I am honored to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela on occasion of his birthday this 18, July 2013 at the ICANN47 meeting in Durban. 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 would 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 ICANN 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 principled cause, the resolution, reconciliation and unity for all. Mr. Mandela, the Internet came to Africa in November 1991 through the work of South Africans, which followed your release in February 1990 and preceded your award of the Nobel Peace prize in December 1993. With the euphoria and inspiration from your triumph, several Africans 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, Af*, that participate in ICANN 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 in 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 ICANN started in 1998 at Cotonou. We have since then crisscrossed the continent, Cape to Cairo and in, imparting the Internet. ICANN processes are inclusive, open, diverse/multi- stakeholder and practice "consensus." And we are more informed by what many 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 off a whole new "techno-liberation struggle" requiring knowledge and skills to be misapplied which we would wish to avert. There are opportunities in ICANN for Africa to build its major Internet industries and develop the domain name business with registries, registrars, content developers and technical service providers so that Africa would get ahead. Africans 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 nurture 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 the true father of Internet. You inspired freedom, unity and inclusiveness… the very qualities that define the Internet… the very qualities that define you. Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!