[At-Large] [NA-Discuss] Action Items: Representation

[Danny Younger]

With regard to the Draft Naralo Operating Principles
point #5 that states:  "The governance of the NARALO
will be exercised by a General Assembly, formed by 2
representatives of each member ALS and 2 members from
among the unaffiliated individuals", the language is
totally unacceptable.

Why I hold this view:

I refer you to the document entitled "The ICANN
Experiment" authored by current ICANN Director Susan
P. Crawford wherein it states:  

"First, the dependence of the democratic story on a
bounded electorate can be met by ICANN’s agreements
with those who participate in its processes -
registries, registrars, businesses, registrants,
and any other people or entities who “show up” as part
of the ICANN process. The contours of this group will
change constantly, of course, but ICANN will be able
know roughly who it is talking to and who has agreed
to be bound by ICANN determinations.  The idea that
“who shows up” may be taken as a representative
sample of the rest of the world is part of ICANN’s
history (and that of other more technical groups such
as the IETF). ICANN has established constituencies
within the DNSO for business, IP, registries,
non-commercial entities, and others. Because it is
impossible to get a cross- section of (for example)
every non-commercial Internet user, the ICANN system
treats the Non-Commercial Domain Name Holders
Constituency (that is, the people who “show up”) as
the representative constituency. This is a practical
approach that can be implemented with a simple
contractual agreement to participate, pay minor dues,
and adhere to consensus policies (to the extent
applicable)."

Under the current scheme the voting process has been
totally captured by organizational entities at the
expense of the individual members of the vast at-large
community.  This is completely unacceptable to those
of us that believe that equal rights should accrue to
those individuals that "show up".

The At-Large has always been about "individuals"; not
about organizations.  Organizations already have a
home in the NCUC; organizations should not be
supplanting the individual in the one body within
ICANN that purportedly speaks for the individual user.

Reference document:
http://scrawford.net/display/Crawford2.pdf


       
____________________________________________________________________________________
8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time 
with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.
http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news