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

Sun Apr 23 09:58:58 PDT 2017

Hi Janvier.

I am winding up a research project looking at the impact of such “disruptions”.

If you can do a survey, I’d be pleased to share the questions with you and then we can do a comparison. In my case, I’m looking at India. I’m looking at the social impact and some economic impact.

We should take it offline but I’ve emailed this list in case others may be interested.

Regards,
Ang Peng Hwa

From: chapter-delegates-bounces <chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org> on behalf of Janvier NGNOULAYE <jnoulaye at gmail.com>
Date: Sunday, 23 April 2017 at 1:27 AM
To: "Jose R. de la Cruz III" <jrdelacruz at acm.org>
Cc: ISOC Chapter Delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>
Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] FW: [Internet Policy] Internet restored in Cameroon

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<mailto: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<mailto: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<mailto: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<mailto: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<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<mailto: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<mailto:seidler at isoc.org>

_______________________________________________
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org

_______________________________________________
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org

_______________________________________________
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org

_______________________________________________
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org

________________________________
CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose its contents.
Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://elists.isoc.org/mailman/private/chapter-delegates/attachments/20170423/addd4444/attachment.htm>