Fatimata Seye Sylla: This meeting is a working group meeting for the workshop in Nairobi.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: For the event.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: For the outreach working group, this conference is for the outreach working group. And we're missing only Dave.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: No, Mohammed.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Mohammed.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Oh no, Mohamed, yes. We are only missing Mohammed. So I think the main purpose of this call is to think about the workshop program and we also need to think about the sponsors we're going to address for the outreach. And we just have the final draft of the document Tijani drafted for the capacity building event. Is that okay?
Unidentified Speaker: Yes. Tijani, you want to speak?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: May I speak?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, go ahead, Tijani.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I would like to start by the sponsors, finding sponsors. Because it – I would like that we start by the sponsors, how we –
Fatimata Seye Sylla: The sponsors?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, the sponsors. How we would do to find funding for this operation and who we do that. Because it's the condition to host this event, to have money.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Tijani I think the sponsors, it would depend on their interest on the program we would be submitting to them. And this is why maybe we should work on the program and see – I think the lines, the subjects we'll be covering, and would see the sponsors we would address. And I think we've started getting some names and surely we'll talk about this. This is the number four of the agenda.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I know.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: So number one, review of the proposal, capacity building proposal by Tijani. We'll also talk about the workshop by Mohamed and I think we made some input. We talk about the content of the capacity building and outreach program, how we're going to organize it. Also, I think that's one point we should add to it. Cheryl will talk about the partners and funders, meaning the sponsors. And that's about it for the main points. And then we'll talk about who is going to do what, that is the next step. Okay?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay. Let's start.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: So about the proposal, Tijani drafted a project. I made some input and also Mohamed. Is there anything to add to this? For the proposal from Tijani I think we agreed we have something almost final. We didn't get anymore input from (inaudible) from the community I would say.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: May I ask – it may be the way things came to me in two separate e-mails I guess and the way they're on two separate pages, but is the first, the capacity building proposal which I'm looking at now, which is the one Tijani has listed all of your ALSs and the objective and the costings and all of those things. That isn't a based on structure that you believe it operates as regardless of what the content is? And has Mohamed's draft program for workshops, is that a set of content possibilities to fit into the average program? Or is that a more separate proposal? We have two different pages and we have two different styles. I wasn't sure if one was a subset of the other and we're dealing with them at once or if they are variations or alternates.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Cheryl?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, Tijani?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I think that the proposal of Mohamed is a proposal for a workshop, for three-day workshop. It can be a very good workshop in the next IGF in Nairobi. Not the next, the one after the next.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: It seemed an awfully extensive program to me which is one of the things I was going to say about that.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, but it's absolutely different from the capacity building program that I proposed.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: I had assumed that, but I wanted to check that that was the case. Thank you.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, the content of this capacity building program will not be the same content as Mohamed proposed for his workshop. It will be only to give the attendees the basic knowledge, simplified and popularized knowledge about ICANN, its structure, its activities, its priorities, etc. So that people, the ALSs, of Africa will be, if you want more informed – no, not informed, will feel that they are not lost with what they are seeing as information, as activities, etc. So if we want them to participate in the ICANN process, we need to give them those knowledge. That's why I proposed this type of capacity building program. And I meant to give them the knowledge in the two first hours of the day so that they will have the remaining time of the day to go through all the meetings of ICANN and to see on the ground what it is.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Okay, that's understood, thank you.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, Tijani?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: I think we went in the same direction when I said that the African users who want to involve, they don't know much about all these technical issues in which we should address them very smartly. So we're discussing all this online and so now we need to just agree on the format and also the content. I think the format which is listed is very good. So that we can give them time to participate in all the meetings instead of just being there and being focused on our own workshops.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Fatimata, sorry, I don't understand you very well.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: We didn't get any reactions from Mohamed after all those suggestions, so we don't know –
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Mohamed (inaudible).
