[ga] CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP

[James Love <james.love@cptech.org>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fwd: CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 15:50:41 -0400
From: "Hans Klein" <hans.klein@pubpolicy.gatech.edu>
To: James Love <james.love@cptech.org>,Harold Feld <hfeld@mediaaccess.org>


 >Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 15:47:02 -0400
 >To: civsoc@cpsr.org
 >From: civsoc@cpsr.org
 >Subject: CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP
 >
 >
 >CPSR/CIVSOC STATEMENT ON THE ICANN AT LARGE MEMBERSHIP
 >
 >27 July 2002
 >
 >Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) participates in
 >the ICANN process via the CPSR Civil Society Democracy Project
 >(www.CivSoc.org).  CPSR/CivSoc offers the following statement about its
 >activities that relate to the At Large Membership.
 >
 >CPSR/CivSoc is participating in the At Large Organizing Committee (ALOC),
 >led by Denise Michel and with active participation of Esther Dyson and
 >other individuals.   (See www.at-large.org).  To avoid any confusion that
 >this participation might create, we wish to clarify our views on the
 >status and substantive recommendations of the ALOC.
 >
 >User representation on the ICANN board was the cornerstone of DNS
 >privatization in 1998, and to the extent that the ALOC's activities
 >contribute to the implementation of this, then CPSR/CivSoc supports those
 >activities. All efforts to implement user representation in ICANN -- be
 >they from the ALOC, the Interim Coordinating Committee
 >(www.ICANNmembers.org), the NAIS, or the ALSC - are to be commended.
 >
 >We hasten to point out that the ALOC possesses no special status to
 >represent the user in ICANN processes.  The ALOC is one voice in the
 >on-going effort to implement user representation in ICANN.  Its claim to
 >represent 500,000 users is, in our opinion, not convincing (the numbers
 >derive from one organization's claims of user representation:
 >www.cecua.org.)  Furthermore, the fact that many of the ALOC's
 >participants have little history of participation in ICANN activities
 >lessens its credibility.  Nonetheless, every effort, regardless of its
 >limitations, in support of user representation in ICANN is important and
 >useful.
 >
 >CPSR/CivSoc does not support any activities or positions of the ALOC that
 >are contrary to the terms of Internet privatization.  CPSR/CivSoc does not
 >support relegating users to an "advisory" role, doing away with direct
 >elections, or abandoning the principle of balanced representation between
 >users and industry experts.  We note that many - and, by our tally, most -
 >members of ALOC support direct elections of user representatives to the
 >ICANN board.
 >
 >ICANN can best gain legitimacy by implementing the terms of the 1998
 >privatization agreement.  User representation on the board and direct
 >elections are essential aspects of that.  CPSR/CivSoc's participation in
 >ALOC and other user-related activities are done in order to achieve
 >implementation of those agreements.
 >
 >###




-- 
------
James Love, Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org, mailto:love@cptech.org
voice: 1.202.387.8030; mobile 1.202.361.3040


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