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Below is my candidate statement for a deeper look at my skills, experience and vision if I were to be elected as the EC APAC representative. 

Name: Mili Semlani 
Region of residence: India, Asia Pacific 
Gender: Female 
Employment: Journalist and Community Manager @Splice Media, founder and leader at Youth4IG 
Conflict of interest: None

Reasons for willingness to take on the position:
I have been involved in the IG space since 2014 as a youth ambassador (I was a Netmission awardee). My journey in the IG world as a youth fellow has also given me valuable insights into recognizing and addressing barriers to participation and engagement at regional, local, and international forums IG forums. I joined NCUC right after my first ICANN fellowship to advance my work in capacity building and understanding policymaking to simplify it for those with a greater interest in policy development. 

While my strength or education does not lie in policy-making, I understand the processes and structures fully well and I want to leverage my expertise in communication to build a stronger onboarding programme for newcomers to the community and aid the steep learning curve. Along with other EC members and experienced members of the community, I want to re-introduce the buddy/mentorship programme with a robust structure and KPIs. 

In the past as EC for APAC, I have tried to revise the mailing list and increase communication at NCUC APAC level but unlike similar constituencies, the regional structures at NCUC/SG are not necessary for participation. Our current challenges include:
- onboarding newcomers (finding new members is not the hard part as the various fellowships take care of it)
- Provide support and beginner-friendly materials for newcomers to get plugged into the discussions
- retention of member interest and participation

Hence I choose to focus my attention on building a holistic solution to address the above instead of plain outreach. And I am aware I can't do this alone. The ICANN ecosystem is complex and things work slowly here, so even while the feasibility of some of these plans has been gaged; rolling them out requires a lot more time, stakeholder buy-in and collective energy; that I hope to continue catalysing. 

Qualifications for the position 
I am a tech, policy, and business journalist. I have reported in and about the Asian region with work assignments in India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore and have a good understanding of our diverse region. I hold a master's degree in Journalism and worked as a consultant for the BPF Gender and Access at IGF. This experience also enhanced my knowledge of IG policies and divulged my interest deeper in topics related to gender and ICT with a special focus on how ICT can be used to fight gender issues in developing Asian economies. I started and steered the community for youth in IG the APAC region in 2019 where we collectively submitted workshop proposals to regional IGF, public comments to ICANN, organized capacity-building webinars, strengthened the youth voice in APAC and ran a mentorship program with mentors like Samiran Gupta (ICANN GSE for India) and Donna Austin. I have been a part of the APAC community since 2014 and I know both young and senior IG leaders in our community closely. I have been a fellow at APrIGF 2017 and 2019 and ICANN 63 and 66, in SIG 2018. 

Time commitment
I have been part of various IG processes for over 10 years now and know it enough to get used to the workload, volunteer burnout, and working across time zones. I work remotely and that aids my ability to join in meetings and spend the time and energy that is needed to serve on the Executive Committee, especially in such a complex environment as ICANN. Mostly, I am eager to offer my creativity to manage the various tasks in keeping the community active and going strong. I am motivated to make the APAC presence at ICANN not just larger but also more importantly vocal (undoing the shy Asian stereotype) and it will be my pleasure to contribute to NCUC's development and growth in the upcoming year by building something more tangible and longer lasting beyond my term on the EC.

