[Npoc-discuss] A Tribute to Olevié Kouami

[Joan Kerr]

Dear NPOC Members,

I'd like to express my condolences to Oleve's family.  He was a great
contributor to the NPOC Community.
Regards,

On Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 8:28 AM Poncelet Ileleji via Npoc-discuss <
npoc-discuss at icann.org> wrote:

> Good day NPOC Colleagues,
>
>
>
> How do I start this write up,  with flashes of the early days of NPOC
> popping back into my memory. It was a shock to me to read this morning  on
> our African IGF WhatsApp group on a post by Emmanuel Vitus on the demise of
> Olevié Kouami  who died of a heart attack in the early hours of Thursday
> 19 October 2023 in Lomé, Togo.
>
>
>
> I got to know Olevié Kouami   in the early days of NPOC over a decade
> ago,  we were the only two Africans that our organisations were part of
> NPOC then.  He was jovial, fun and we always agreed to disagree.  Olevié
> Kouami  was very active in NPOC in the early days, we worked tirelessly
> together with our Late Chair then, Alain Berranger of blessed memory who we
> lost some years back, God Bless Alain soul. .
>
>
>
> I last met Olevié Kouami  in person some 3 years ago at the Pullman Hotel
> in Dakar, still his usual self, he only sent a message to me some days
> after the global IGF in Kyoto on Facebook.  To hear of his sudden demise
> is sad and shocking.
>
>
>
> Olevié Kouami in his own way he contributed to NPOC early development, we
> co authored with other NPOC Executives  colleagues then (Klaus Stoll,
> Alain Berranger, Marie-Laure Lemineur, Cintra Sooknanan, Poncelet Ileleji
> and Olévié Kouami ) the Non--‐Commercial Stakeholder Group: Not--‐for--‐Profit
> Operational Concerns Outreach Plan 2013.  A Plan 10 years plus old ,  am
> attached again which I believe is still relevant to NPOC even today.
>
>
>
> Olevié Kouami he is now with our dearest amiable chair Alain Berranger in
> the heavens, am sure they will talk about NPOC as those early days where
> heated in our dialogues and exchanges either at ICANN Meetings or Global
> IGFs where NPOC used to have sessions then or our numerous online meetings
> via  skype or  Adobe Connect back then.
>
>
>
> To his close friend in NPOC Professor Emeritus Sam LanFranco who he
> developed a strong bond with I also send my big condolences.  NPOC has
> now lost two individuals who in the early years of NPOC formation fought
> for its identity within ICANN.  Our collective shared responsibility
> moving forward  is to see NPOC carry out its mandate within the ICANN
> community in an honest and transparent way where equity counts even though
> we agree to disagree our NPOC membership binds us as we share the same
> objectives hence, we joined NPOC.
>
>
> As ICANN celebrates 25 years of existence in Hamburg starting tomorrow 21
> st October.  NPOC birth to the be the  second Non-Commercial Stakeholder
> Group constituency  within ICANN is also important to mention what we
> have done to address issues of Not for Profits within the DNS space, no
> matter how little some might see our contributions.
>
>
> To our current NPOC  leadership, may God guide you to strengthen NPOC
> better than before, even though disagreements will happen, but we should
> not lose sight of why NPOC became a necessary constituency in ICANN.
>
>
>
> May the soul of Olevié Kouami     rest in perfect peace. Adieu Mr Jovial
> rest in the heavens brother, you ran your race our God knows best why you
> left us soon.
>
>
>
> Peace Always
>
>
>
> Poncelet
>
>
>
> *Poncelet O. Ileleji*
>
> *Jokkolabs Banjul -  Lead / CEO*
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>
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-- 

Joan Kerr, Entrepreneur, Mixed Media Artist, Community Leader

_____________________________________

www.joankerr.ca, www.fbsc.org

Skype: joankerr_fbsc

1-416-907-0783
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