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Dave, do you have something to say about this?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Fatimata? Fatimata? You hear me?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Mohamed has reacted to this program. Mohamed, when I answered his e-mail, he said okay, it's okay. He is okay with this program. Because at first he didn't understand what was the aim of this program and when I explained it on the e-mail, by e-mail, on the list, he agreed. And he said, okay, we can do this for Nairobi.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Okay, I missed that one.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: I have a couple of concerns that I want to raise. But they are concerns that I believe we can turn into advantages. Looking then just at Tijani's and more popularly supported plan, can we limit ourselves to just looking at that for now? I see a great likelihood, I hope that there is a great likelihood, that many of our travelers, many of the ALSs listed, will also be recipients of fellowship support. We won't know that obviously for a couple of days, but I know some of us have worked very hard to insure that for example Arnold, who was unsure if his application in French was actually accepted or not, we have – Heidi has worked hard and has made sure that yes it is and it will be going through the normal process. So it may be that we have a number, hopefully a significant number, of these people coming to the ICANN meeting as fellowship sponsored travelers. If we might assume that that is the case, then we have an immediate clash, but also an immediate opportunity where the fellowship program itself, with its logistics and with its timing even, because it runs in the morning as well with a set of breakfast briefings covering off a number of the 101 and very basic introduction to ICANN activities that I believe you are aiming for in content.
The expectation would be from fellowship, from travelers that they are in those activities. So that is a clash of both time and of purpose. But it may be that what we can do, and this goes to funding as well, is –
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Cheryl, I can't hear you.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Okay, can you hear me any better now, or not?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: I can hear you a little bit better.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Okay. If we have a number, a subset of the African ALSs who are being sponsored under fellowship, and the fellowship program is doing very much, I think a lot of what the aims are of this program, we may be in a position to look for sponsorship and support for the remaining number of ALS representatives. And that will perhaps allow us to use the logistics and activities that fellowship is planning and simply add more people into their activities, but not in an any way then compromising or trying to split commitments and requirements from African ALS travelers who are fellowship funded. How do you feel about looking at those opportunities?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, you are right, Cheryl, you are right. I have thought about it and my plan, my idea, is to contact Janice to try to do a common program. Because the aim is almost the same. The aim of the fellowship program is to introduce ICANN structure and activities to those fellows. And our objective is almost the same. So my plan is to contact Janice and to try to, not to merge, but to coordinate, to try to do common sessions and we may have separate sessions if we have something which is possibly related to the African ALSs. But in general –
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: It may be, Tijani, that what we do is add additional travelers and aim to find sponsorship for additional travelers to put more African representatives into the fellowship program and run one or two AFRALO specific additional sessions which of course we should be able to find time within the ALAC calendar at the meeting to do. So that will immediately reduce our logistics costs and requirements and has the benefit, and this is a very important benefit from the political point of view, when we are looking at getting some hopeful additional sponsorship or funding from ICANN. Obviously we will be looking at other partners, but from ICANN. What is very important is the there is very strong support and a number of board members who are very passionate about the fellowship program. And for us to not compete for resources, but to compliment and build on that activity, I think will give us a greater likelihood of success.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I agree with you exactly. That's exactly what I am thinking about Cheryl.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Excellent. I 'm very pleased to hear that. Fatimata, how do you feel AFRALO will feel about that?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: What I want to tell you –
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Cheryl, I must say that I just understood bits of all you were saying because the sound is so bad.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Oh, dear.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes. Let me see if I understood.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Perhaps, Tijani, if you could just briefly outline for Fatimata so she can hear you better than me.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: What you just said was clear.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Okay.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Yes, it's Dave here, can I just make a few points? cross talk. Yes, Cheryl, your idea is great. But my concern is that since we are getting the resources, the prospects out of the 25 that have been suggested by Tijani, so you mentioned that you thought some of them will be through the fellowship program. But our objective is to have the maximum number of ALS from the African region. So is there any possibility that we are going to have fellowships from ICANN to have additional ALS participating for whom we are going to seek a sponsorship from other agencies?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, I think because budgets are very specifically limited and indeed are actually getting tighter and tighter, not in any way more accessible for everyone, both partnerships and fellowships included. And I think we need to perhaps look at our design to say, let us see – we have our ALAC sponsored travelers, we have our fellowship sponsored travelers, and we will then try and fund the residual to be part of the fellowship program and we will run a couple of sessions specific to AFRALO that will take place in the traditional time slots that the ALAC and regions use. So there should be no additional pressure for the main design of the activities. If that is how it happens, and if we are successful with that, I would however strongly encourage us to do an event that showcases, as I believe AFRALO wanted to do, your existing ALSs. Fatimata, I'm thinking about what we did in Mexico where we had all of the regions showing off. If we could do something in Nigeria that had all of the ALSs showing off, then I believe we should be able to get resources for that to be a more permanent display which of course it could not be in Mexico. But if we can work with meetings people to try and insure we have a place and space for that to be perhaps an announced event opening, and then a remaining static display, and we can have some of the representatives manning that display. So everyone takes a roster. That will I think work as a better complement than having something that just happens and then disappears.
