Re: [ga] ALAC comments on proposed Bylaws modifications

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@ntlworld.com>]

Vittorio -

How do you see these geographical RALOs self-organising?

If, on the one hand, you have organisations claiming to represent the
interests of hundreds or thousands, and on the other hand, you also have
individual users in the RALOs, what procedures do you propose to determine
the policies, demands and leadership of any given RALO?

If there is no democratic organisation within the RALOs, how do you
determine policy and viewpoints?

If there *is* to be democratic organisation, how do you balance the votes of
individuals against the 'weight' of various-sized organisations?

My fear is that, not only is the whole ICANN structure part of an ICANN
agenda to contain and sideline At Large power inside ICANN, but that there
seem to be no proposals for democratic process within the RALOs, thereby
removing the ability of individual At Large internet users to determine the
direction of the organisation which purports to represent them.

Exactly *how* will RALOs choose their policies and leadership and
representatives?


Richard Henderson

----- Original Message -----
From: Vittorio Bertola <vb@bertola.eu.org>
To: <ga@dnso.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 1:21 AM
Subject: [ga] ALAC comments on proposed Bylaws modifications


> Comment to the proposed Bylaws modifications
> by the At Large Advisory Committee
> --------------------------------------------
>
> The ALAC has had a limited amount of (email) discussion about the
> proposed bylaw changes. Although not all ALAC members have addressed
> this issues, those that have would like to leave the bylaw language
> concerning At-Large Structures and Regional At-Large Organizations as
> open as possible, with the understanding that details will be
> addressed in the RALO's MoUs with ICANN, and that the ALAC and ICANN
> will be responsible for ensuring that the MoU meets basic criteria for
> involving individual Internet users and advancing their interests
> within ICANN.
>
> While the ALAC wants to make clear and irrevocable that the RALOs and
> At-Large Structures represent the voices of individuals, not
> organizations, the Committee does not want a formalism in the bylaws
> to block participation of groups that genuinely represent individuals
> but also accept organizational/corporate members.  The ALAC
> acknowledges that ICANN needs to be mindful of two possible scenarios:
> an individuals-only policy blocks ISOC chapters and other individual
> participation, or lack of such a policy permits some company to
> "organize" an At-Large Structure and capture its RALO.  The ALAC
> thinks the problem of preventing organizational capture should be left
> to the RALOs in the first instance; and that too detailed a policy may
> hamper the groups most effectively representing individuals.
>
> In addition to some ISOC chapters, there is concern that some of the
> groups listed below, which could be considered potential candidates
> for At-Large Structures, could not fully participate under the
> proposed bylaws (note: these are hypothetical examples and do not
> indicate any commitment or interest on the part of these
> organizations):
>
>   a.. Association for Internet Professionals (AIP)
> (http://www.association.org/) has both individual and corporate
> memberships
>   b.. ISOC ECC and CECUA have only organizational members and have
> asked to be included as At-Large Structures (although it is not clear
> why they should receive this delegation rather than each of their
> members being delegated an ALS)
>   c.. www.stikom.edu - appears to provide individuals with news,
> education, and community discussion on issues relevant to At-Large,
> but does not have memberships
>   d.. LatinoamerICANN (http://www.latinoamericann.derecho.org.ar) is
> an apendix of the Alfa-Redi Society, which is an international
> membership-only society of lawyers specializing in computing law
> (http://www.alfa-redi.org); to members LatinoamerICANN provides
> information on the DNS and related issues.
>   e.. Arab Knowledge Management Society (www.akms.org) - non profit
> education service addressing "digital divide issues" with no
> memberships
>   f.. Institute for Study of Information Tech and Society --
> http://communityconnections.heinz.cmu.edu/insites/about --  nonprofit
> group for teaching, research and public outreach on information
> technology policy, has corporate members/supporters
>   g.. Consumers' Union/Consumer Policy Institute
> (http://www.consumersunion.org/aboutcu/about.htm) and EPIC (Electronic
> Privacy Information Center) (http://www.epic.org/) -- have some
> compatible objectives, involve individuals in their policy development
> and other activities, and could contribute to ICANN policy/issue
> debates, but are not membership organizations
>
>   With this in mind, the ALAC offers the following draft language for
> the Committee's consideration:
>
>           (h) Each RALO shall be comprised of self-supporting At-Large
>           Structures within its Geographic Region, certified to meet
>           the requirements of the RALO's Memorandum of Understanding
>           with ICANN according to paragraph 4(i) of this Section.  If
>           so provided by its memorandum of understanding with ICANN, a
>           RALO may also have as its members individual Internet users
>           who are citizens or residents of countries within the RALO's
>           Geographic Region. Any RALO must, through its at-large
>           structures or through direct membership, be open for
>           participation of all individual Internet users who are
>           citizens or residents of countries within the RALO's
>           Geographic Region (as defined in Section 5 of Article VI).
>
>           (i) The ALAC is responsible for certifying organizations as
>           meeting the criteria and standards for At-Large Structures.
>           The criteria and standards for certification of At-Large
>           Structures within a each Geographic Region shall be
>           established by the Board and based on recommendations of the
>           ALAC, so that each RALO is afforded the type of structure
>           that best fits its Geographic Region's customs and
>           characteristics. Those criteria and standards shall be
>           stated in the Memorandum of Understanding between ICANN and
>           the RALO for that Geographic Region. They shall ensure that
>           At-Large Structures appropriately represent and involve
>           individual Internet users who are citizens or residents of
>           the RALO's geographical region. Decisions to certify or
>           de-certify an At-Large Structure as meeting the applicable
>           criteria and standards shall require a 2/3 vote of all the
>           members of the ALAC and shall be subject to review according
>           to procedures the Board may establish. The ALAC may also
>           give advice as to whether a prospective At-Large Structure
>           meets the applicable criteria and standards.
>
> Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
>
> The Interim At-Large Advisory Committee
> --
> vb.                  [Vittorio Bertola - vb [at] bertola.eu.org]<---
> -------------------> http://bertola.eu.org/ <-----------------------
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