[ga] Re: Funding of ICANN Board candidate travel expense

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

Dear members,

Leah has raised a significant issue that is worthy of debate.  She states:  
"Furthermore, if all candidates cannot be present in Montevideo, perhaps none 
of them should be presented as a part of the meetings to avoid unfair 
advantage."

As I was in favor of a candidates' forum/debate/question-answer session in 
Montevideo, upon hearing Peter deBlanc's remark during the Names Council 
teleconference that funding might be available for the candidates, I wrote to 
Phil Sheppard regarding this issue.  My position was that the constituencies 
had voted in favor of a later date for their NC vote in order to have the 
possibility of face-to-face meetings with the candidates, this decision 
having been made in the full knowledge that certain candidates might not be 
able to attend owing to financial considerations.  

Knowing that the DNSO has a budget category for "travel" and another budget 
category for "contingencies", I argued that we have an opportunity to provide 
every candidate with an equal opportunity to be heard in person, and that a 
failure to do so would not be in the best interests of those constituencies 
that expressed a desire to personally meet all the candidates.  

Phil sheppard made a counter-proposal to hold "telephone hustings for such 
candidates".   

At this point in time, I tend to share Leah's view that any session with only 
some of the candidates present may in fact serve to discriminate against the 
other candidates, but I haven't as yet come to a definate conclusion.  What 
is sufficiently clear is that the Council Chair will not authorize funds for 
the candidates' travel expenses. 

I do have my doubts about a telephone session (having noticed the 
connectivity issues we faced at Stockholm, and the problems at the last ALSC 
session), but perhaps there is some merit in this proposal...  

I leave it to you to decide whether the GA should sponsor a session for the 
candidates.  Please let me know your thoughts.

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