<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">Dear friends and colleagues,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">This is a call for applications to attend the <i class="">Middle East and Adjoining Countries School on Internet Governance 2021v (MEAC-SIG 2021v)</i>.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><b class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">When:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" class=""> 4-8 July 2021 [5 days]<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><b class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">Time of Sessions:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" class=""> 08.00 – 11.30 AM UTC<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><b class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">Where:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" class=""> Virtually over ZOOM<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><b class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">Language:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" class=""> English<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">This year’s event is co-organized by ICANN, the Internet Society, and the RIPE NCC.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">We invite academics, civil society, government and public sector, the technical community and the private sector from the Middle East and Adjoining Countries (22 Arab States, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) to take this unique opportunity. Applicants must fulfill the following conditions:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;" class=""><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Must be a citizen of the MEAC region, or resides in the MEAC region;<o:p class=""></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Must have not attended any past SIGs;<o:p class=""></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Confirm that you can access the ZOOM platform from within your geography;<o:p class=""></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Must fulfill all elements of the SIG, and this includes enrolling in all online courses assigned, and attend all sessions; and<o:p class=""></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Must fill out the application form in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></li></ul><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">MEAC-SIG 2021v will be organized completely in English only, and attendance is free of charge.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">How to apply? Please fill out the application form at <a href="https://forms.gle/Y5PHhZxBRqERaZQv7" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class="">https://forms.gle/Y5PHhZxBRqERaZQv7</a>.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">The application form remains available until <b class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192);" class="">Monday 14 June at 23.59 UTC</span></b>.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class="">If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (<a href="mailto:cchaya@ripe.net" class="">cchaya@ripe.net</a>) or my colleague Fahd Batayneh from ICANN (<a href="mailto:fahd.batayneh@icann.org" class="">fahd.batayneh@icann.org</a>)<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class="">Best Regards,</div><div style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""> Chafic Chaya</span></div><div class="">
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