18:33 GMT+01:00 Jose R. de la Cruz III <jrdelacruz at acm.org>:

> Dr Janvier Ngnoulaye:
>
> I commend you and the Camerron ISOC Chapter on the steps taken to resolve
> the issue. We can all learn a lot from your experience.
>
> José
>
> On Sat, Apr 22, 2017 at 1:27 PM, Janvier NGNOULAYE <jnoulaye at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Dear José,
>> Thank you for your concern and for the advices you are given here. We
>> worked in that direction since 4 months when the government instructed the
>> operators to shutdown Internet. In fact, as you can read inside the
>> letter(attached here in french) with the subject: "Advocacy for an open and
>> accessible Internet for all and proposals for a responsible use of the
>> Internet in Cameroon", where the Chapter was making a statement and a
>> proposal to the Governement on the matter.
>> I want to let you know that, in addition to other action we made on the
>> matter, the Chapter organized from 3 to 7 April a workshop on IXP with the
>> support of ISOC bureau Afrique, with the aim to help the local operators
>> and the governement to quickly run the Internet exchange point in Cameroon,
>> which was among the list of our proposals as you can read from that letter.
>> Today we can seat with them and discuss and make proposal. It is a training
>> and awareness-raising phase they actually need. Because we have found that
>> the Internet, its principles and governance are new things for them. With
>> those actions with the government, we think that access to the Internet
>> will stay on  everywhere in Cameroon.
>>
>> Warm regards,
>> Dr Janvier Ngnoulaye
>> President of the Chapter
>> ISOC Cameroon
>>
>>
>>
>> 2017-04-22 15:38 GMT+01:00 Jose R. de la Cruz III <jrdelacruz at acm.org>:
>>
>>> Hello 'Queen Mother'.
>>>
>>> I've been following your struggle and are happy to know that access to
>>> the Internet is back on.
>>>
>>> You ask, "How do we keep it on for everyone?".  I cannot think of a
>>> simple answer to your question. My suggestion is to involve the community
>>> and business in an effort to 'educate' those who make the laws about the
>>> impact of the Internet in your society. Every nation has its laws, and we
>>> must abide by them. Hence the effort should aim to develop a favorable
>>> public opinion that would  influence lawmakers into considering access to
>>> the Internet as a basic staple for the society. ISOC and other
>>> organizations should be able to help in this effort.
>>>
>>> Whatever route you take, I sincerely wish that access to the Internet
>>> stays on.
>>>
>>> José R. de la Cruz
>>> ISOC Puerto Rico
>>>
>>> On Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 9:27 PM, Queen Mother <edwannfon at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Good Morning All,
>>>> I want to take this moment to thank the entire ISOC and other
>>>> individual ISOC members who joined me, sympathized with me, called me,
>>>> advised me and who in any small way contributed in ending the plight of my
>>>> people. After about 4 months or so of no internet in the English speaking
>>>> part of Cameroon, the internet slowly, like a coward crawled back into
>>>> their broken lives.
>>>>
>>>> There was jubilation and tears and the lingering worry that it might go
>>>> away again.
>>>> How do we keep it on for everyone?
>>>>
>>>> Again, thank you.
>>>> Edwan Fon
>>>> ISOC Cameroon
>>>> VP#2
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Walid AL-SAQAF <walid at al-saqaf.se>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> 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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>>>>>> Society
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>>>> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>>> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>>>
>>
>>
>
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