I am open to taking any questions about my suitability for this role and suggestions on my vision for improving NCUC structures. I hope you will support my candidature. Thank you.
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• Name:  Amin Hacha 
• declared region of residence: Lebanese, residence in Italy. 
•  Gender: Male
• Employment:  Programmer in Fashion Design.
• Earning a BS in Computer Science and a BA in Business Management, with specialized studies in Fashion Programming Design in Japan.
• Any conflicts of interest: none.
• Reasons for willingness to take on the tasks of the particular position: In 2018, I became a member of  (NCUC) and actively participated in a variety of discussions. As time went on, I was involved more in NCUC, in addition, I joined the NCUC E-team, where I helped on updating and reorganizing the NCUC website, in addition to updating the NCUC X (Twitter) account.
  During my first term on the Executive Committee, I worked closely with my colleagues to ensure the seamless operation of NCUC and to uphold our commitment to our members. Furthermore, I helped in coordinating NCUC membership meetings and NCUC FORUM during the ICANN meetings, also I continued to dedicate myself to the ongoing enhancement of the NCUC website.
• I am aiming: As an NCUC EC member, I aim to prioritize advocating for non-commercial internet users, shaping beneficial policies, and encouraging community engagement. Also, to safeguard the rights of non-commercial internet users.
• Qualifications for the position: Based on my prior commitment to NCUC, I believe I am qualified for this position.  I will continue to strive to improve and elevate the work of NCUC.
•  Statement of availability for the time the position requires: I am fully committed to dedicating the necessary time and energy to the NCUC EC position. My schedule is flexible, allowing me to attend all required meetings, participate actively in discussions, and fulfill all duties and responsibilities associated with the role.

Name: Shadrach Ankrah

Region of residence: Africa (AF)

Gender: Male

Employment: IT Support Specialist; Founder & Executive Director – Connect Rurals

Conflict of interest: None

1. Why I Want to Serve on the EC

I'm passionate about contributing to the NCUC's mission and fostering a strong regional voice in ICANN policy discussions. The opportunity to collaborate with dedicated individuals to shape Internet governance excites me. My journey within the global Internet community began in 2018 as an ISOC Youth@IGF fellow, where I gained an in-depth understanding of the Internet ecosystem. This fellowship has been the foundation of my active participation and contribution to the Internet.

My goal has always been to represent and assist youth and underserved communities in gaining digital skills and access to the Internet, thereby transforming their lives. With this passion and desire, I have participated in many youth-led initiatives and communities, including the Youth Observatory (ISOC’s Youth Standing Group), Digital Grassroots, the Ghana Youth IGF steering committee, West Africa and Africa, and the global IGFs. I have contributed to these communities in various capacities, serving as a trainer, mentor, and technical support person, ensuring the successful completion of initiatives and integration of youth into those communities.

Often, rural and underserved communities are not included in opportunities related to digital transformation. For example, in my country, Ghana, many opportunities such as access to broadband, STEM training, and ICT tools and equipment mainly benefit those in urban areas, leaving those in rural areas behind. I have been focusing on addressing this issue for years, and it has led me to run a nonprofit initiative called Connect Rurals, where we focus on providing these skills and connecting rural communities to the opportunities the Internet offers.

This was the reason for joining the NCUC, and I am confident that I can effectively represent the voices of rural and underserved communities in ICANN.

1. Relevant Experience and Qualifications

I am an IT Support Specialist, which has allowed me to contribute to technical initiatives within the community. For instance, in 2022, I was part of a team of trainers who provided Disaster Preparedness Training (IDPT) to local NGOs, national and regional disaster management organizations, Internet Society Ghana chapter members, telecommunications staff, and young professionals. This training aimed to enable local communities to become more efficient and effective in restoring power and Internet connectivity and enhancing information sharing during a disaster or an emergency.

As a 2019 Hackathon@AIS fellow, I gained an understanding of Internet measurement where I participated in DNS over TLS (DoT) and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) setups and measured the performance of caching resolvers against locally set up DoT and DoH servers against publicly available DNS resolvers.

In addition, I have an understanding of policy development processes. As an AFRINIC-31 participant, I have been involved in policy discussions on the RDP mailing list and during the AFRINIC-31 Policy Meeting in Luanda, Angola. Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to participate in and learn about the policy development processes within ICANN by attending meetings. As the EC representative for Africa in NCUC, I plan to participate more actively in PDP and contribute to policies that shape the end-user and civil society perspectives.

