[At-Large] [ALAC-Internal] LACRALO document on the draft declaration on the ALAC Review Working Group draft Geographic Regions english & spanish

[Carlton Samuels]

Dear All:
Since I was an active member of the Geographic Regions Working Group and I
accepted the report as a consensus document, I did not intend to make any
further submissions. For to do so would, in effect, means I'm responding to
my own output.  However, reason and good judgment demands otherwise.

My comments are prefaced by and dependent upon the English translation of
the 'LACRALO Draft document'; attached to this original message and here,
again.

This draft blithely ignores several and sundry Caribbean ALS comments
regarding this report and the work of the group, face-to-face, on LACRALO
teleconferences as well as the mailing list. Our colleague Cintra Sooknanan
has responded eloquently - and with some emotion - to this fact.  On the
balance of the facts therefore, this publication it is not quite ready to
be termed a "LACRALO" document, much less a position.

Secondly and again in deference to poor translation, specific comments are
not supported by the contents of the report.

The political maneuverings for domestic consumption aside and while it
might be inconvenient to acknowledge, the report clearly states our
findings for the principal use of geographic regions in the ICANN
world; diversity
in ICANN Board *representation*.

Other uses came over time. So what matters most in concept is this notion
of  '*representation*'.  And what this means, in practice; the ability to
impact names and numbers policy development in some significant way.

Thirdly, the report does not say or advocate for any geographic division
usage in ICANN as 'advantageous'.  Rather, it does recognize that
'geographic region' is a notional concept in ICANN.  Meaning there is no
consistency of use, either as a notional concept or in any interpretation
for use.

What the report advocates and indeed recommends is harmonization consistent
with the representational notion.  And it lays out a framework for action
that might apply, if this is accepted.  It offers the sense of 'geographic
region' embraced by the RIRs as a good starting point.  PLUS, acceptance of
a few other actions in furtherance of the principal objective; *
representation*.

These include migrations of political units between and among existing
ICANN regions.  And allowing one-time self-selection by political units for
regional attachments.  This is not in furtherance of the perfect union but
balanced *representation*

A declaration that the report not '*contain any reference to terms of
representation or participation in some regions*' is flawed and, well,
let's say counterintuitive.

In the first place *representation* is inherent to the use of 'geographic
regions' in the ICANN world.  In reference to the report itself and since
it does not arise therein, I cannot account the concern re 'participation'.

I'm hoping that this was suggested tongue in cheek.  But if this was
serious, it is a telling piece of evidence that the issues laid out in the
report remain undigested.  The use of the physical construct 'geographic
region' in the ICANN world was to advance certain political objectives.  A
geographer - the physical planner professional- is hardly likely to impact
here.

Kind regards,
- Carlton

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


2011/12/18 presidencia Internauta Argentina <presidencia at internauta.org.ar>

> Dear colleagues, I send LACRALO draft document on the declaration on the
> ALAC Review Working Group Geographic Regions in the draft version in
> English and Spanish
> Kind regrads
> --
>
> *
>
> Sergio Salinas Porto Presidente Internauta Argentina Asociación Argentina
> de Usuarios de Internet <http://www.internauta.org.ar>**-CTA- <
> http://www.ctamdq.org.ar>**FLUI- Federación Latinoamericana de Usuarios
> de Internet <http://www.fuilain.org>ICANN/**LACRALO - ALAC Member
> facebook:salinasporto twitter:sergiosalinas MSN/MSN YAHOO/Talk:
> salinasporto... Skype:internautaargentina Mobi:+54 9 223 5 215819
>
> *
>
> *
>
> "Ojalá podamos ser desobedientes, cada vez que recibimos órdenes que
> humillan nuestra conciencia o violan nuestro sentido común" -Eduardo
> Galeano-
>
> *
>
>
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