Heidi Ullrich: Cheryl, this is Heidi.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, Heidi.
Heidi Ullrich: I think that's an excellent idea. And in addition, I just wanted to suggest that the permanent event, or the permanent showcase could use the new updated At-Large brochures we have in English and French as well as an AFRALO brochure that we are offering AFRALO to develop. That is something where perhaps the current ALSs, or ALAC representatives and AFRALO officers could coordinate in how they could reach out to other potential ALSs using those (inaudible). That's what I wanted to say.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, I think that would be good. Go ahead.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: This is Fatimata.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, Fatimata.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Hi.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, Fatimata.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, I think Heidi's idea and Cheryl's, it's a very good to do some sort of exhibition in Africa again and see what we can show. And it's also a good idea – you remember, we said that we would be working on the website for AFRALO. I think it will be time to take it to the field and to have it updated with some new stuff. And too, to really make it African this time, we really need to work on the brochure and I'm sure staff can provide support to make it happen. Now regarding the number of participants, I think we want to have more than one per ALS and I don't know if I understood very well what Cheryl was saying, but I guess it's in the same line with what Tijani was suggesting. Take into account the fellowships that will be provided by ICANN and so the remaining members look for sponsors. But how many? We still don't know the number of sponsorships for fellows, do we know? We don't know yet, right?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: No. Apparently Heidi has just left Fatimata, so I will take that and answer it to the best of my ability. She will confirm when she dials back in. As far as I understand, fellowship will be announcing in the next few days.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes on the 18th.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: On the 18th?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: In the meantime, we need to –
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Continue to – yes. I'm also hopeful, and I think we are probably drifting a little down into something again that I can't help myself, the opportunity once we have a matrix with who is concerned funded, is that we may then be able to say ah, the following people quite clearly we can approach the language, the (inaudible) and French speaking support organizations for these ALSs. And we should look at perhaps discussing something with the regional registries or the CCTLD operators for these ALSs. And I think we do need to not just do the NICAM and the RIR. But where there is an active and able CCTLD operator in a county that an ALS is in, I would like to think that perhaps some support to that CCTLD operator's local internet community might be able to contribute to having ALS representation. Is that likely? Or do you think socially and politically that is unlikely to be successful?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I can tell you what is my idea in this regard.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Please.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I think it will not be really successful. I think, as I know – (inaudible) in Africa would not be really successful.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Okay, that is why I asked the question because it can be very varied, too, depending on the nature and the makeup of the CCTLD. I think we need to involve very early the regional manager of ISOC to see what the possibilities we may draw from their regional plans and try and encourage perhaps some partnership support there.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Cheryl, Dave here, Can I just intervene?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Please.
Dave Kissoondoyal: For me the Nairobi meeting concerning the AFRALO, I'm speaking of the objectives in three parts. Firstly, we want to make sure that we have the maximum ALS from Africa participating. The second objective is basically we have to go with an outreach program where we are going to promote the ICANN, make ICANN known in Africa, especially the ALAC structure. And the third part is obviously we want to go with a capacity building program where we are going to train, we are going to make the ALS ready so that tomorrow when we leave, we are preparing people who can take – because okay, we can't ask that people as soon as they join the structure they are able to enter the, to know all the ins and outs of ICANN. So basically the capacity building program is going to prepare to have more ALS participating so that we can have a big pool of people. Tomorrow we can have leaders among those pool of people.
