Changes

Ms. Bekele initiated the formation of the [[AfriICANN]] grouping within [[ICANN]].<ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiabekele LinkedIn]</ref>

Ms. Bekele initiated the formation of the [[AfriICANN]] grouping within [[ICANN]].<ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiabekele LinkedIn]</ref>

'''Championing the International Domain Name (IDN) Policy'''<br />

==Championing the International Domain Name (IDN) Policy==

 

As a gNSO adviser to ICANN Bekele participated actively in policy development for IDNs and campaigned and championed the efforts to introduce IDNs in the ICANN policy dialog. Bekele successfully made the case at ICANN on behalf of the global IDN community.  In a written Testimonial, and on behalf of the group<br />

As a gNSO adviser to ICANN Bekele participated actively in policy development for IDNs and campaigned and championed the efforts to introduce IDNs in the ICANN policy dialog. Bekele successfully made the case at ICANN on behalf of the global IDN community.  In a written Testimonial, and on behalf of the group<br />

::<small>"The call for such Pan-African brand was largely initiated by Sophia Bekele who is no new-comer to spearheading new ways of ::thinking at ICANN. Years ago, her heroic efforts during her tenure as a newsbie GNSO advisor to ICANN, in reversing the ::disastrous and misguided course that IDN policy took within ICANN at that time is now well documented and clearly attested to by ::the opposite direction in which the IDN portion of the new GTLD process at ICANN has since gone"<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SAB-Support-Letter_SubbiahS.pdf Subbiah]</ref></small>

::<small>"The call for such Pan-African brand was largely initiated by Sophia Bekele who is no new-comer to spearheading new ways of ::thinking at ICANN. Years ago, her heroic efforts during her tenure as a newsbie GNSO advisor to ICANN, in reversing the ::disastrous and misguided course that IDN policy took within ICANN at that time is now well documented and clearly attested to by ::the opposite direction in which the IDN portion of the new GTLD process at ICANN has since gone"<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SAB-Support-Letter_SubbiahS.pdf Subbiah]</ref></small>

'''Championing the DotAfrica [[.africa]] gTLD Project'''<br />

==Championing the DotAfrica [[.africa]] gTLD Project==

Following her successful achievement of IDN work for ICANN and for the global internet community,  Bekele re-started the DotAfrica initiative following the important experiences gained from her work as gNSO advisor to ICANN.  Bekele  made a clear case for a DotAfrica ([[.africa]]) gTLD for Africa within ICANN and also the global Internet Community on behalf of the global African and Pan-African constituency.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:EWBJVYdjy14J:www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/bekele-to-dengate-thrush-18jan11-en.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiuCAe7lIoCYxEwAc5Yu41rx2HvANtGY1LRavobL5r9wHrUKdj1xkZvECp7eQG1GI953IIVHfL_OXu-TfiqGAJA5ZPmXpkHFIal7qWavTkCuEMcA4w2KPcEu5PvA6ILizMOJb8D&sig=AHIEtbSsbKdUSWMD9IZ8rBrUyxvNbW581w, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://www.prlog.org/11150099-dotconnectafrica-statement-to-icann-public-forum-cartegena-colombia.html, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref> ,<ref>[https://par.icann.org/files/paris/Paris-ICANNPublicForum-25JUN08.txt, The .Africa project announced at public forum in Paris, France]</ref>, <ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1104224678384.html, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00108.html, DCA statement to ICANN public forum, Colombia]</ref>.  She soon led the [[.africa]] initiative under a successful venture [[DotConnectAfrica]]  organization, a non-profit, non partisan  self start-up, and traveled throughout the various African countries and globally speaking and advocating the benefit of adapting to a .AFRICA (pronounced as ‘DotAfrica’) Top Level Domain name (TLD) for the African Continent. Her most significant accomplishment so far for the [[.africa]] gTLD project is undertaking and sustaining a successful global campaign, energizing it and giving it global momentum and raising its Pan-African and International profile to a position of relevance, and introducing it to the Pan-African inter-governmental organizations – the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) and getting them to endorse it.<ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31565131/African-Union-AU-Endorsement-of-DotConnectAfrica, The dotafrica Project initiative, August 8, 2008]</ref> , <ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31566444/Economic-Commission-for-Africa-ECA-Endorsment-of-DotConnectAfrica, Testimony of Sophia Bekel's IDN work at ICANN]</ref>.  Bekele's  presentations, speeches and publications used for this global campaign and promotional work to create awareness of the .africa TLD are chronicled on  the Organization's website.<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/dca-presentations, DCA Campaign Presentations and Speeches]</ref>

Following her successful achievement of IDN work for ICANN and for the global internet community,  Bekele re-started the DotAfrica initiative following the important experiences gained from her work as gNSO advisor to ICANN.  Bekele  made a clear case for a DotAfrica ([[.africa]]) gTLD for Africa within ICANN and also the global Internet Community on behalf of the global African and Pan-African constituency.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:EWBJVYdjy14J:www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/bekele-to-dengate-thrush-18jan11-en.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiuCAe7lIoCYxEwAc5Yu41rx2HvANtGY1LRavobL5r9wHrUKdj1xkZvECp7eQG1GI953IIVHfL_OXu-TfiqGAJA5ZPmXpkHFIal7qWavTkCuEMcA4w2KPcEu5PvA6ILizMOJb8D&sig=AHIEtbSsbKdUSWMD9IZ8rBrUyxvNbW581w, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://www.prlog.org/11150099-dotconnectafrica-statement-to-icann-public-forum-cartegena-colombia.html, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref> ,<ref>[https://par.icann.org/files/paris/Paris-ICANNPublicForum-25JUN08.txt, The .Africa project announced at public forum in Paris, France]</ref>, <ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1104224678384.html, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00108.html, DCA statement to ICANN public forum, Colombia]</ref>.  She soon led the [[.africa]] initiative under a successful venture [[DotConnectAfrica]]  organization, a non-profit, non partisan  self start-up, and traveled throughout the various African countries and globally speaking and advocating the benefit of adapting to a .AFRICA (pronounced as ‘DotAfrica’) Top Level Domain name (TLD) for the African Continent. Her most significant accomplishment so far for the [[.africa]] gTLD project is undertaking and sustaining a successful global campaign, energizing it and giving it global momentum and raising its Pan-African and International profile to a position of relevance, and introducing it to the Pan-African inter-governmental organizations – the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) and getting them to endorse it.<ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31565131/African-Union-AU-Endorsement-of-DotConnectAfrica, The dotafrica Project initiative, August 8, 2008]</ref> , <ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31566444/Economic-Commission-for-Africa-ECA-Endorsment-of-DotConnectAfrica, Testimony of Sophia Bekel's IDN work at ICANN]</ref>.  Bekele's  presentations, speeches and publications used for this global campaign and promotional work to create awareness of the .africa TLD are chronicled on  the Organization's website.<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/dca-presentations, DCA Campaign Presentations and Speeches]</ref>