[At-Large] Non-Geographic RALO

[Danny Younger]

There has been some discussion about the possibility
of creating a non-geographic RALO -- see
http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/pipermail/alac_atlarge-lists.icann.org/2007q2/000588.html

With the ALAC Review soon to commence, I find it
necessary to ask the question:  "In the last four and
a half years has any regionally-specific issue emerged
that would actually justify the creation of the
Regional At-Large organizations (RALOs)?"  

I haven't seen any such issue, have you?

Every other constituent body within ICANN's GNSO works
on a global basis.  Not one is divided into regional
subsets.  

I continue to have problems with the concept of
following a bad model for the At-Large just because a
bunch of ICANN insiders put it together and gave us no
other options.  

An even worse idea is trying to finalize arrangements
for a North American RALO at a time when many are
questioning whether the ALAC itself has a continuing
purpose.  

In my view, we should be pressing instead for the
establishment of a Supporting Organization for the
At-Large community that seats its members onto the
ICANN Board.  This was a plan originally proposed by
ICANN's own Blue-Ribbon ALSC panel that found an
ICANN-wide consensus for the establishment of an
At-Large Supporting Organization (ALSO).

Anything less than this distracts from the goal of
achieving representation.  All of us have a large
number of ways by which we may "participate" already
such as having our organizations write directly to the
ICANN Board, or having our organizations join the Non
Commercial Users Constituency, or by signing up to the
Gneneral Assembly Discussion list, or by functioning
as observers on GNSO Task Forces, or by sending in
comments to the public forums.  We really don't need a
regional construct just to achieve participation.

Let's focus on what's right for us (a model that puts
our representatives on the ICANN Board) rather than on
models that continue to deny us the representation
that is our right.


       
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