So my – the first objective is that we want to have maximum ALS from Africa participating. So irrespective of the number of fellowships that ICANN is providing, let's put a target that okay, we have major agencies like ISOC, we have Afrinique, and we have Francophonie. These are the three major sponsors which we think that they might be able to sponsor participation for the ALSs. So if each agency can provide its fellowships for five ALSs, from the three major ones we are already having 15. We are going to have 15 and then five already paid by ICANN, so it becomes 20. And then the number of fellowships that we are going to have, perhaps 5, or 10, or 15, so this will be like a good pool of people that can go and be both in the outreach program and the capacity building program.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I support your idea – yes, Fatimata?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Dave, I think that's a good idea, but I'm just – are we only inviting the ALSs? Because something else could happen. All these sponsors, could be Francophonie and others, would we allow them, if by any chance we could have all the ALSs who presented, to have all the non ALSs join the meeting? From Africa?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: If I may, Fatimata, of course some of the fellowships will be bringing non ICANN experienced and therefore non ALS people to the Nairobi meeting. One of the things I want to propose to you that we do as a very early next step is we need to talk to Mandy Carver and obviously sorry, I've had a mental blank on – who's the global –
Heidi Ullrich: Teresa Swinehart or Janice?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, Teresa and Mandy, but – oh how annoying How can I possible forget? Anne Rochelle. Dear me, how could I have forgotten? I didn't forget her, I had forgotten her name. And we need to talk I think fairly soon with them to also encourage not just what your plans are, sorry, what our plans are, to sit in with fellowship, but wouldn't it be wonderful if fellowship could also sit in with the additional plans and RALO and ALAC activities that we are having? So let's assume on the affirmative and that we do get small lumps of money from 405 groups and so we have a puddle of additional travelers that we can fund and we might find that we need to fully fund them or partly fund them. That might depend, too. But we'll obviously have to make a call out to see which of those ways is going to be most successful.
Before we do that, it would be I think very worthwhile for us to talk with those in ICANN who are running and supporting fellowship. And that will also of course include our dear friend and supporter, Vanderscott Azini who is our member on the board, the At-Large member currently representing as our liaison. Not as a voting director I'm told, but with board and director experience, she has the trust of many board members. But she is also a passionate supporter and active participant in the fellowship activity.
So if we can weave these two things together as early as possible, I believe it will give us a greater not only success for real passionate and in kind support, but we can also then make sure that when the region runs its regional specific activities, that it is open to all Africans to our fellowship recipients, not just the ALSs who are fellowship recipients.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: That's right.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Yes, Cheryl, Dave here. I think it is not a requirement that the fellowships or the persons that are sponsored, they are already ALSs. Because if we get new people, they after this event might go to their countries and then set up ALSs. So in this way, it helps us to grow. cross talk
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: And it also means that your region, the AFRALO, is helping fellowship to do what fellowship wants.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Yes, absolutely.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I have a comment on what said Fatimata about the non-ALS funding. You are right, Fatimata, but I don't want to lose my main objective which is today to make the existing ALSs active inside ICANN process. And this will happen through this capacity building program. So we will focus on the ALSs representatives. And if we have others, they will be welcome. But we need first the ALSs, all the ALSs. And if we can have two representatives by one ALS, it will be fantastic.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, but Tijani, the priority of this workshop is outreach. We would like to have more ALSs.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: You are right.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: The main thing is to find and train the existing ALSs. But we also have another program which is outreaching. And as in Africa, if we – just say that we have a workshop, at AFRALO we might have our own list and ask people to attend the presentation. But also from our own experience, you and me and Dave, I'm sure, we know that people can get scholarships from others by their own contacts or whatever to attend. But I think we should also support that.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: You are right, Fatimata. But are you accepting that some of the ALSs, existing ALSs, will not be funded? Do you accept this?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: No, I'm not saying that.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, so I agree with what you said. For sure we have an outreach effort to do every day and all ALSs have to do this effort. It is not done only during the meeting. We have to do it outside the meeting and the real effort of outreach to get new ALSs have to be done outside the meetings. It's our efforts as ALSs, existing ALSs already. If we can have additional African representatives in the Nairobi meeting who are not representatives of ALS, it will be very good. But it doesn't, this doesn't have to impact the number of the ALSs funded.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Okay, Tijani. I think we move on at this time. We did not talk much about the content. Who wants to say something? Let's take the modified, the old modified Mohamed's program.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: No, Fatimata –