Aside from these, I have actively participated and volunteered within the ICANN community. During the ICANN77 Policy Meeting in Washington D.C, I volunteered as a booth engager and also assisted in writing the ICANN77 fellows report. I also did the same during the Africa Engagement Forum held in July 2023 in Accra. With my active engagement within the At-Large Social Media group, I have won two (2) social media awards, one at each of these meetings.

1. Time Commitment

With my years of engagement and volunteering experience, I know the time commitment needed to serve in such a community. While, I am not mentioning, specific hours of time commitment, I am available to attend the EC meetings and other meetings within ICANN both in-person and remotely. In this regard, the time commitment to attend EC meetings can be within 10 hours a week. This is because I have engaged in other communities that regard weekly and regular meetings with individuals from different backgrounds and time zones.

1. Communication with Membership

I am open to and welcome discussions from all members. I will keep NCUC members informed, if necessary, and work with the other EC members and the chair to provide email updates with clear summaries of EC discussions and decisions. I will also be open and engage with community members during ICANN and other Internet-related events. Additionally, I am open to exploring other communication methods based on members’ feedback.

1. NCUC's Future and ICANN Policy Focus

NCUC can play a crucial role in promoting regional Internet governance capacity building. I envision expanding outreach programs to educate and empower stakeholders across the region, especially those in underserved communities. 

Here is my candidate statement, as required by our rules:

I am Muriel ALAPINI, a Beninese citizen residing in Cotonou (Africa region). I am female and currently a volunteer with the Benin IGF Association. To the best of my knowledge, I have no conflicts of interest.

1- Why do you want to serve on the EC?

I would like to join the EC, particularly as a representative of the Africa region, to on the one hand contribute to the work of our community and on the other hand help consolidate and amplify the voice of African end users. Since joining the community almost ten years ago, I have learned, observed and listened. These years of commitment have equipped me very well to take on this role and continue my service to the community. 

2- Provide a brief biography of recent experience, associations, and affiliations relevant to serving on the Executive Committee. Describe the relevance of your personal and professional experience to serving on the NCUC Executive Committee, and identify any conflicts of interest you might have.

As an end user of the Internet, I discovered the community and the field of internet governance. I strive to give back to end users everything I learn within this community. My training and awareness sessions target children, young people, and women, including digital education courses and awareness sessions on internet governance for students and journalists. Additionally, I am involved in the NRIs Network of the UN, the Benin IGF, and the WAIGF Secretariat for the preparation of sessions and activities related to internet governance. These experiences provide a solid foundation to support me in this new role.

3- The EC performs several functional responsibilities for the Constituency. What level of time commitment can you bring to your EC role on a weekly and overall basis? Describe any concerns or limitations on your ability to attend online meetings of the Executive Committee and ICANN Meetings in person.

“When you love what you do, you don't count the time or the effort’. I am passionate about working in internet governance. I am committed to dedicating the required time to fulfill my role on the EC and dedicate at least 5 hours per week to organize outreach, training, and mobilize our membership base to participate in policies.

4- Communication with the membership is critical. How would you keep members apprised of your EC-related activities?

Communication around activities is a team effort. I am confident that, along with the other members of the committee, we will implement an effective communication strategy for members and other external internet end users.

5- How do you foresee NCUC’s function, scale, or role changing in the future? What areas of ICANN policy, if any, need more attention and why? Incumbent candidates should answer in a manner that is both backward and forward-looking, i.e., taking note of their contributions and work in the previous year.

I want to bring new perspectives and innovations from my years of experience on the field and online serving the internet governance ecosystem. Since its creation in 1998, the NCUC community has grown with its challenges, diversity, and inclusion of its members. By appreciating the work and efforts of previous committees, I am certain that future committees will continue to contribute to the consolidation and growth of this community.

I humbly ask for your vote to serve a purpose.

Happy to answer any questions.

Sincerely,

Muriel ALAPINI

Déclaration de Candidature

Mesdames, Messieurs, comme l'exige notre règlement voici ma présentation: 

Je suis Muriel ALAPINI, citoyenne béninoise résidant à Cotonou (région Afrique). 

