[ALAC] ALS Criteria and Expectations

[Carlton Samuels]

Closely reasoned and well said, Maureen.

We in the Caribbean understand all you say very well indeed. For this is
our experience, too.

Carlton


==============================
Carlton A Samuels
Mobile: 876-818-1799
*Strategy, Planning, Governance, Assessment & Turnaround*
=============================

On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 1:38 AM, Maureen Hilyard <maureen.hilyard at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Evan
>
> I can appreciate what you are saying and agree with most of it, however, I
> think that you are looking at a one-size-fits-all model of an ALS.
>
> Take my small NGO in the (14,000 population) Cook Islands. I have to admit
> to two active participants in ICANN activities - me on the ALAC and Pua
> Hunter who represents the Cook Islands in the GAC. Local CIIAG members are
> also members of the regional ALS - PICISOC - and they participate at a
> local/ regional level. Some PICISOC members  may never actually interact
> with At-Large because there are various levels of interest within this
> large organisation.
>
> But PICISOC does have other active members in At-Large, the ccNSO and
> NCUC, just to name some of the sections, and many PICISOC members may also
> belong to other ALSes within Oceania. We share our expertise :)
>
> Is that double dipping when our small communities in the Pacific have
> multiple memberships of ALSes  which may not focus on a single sector of
> ICANN?  What we are trying to do is to give Pacific end-users  the  widest
> possible reach for opportunities to have a voice across ICANN
> constituencies - not restricting them to At-Large.
>
> Also, because we want our members to value ICANN activities, reporting
> back to members is an expectation we make of our leaders. It depends on
> each ALS as to how they do this but sometimes, the use of relevant ICANN
> reports and newsletters can be very helpful.
>
> Maureen
>
>
> On Sun, Jun 26, 2016 at 12:29 PM, Evan Leibovitch <evan at telly.org> wrote:
>
>> I have always, and still do, object vigorously to most of what is listed
>> under "ALS objectives". I think they (most notably the obligation to
>> feature ICANN on ALS websites and to report on their activities to ICANN)
>> are uncalled-for demands of the time of volunteers already stretched.
>>
>> Let us remind ourselves ALWAYS that purpose of the ALS is to help and
>> give input to ICANN on policy (through RALOs and then ALAC). It is NOT the
>> job of ICANN to be aware of what the ALS is doing in any area that does not
>> directly affect ICANN (unless ICANN is interested in offering resources for
>> such activity).
>>
>> At-Large is also not a pyramid scheme. Having ALSs spread the word to
>> other like-minded organizations is a nice-to-have but should never  be
>> mandatory. If there is a desire for ALSs to recruit others, great....
>> engage and excite them enough that they would spread the word on their own.
>> Mandating this through rules simply demonstrates failure to sufficiently
>> energize existing ALSs.
>>
>> And there must ALWAYS be provision for the scenario that an ALS could be
>> dormant -- for months, maybe years -- until an issue of importance to them
>> is raised. Remember that At-Large is intended to represent the views and
>> interests of those in the community who may generally not interested in
>> general ICANN governance, but have an interest in its policy outputs. Much
>> as it likes to think otherwise, ICANN is involved with only a tiny corner
>> of the Internet governance world(*), so its activity will not be of primary
>> interest to many. It is reasonable that such limited-interest ALSs not be
>> resourced to travel to events unless their issues are being addressed.
>> However there is NO VALID REASON EVER for ALAC to bother or harass -- let
>> alone disenfranchise -- an ALS for not caring about ICANN issues that are
>> irrelevant to them.
>>
>> That someone would even ask the question "is being a Watcher sufficient"
>> indicates a grotesque misunderstanding of why At-Large exists!
>>
>> Frankly, most of this whole exercise is utter BS. The only issue of value
>> in the document Alan passed (besides housekeeping) was "double dipping" --
>> that is, when an organization already in another constituency wants to be
>> in At-Large. Personally, I would disallow this, because At-Large is
>> designed to give a voice to those who otherwise would not have a place to
>> be heard in ICANN. If they already have that other place, the At-Large
>> ought not to be exploited as a channel of second resort or redundant point
>> of entry.
>>
>> Other than that, the creation and consideration of this document is the
>> kind of abuse of volunteer time and resources that leads to the very
>> non-participation it seeks to address. How about understanding the causes
>> of non-participation rather than fixing perceived symptoms by regulation?
>> Many it is just a reality that many ALSs will only wake up when something
>> that interests them comes up. *There is nothing wrong with that*.
>>
>> Those are my comments. I will not be in Helsinki, and because of other
>> engagements I will not be able to participate remotely in the 10:45 meeting.
>>
>> - Evan
>>
>> (*) - Internet names and numbers are indeed only a tiny part of Internet
>> governance, but it's the only one that whose decisions can single-handedly
>> enrich an entire industry. It's where the money hangs out.
>>
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>
>
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