Fatimata Seye Sylla: (Inaudible) two days workshop and the workshop you have in the morning. Also that we would have some kind of exhibits, a little bit like what we had during the summit in Cairo. No, in Mexico.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Mexico, yes.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes. And then have brochures and any kind of – if you can also – if you have ALSs in Nairobi or even one in Nairobi, ask them to organize some cultural (inaudible) for us.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: yes, and can I – if I may, Fatimata, I get excited sometimes and you've got me excited then. The opportunity – as if I'm telling people who don't know how excited I can get that I can get excited. The opportunity then also means that some of the UN agencies and major players in the African internet ecosystem and who are already involved in real capacity building, real capacity building, running the lines out, getting to the local areas with the hardware, they can also perhaps be asked and encouraged to be part of our display. So a trade show within a tradeshow.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes. Does anyone remember the Tunis 2005, the African village – it was something similar to that.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Absolutely. Yes. That is exactly perfect.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes. Something similar to that. And also one further dimension that Cheryl mentioned last time, something relative to gender, to have more women involved.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes. multiple speakers - cross talk
Tijani Ben Jemaa: We are talking about the content I think, no?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, we are.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, the program.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, so if we are talking about the content, I think that we don't have to disparate our efforts to make them – we need to have our efforts concentrated on one main event and on the exhibition. If we do the capacity building program and a workshop and an exhibition, we will be lost. No we will not be lost, we will not reach our objective because our efforts will be disparate. I think that we have to concentrate on the capacity building. It's very important as I see it and we have to do the exhibition and it is very good for the visibility. For the visibility of the African participation. Very good. But for the content of the capacity building program, I will draft, redraft the program with the help of some of the staff of ALAC such as Heidi for example and with the help, not the help, with the coordination of Janice when we will see how many ALSs are funded by the fellowship program. So I am ready to draft this program. It is –
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: In terms of the program, I think we need to keep it, following from what you said, Tijani, very lean. We need to have a launch event about the exhibition. And perhaps a couple of opportunities for African focus meetings. Maybe no more than three, perhaps four. And they can be in time and space that is traditionally used by ALAC. But what we can do is insure that any of our partners, and any of our exhibitors, I'm thinking here for example if OECD came to be a partner or if World Bank came to be a partner, that if we make those activities where we have for example an activity, a discussion on a topic, and we make it table topic over perhaps sponsored lunch or something like that where if OECD or World Bank or (inaudible) or whatever, their lunch, their ten minutes talk time. You know?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Very good.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, I just wanted to say something regarding Tijani's suggestion. I think it's very good. But for me the capacity building and the workshop is the same thing, right?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: I actually think that so much of what fellowship does meets our immediate needs. We should say everyone that we're bringing onboard will be part of that with their permission. And not only will we run ABC event, whatever it is to embrace and act as outreach and expose Africa and why it needs more both At-Large structures and involvements, and partnerships between those structures needs to be nurtured. It means we can fit in things like the women in ICT, that would work very well. But it also means that with Mohamed's more detailed capacity building program, which is a good program, you can already have that and say, and here is a draft for the regional activity we want to run and fund in the next 12 to 18 months. Which means it goes in for the next budget cycle. And that it could perhaps then fit or run alongside of another major regional activity. And we know we have an another IGF, full IGF going to Africa And you've got regional IGFs running in Africa.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Exactly.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: So you could run this as a we're not just doing it now at meeting 37, we're doing this now at meeting 37 and we have a two or three year plan for real capacity building where whenever anything is happening in our region in the internet ecosystem, we will take that opportunity and be part of that and run something. It may only be a half day, morning, something, might just be one session. But we will try and run something with our local ALSs, those who are close to whatever the activity is, and outreach and build. And build our region and build our internet future and build our micro finance and build our education in all of those areas.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: That sounds good.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, great.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I think, Fatimata, if you don't mind, I think that in next year there will be Tunis Plus Five, WSIS Tunis Plus Five. It will be organized in Tunis. Tunis is African also. So we can also run such regional program in this occasion if you want as a parallel event of the Tunis Plus Five.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: This is perfect example. And why I think that will sell as a concept is it's got a clear short, medium, and long term plan. And if partners are not able to join us now, they can plan to join us later. And that's meaningful.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Cheryl, Dave here, can I just intervene?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: You can try.
Dave Kissoondoyal: The ICANN – the ICANN fellowship program is already a capacity building one. It's already – why we are trying to reinvent the wheel?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: I don't, I'm saying we will compliment the wheel. I'll take the wheel, smooth it off, add an axle, and turn it into something that's going to be armed just hopefully getting a few more people involved in ICANN.
Dave Kissoondoyal: What I'm suggesting is on the 7th of March, Sunday the 7th, we can have the workshop and then as for Monday, why we can't – all the African ALSs that have come either through sponsorship or through fellowship, they join the ICANN fellowship program.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: That is exactly what we've been talking about for the last 45 minutes, Dave. Where have you been?