Je suis une femme et actuellement bénévole au sein de l'Association FGI Bénin. 

À ma connaissance, je n'ai aucun conflit d'intérêt. 

1- Pourquoi souhaitez-vous siéger au Comité Exécutif du NCUC ? 

Je souhaite rejoindre le comité du NCUC, notamment en tant que représentante de la région Afrique pour d’une part apporter ma contribution aux travaux de notre communauté et d’autre part aider à consolider et amplifier la voix des utilisateurs finaux africains. Depuis que j'ai rejoint la communauté il y a près de dix ans, j'ai appris, observé et écouté. Ces années d'engagement m'ont très bien équipé pour assumer ce rôle et continuer mon service à la communauté. 

 2- Fournir une brève biographie de l'expérience récente, des associations et des affiliations pertinentes pour siéger au comité exécutif. Décrivez la pertinence de votre expérience personnelle et professionnelle pour siéger au comité exécutif du NCUC et identifiez tout conflit d'intérêts que vous pourriez avoir. 

En tant qu'utilisateur final d'Internet, j'ai découvert la communauté et le domaine de la gouvernance d'Internet et y travailler est une magnifique expérience. Je m'efforce de rendre aux utilisateurs finaux tout ce que j'apprends au sein de cette communauté par les sessions de formation et de sensibilisation que j’organise et qui s'adressent aux enfants, aux jeunes et aux femmes,(notamment des cours d'éducation numérique et des séances de sensibilisation à la gouvernance de l'internet à destination des étudiants et des journalistes). De plus, je suis impliquée dans le réseau NRIs de l'ONU, l'IGF Bénin et le Secrétariat du WAIGF pour la préparation de sessions et d'activités liées à la gouvernance de l'Internet. Ces expériences constituent une base solide sur laquelle m’appuyer dans ce nouveau rôle. 

3- Le Comité Exécutif  assume plusieurs responsabilités fonctionnelles pour la circonscription. Quel niveau de temps pouvez-vous consacrer à votre rôle EC sur une base hebdomadaire et globale ? Décrivez toute préoccupation ou limitation concernant votre capacité à assister en personne aux réunions en ligne du comité exécutif et aux réunions de l'ICANN.

 « Quand on aime ce qu’on fait, on ne compte ni le temps ni les efforts ». Je suis passionnée par le travail dans le domaine de la gouvernance de l'Internet. Je m'engage à consacrer le temps nécessaire pour remplir mon rôle au sein du CE et  au moins 5 heures par semaine à l'organisation de la sensibilisation, de la formation et à la mobilisation de nos membres pour qu'ils participent aux politiques. 

4- La communication avec les membres est essentielle. Comment tiendrez-vous les membres informés de vos activités liées au CE ? 

La communication autour des activités est un effort d’équipe. Je suis convaincue qu'avec les autres membres du comité, nous mettrons en œuvre une stratégie de communication efficace pour les membres et les autres utilisateurs finaux externes d'Internet. 

5- Comment prévoyez-vous l’évolution de la fonction, de l’échelle ou du rôle du NCUC à l’avenir ? Quels domaines de la politique de l'ICANN, le cas échéant, nécessitent plus d'attention et pourquoi ? Les candidats sortants doivent répondre d’une manière à la fois rétrospective et prospective, c’est-à-dire en prenant note de leurs contributions et de leur travail au cours de l’année précédente. 

Je souhaite apporter de nouvelles perspectives et innovations issues de mes années d'expérience sur le terrain et en ligne au service de l'écosystème de la gouvernance de l'Internet. Depuis sa création en 1998, la communauté NCUC s'est développée avec ses défis, sa diversité et l'inclusion de ses membres. En appréciant le travail et les efforts des comités précédents, je suis certaine que les prochains comités continueront de contribuer à la consolidation et à la croissance de cette communauté. 

Je vous remercie pour votre vote qui m’est d’un immense soutien. 

Heureuse de répondre à toutes vos questions.