[Npoc-discuss] A Tribute to Olevié Kouami

Fri Oct 20 17:01:49 UTC 2023

Hi All
I echo all the statements from the community that we lost a real leader to
NPOC and a large hole has been created.   I hope at the 25th Anniversary
celebration that those in Hamburg can do a public eulogy for him.
G
Glenn McKnight, MA
Virtual School of Internet Governance
Chief Information Officer
www.virtualsig.org
*YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATION *
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On Fri, 20 Oct 2023 at 11:46, Joan Kerr via Npoc-discuss <
npoc-discuss at icann.org> wrote:

> 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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>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
>
> Joan Kerr, Entrepreneur, Mixed Media Artist, Community Leader
>
> _____________________________________
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