Dave Kissoondoyal: Okay. All right then.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Except let me correct you, Dave. On Sunday the 7th, everyone, including anyone who is fellowship sponsored, African ALS or otherwise, should be in the ALAC and regional meeting room for our one day workshop.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Correct.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Okay.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Fatimata, I think as we move to next step, and I'm sorry to rush you, but I have another meeting that I need to actually dial into now. In fact, they'll be dialing into me soon. With your permission, may we reconvene this group perhaps even as early as next week if we can have Heidi organize for those in fellowship and perhaps Mandy and Teresa and perhaps some of our selected board members and supporters. I think we need to bring Kateem and Jean Jacques and perhaps Tricia Drake as part of the alumni and very, very strong supporter of fellowship. And of course all At-Large into a slightly expanded but informal teleconference. we may use an (inaudible) room, where we can say to them, this is our current thinking, can we have a response and a reaction? Not a commitment, but a response and a reaction? Are we heading in a direction that you believe is going to be supportable? Then with that feedback, we can take, with what Tijani and the rest of you from the region will have done with the specific events, the specific workshop and events, the two or three things we will be running, remembering I will make sure that something happens for women in ICT.
That we can then take very, very shortly after that, certainly at the vey beginning of the new year, to our sponsors, our potential sponsors, some opportunity for beginning our meaningful discussion on can they contribute. And if we can do that with global partnership hand in hand, that is also going to be far more meaningful and far more successful.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes. I think that is a good idea. And who are those supporters? Can we invite Anne Rochelle if she's available?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Absolutely. I didn't state Anne Rochelle amongst that group for the next meeting, but that goes without saying. Yes, absolutely, we need regional leaders in the global partnership system as part of it. Has to be.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Okay. I think that's one of the next steps. Big next step.
Heidi Ullrich: Should we go ahead and send out a Doodle for Monday through perhaps Wednesday of next week?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: See when we can fit it in.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Or Tuesday. Maybe we should just send a Doodle and see the best day and time.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Can I suggest please to distribute the load to make, to design, to appoint who would be in charge of finding sponsors or partners. Who will be in charge of directing the program of the capacity building? Who will be in charge of the exhibition and to try to give us a plan or a conception of this exhibition? We have to plan that now so that in the next teleconference we will have output, we will have results.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: I would suggest that should be an outcome or a follow up of the next teleconference. The reason I would suggest that is that if we are firm partners and working with fellowship and global partnerships, then we can actually use their regional connections. So Anne Rochelle would insure that we get the right introductions to approach. There are some of the potential sponsors and partners which for example the UN agencies, which will need to be approached at a higher level within ICANN. So we would need Nick Thorne onboard for that. Certainly for the design and work of the exhibition, I think you need to have that locally, regionally laid but with import from the work group and any key partners. But that is something where we would need to have someone on the Nairobi team, perhaps Alice, advise us on who we should be working with locally as well as Heidi finding out who we need to work with in meetings. And of course she will be very important in liaising there. I agree we need to distribute the load, I'm just not sure that we know what the work is just yet.
Heidi Ullrich: Cheryl, I have actually been speaking with meetings from Nick Thomaso all the way to Nancy Lupiano, etc. And they actually are asking whether we could start thinking about speaking with them about the age requirements, etc. Nairobi will be posing some logistical challenges, so perhaps they could, or at least Nick Thomaso or Nancy could be on the next call?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, I think that would be fine. I think we need on the next call whoever may be involved in logistics.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: This is right.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: And that way, Tijani, that distribution of who does what will be an outcome of the call.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: What we might do though is beef up the meeting sites, the – sorry, the WIKI a little and make sure we have linked to that the pdf copies of the new French and English brochure, all that sort of stuff. So it may be that we need to have Matisse and Gisella particularly involved in helping with some of that WIKI work, because whilst we know what we're talking about, even some of those who are in ICANN may not realize what sort of resources and activities we're referring to. I really do need to leave very shortly. I'm now almost ten minutes late for another work group call. Is there anything else we need to do in today's call?
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Fatimata? Fatimata? We've lost her.
