I'm honored to pay tribute to Nelson
Mandela on occasion of his birthday this
18th July 2013 the icon 47 meeting Devon
we have come from afar from many
countries gathered here to wish you mr.
Mandela a very happy birthday and to pay
tribute to you and thank you for your
wisdom and sacrifice through the years
the personal sacrifices you made so that
Africa will be free is what has made it
possible to have this international
multi-stakeholder technical coordination
meeting here in durban south africa with
Africans and non-africans participating
freely at this 47th icon meeting you are
a global symbol of peace and unity we
have all followed the challenges you
faced including 27 years of
incarceration and are all inspired by
your total strength and commitment
towards a principal cause the resolution
reconciliation and unity for all mr.
Mandela the internet came to Africa in
November 1991 through the work of South
Africa's which followed your release in
February 1990 and preceded your award of
the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1993
with the euphoria an inspiration from
your triumph several africanus and
Friends of Africa have faithfully spread
the internet throughout the continent
and I am proud to say there is internet
in every country
in Africa this created an african
internet technical community drawn from
among a group of institutions named
after that participate in icon and the
global internet ecosystem in your honor
we commit to an open Internet for world
peace and development let the internet
remain stable open and secure for unity
and peace of the world we thank you for
opening our eyes to new and better
approaches to community building the
journey of the African technical
community into icon started in 1998 at
cotton we have since then criss cross
the continent Cape to Cairo and back in
imparting the internet I can't process
this our inclusive open diverse
multi-stakeholder and practice consensus
and we are more informed therefore by
what we can live with and what works
indeed Africa has now got the internet
but has yet to do much with it we ask
your blessing for Africa to truly adopt
the internet in government policies
regulation education and services we
must develop an information society or
there will be no industry in the new
economy in Africa only consumers that
could start of a whole new technology
struggle requiring knowledge and skills
to be misapplied which we would wish to
avert there are opportunities in icon
for Africa to build is major internet
industries and developed a domain name
business with registries registrar's
content developers and technical service
providers so that Africa
would get ahead afrikaans should take
this challenge and build the businesses
of the future to help their communities
and countries develop Madiba we wish you
comfort and rest that is deserving of a
tired Savior your life is a lesson to
all of us and continues to inspire us
especially as we nature new communities
you lost dearly for the benefit of a
whole community the media at times
refers to me as the father of the
Internet in Africa but in reality it is
you Madiba who is a true father of the
Internet you inspired freedom unity and
inclusiveness the very qualities that
define the internet the very qualities
that define you happy birthday Nelson
Mandela thank you i can and thank you
everyone
you