Unidentified Speaker: Yes, Fatimata just dropped a couple of seconds ago. We can try to call her back.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: I think, Cheryl, I think that we have to plan this teleconference very soon and to involve everyone involved with the organization or in the planning. And ICANN, logistics of ICANN, and all partners we may have if possible. But we need to be really effective starting from the next teleconference.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Indeed. Tijani, the only other thing I would like to wrap up on from my perspective is, if Fatimata is back, please continue, I think it is very, very important that we have a way that people can add themselves into this process as we move towards March and Nairobi and catch up with what is happening. To that end, I am going to ask that everyone that is involved in the next call, if you have – and this is everyone on this call and Heidi if you can make sure Matisse, if you can make sure Fatimata is picked up on this, if you have a g-mail account, a g-mail address, I want to start a Google wave. I'm able to invite you into Google wave. Which is only beta and it's only testing, but it – the reason it would be successful is we can put things in there. Unlike Skype, it doesn't matter when you join, you can see it from the beginning, and if somebody joins in February or even the end of February and they want to say something about the very first thing we started discussing online, they can put it in in context. Now I've already got Kateem and a few people using it and of course board members like Kateem are going to be important to us as well. So if we may use that as a tool, I think the other advantage would be it may open up other support possibilities in the future. Where if more African activities are utilizing this new open source tool that Google has put out, we may of course be able to get Google to support some of your future activities.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Absolutely, yes.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Cheryl, you are very effective.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: I will leave Matisse and Gisella to sort all of those details out. I must retreat from the call, I'm so sorry.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, I will send you my g-mail address.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Please. And I will insure we're all invited. In the future what will be good with that, Tijani, just to share with you, is I should be able to type in English and in the future you should be able to read it in French, letter by letter. So that's what this tool is meant to do amongst other things. So we can help them get there and hopefully they can help us get to where we need to be as well. Bye-bye all. Is Gisella on this call?
Heidi Ullrich: Cheryl, we're going to dial up as soon as you put the phone down.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Good. Bye.
Heidi Ullrich: We're waiting. Thanks. Bye.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Is Fatimata here now? No?
Heidi Ullrich: Just bear with me for a second, I've got Fatimata on Skype and there's no answer from Fatimata, so just stay with me a second and I'll Skype with her.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, so shall we close this meeting? Is there anything to add? Dave, do you have anything to add?
Dave Kissoondoyal: No, I was just thinking that do you not think it wise like to contact the sponsor in the meantime? Because what I'm hearing that we are going to run short of time because if we need to provide the list of ALS, the visa formalities, the accommodations, the hotel, all this stuff. So perhaps –
Tijani Ben Jemaa: You are right, you are absolutely right. And that's why I asked to divide the load and to appoint the person who would be in charge of the funding so they would contact the agencies. But Cheryl has another idea. She said we have to know what we will do, if we will do that, is there any other opportunities? So she wanted to wait until the next teleconference.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Yes, but the next teleconference has to be early as well.
Heidi Ullrich: Yes, we're going to try to schedule that next conference for early next week including Ambassador Nick Thomaso. And as Cheryl mentioned, given his high level contacts in these UN organizations, we think that it will be much more effective if he were to take this proposal to the relevant departments rather than sending an e-mail at this point.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: good idea.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Good, okay.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, is Gisella on the call now?
Gisella Gruber-White: Yes, Tijani.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Oh, you are here?
Gisella Gruber-White: Yes.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Welcome, Gisela, I didn't know that you are on the call. Very good. So it's okay now, Heidi, you will send us the notice of this meeting?
Heidi Ullrich: Gisella will be doing that. And Gisella will also be sending out a Doodle in the next day or so for this meeting, the next working group meeting, the expanded working group meeting.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, very good. Very good.
Heidi Ullrich: So, Tijani, perhaps you and I could work in the next day or so on revising and focusing this proposal. I think that it's in very good shape and perhaps just a little bit more work on that.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Yes, you are right. I will try to – I will begin to think about the program. So that we will gain time.
Heidi Ullrich: Perfect. And then I can take a look at it and it will be ready by early next week for the call.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Okay, very good.
Heidi Ullrich: Okay, thanks very much, everyone.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Thank you, Gisella, thank you, Dave.
Dave Kissoondoyal: Yes, thank you, everybody.
Heidi Ullrich: Yes, thanks, Dave, thanks, Fatimata is she is there.
Fatimata Seye Sylla: I'd just like to say good bye.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Ah, you are back?
Fatimata Seye Sylla: Yes, I am back, but I can say goodbye to all of you and I guess I will read the report.
Tijani Ben Jemaa: Thank you.
