[EURO-Discuss] follow our own bylaws

Wed May 9 07:31:48 EDT 2007

Maybe we should follow the example of the LAC colleagues.
I arrived earlier in Sao Paulo, to participate in their workshop, pretty
much as I arrived earlier in Lisbon, to participate in the EURALO workshop.

It was a very intense experience. In spite of the additional difficulty to
keep documents in two languages synchronized, and the interpretation
interface, work proceeded smoothly. At the end, all documents, including the
LACRALO-ICANN MoU, were ready. They were signed on the spot, no ALS did
raise any issue or reservation about the signature, the representatives were
elected (all ALSes who had signed the MoU participated in the election),
there were more candidates than seats but the election process was concluded
without problems, and with the best compliments to the winners coming from
the ones that did not make it that time, but that expressed their
willingness to help anyway.

We started very well, with the "spirit of Frankfurt", as Annette mentions,
then something started getting wrong. I hoped things were back on track when
I assisted to the very collaborative and energetic meeting, that ended with
the final drafting of the documents, including the EURALO-ICANN MoU, and the
very touching signature ceremony, with all ALSes present and signing on
stage. Then something started again getting wrong: holiday period, delays in
getting the candidate list, "I signed it but I thought it meant something
different", "I am not confortable in signing it", "I don't see why we should
sign it", "I don't understand why we are rushing (?!?) it", "Why don't we
wait some more", "there should be consensus, not a voting (but of course the
consensus must be on what I say, not on something different)", and so on.

Yes, the problem is to find this collaborative spirit again. At this time we
do have an agreed set of documents, including the EURALO-ICANN MoU, a set of
procedures for electing officers, and deadlines. While a modification of the
documents and of the rules is always possible in the future, I have to note
that the European Region lacks a member since December 2006, when Annette
was not replaced because the formation of EURALO was imminent, and the
replacement had better be elected by the new organization, and that any
further delay in making EURALO operational would be ununderstandable and
unacceptable.

As I said in a previos message, I am still confident that the MoU is signed
by the few residual ALSes in due time to participate in the elections, that
the elected officers will hold their office in the interest of the whole
community, and that those who do not get elected this time still contribute
and get prepared to provide a good alternative for the next future election.
This is how it works in other parts of the ICANN family (the ASO has just
concluded its voting, and Raimundo Beca has been appointed for a second term
to the Board), how it did work for the LACRALO, and I don't see why it
should not work for EURALO.

Cheers,
Roberto

  _____  

From: euro-discuss-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org
[mailto:euro-discuss-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Stefan
Hügel
Sent: 09 May 2007 12:38
To: Annette Muehlberg; EURALO Discussion
Subject: Re: [EURO-Discuss] follow our own bylaws

Dear colleagues, 

first of all, thanks to Annette for your statement I fully agree with.

Having been silent most of the time up to now (I may have to apologize for
that), it is exactly the spirit of working together in a cooperative manner,
which I miss in many of the discussions here.

It sometimes seems to me like it is all about legal issues - and nothing
else. How can participation work, if you have to go through pages of legal
arguments to follow any discussion?

As Annette said - let us start working together on content, on outreach, on
issues significant for ICANN policies. And let's stop these formal
arguments, which do not let us achieve any progress.

Best
Stefan

Am 08.05.2007 um 19:12 schrieb Annette Muehlberg:

Dear all,

We started off to build the EURALO in such a good spirit that we even called
our report on our kick off Meeting in Frankfurt May 2006 "The spirit of
Frankfurt".

Where are we now? After Lisbon an absurd discussion about deadlines of
nomination periods started which almost lead to the exclusion of those ALS
representatives who were in easter vacation.

Now, a legal advice is asked for on a nomination of a candidate as if it
matters if someone became a member of an ALS during nomination period or at
the first day of the period of discussion of the nominations - both
definately before the actual decision taking/voting on the candidates.

All this is such a bureaucratic argy-bargy (german: Hickhack).

We do not need to love each other but should be able to respect and work
with each other: cooperative, not trying to exclude but to integrate
different positions.
In short, we should start to follow our own bylaws:

- as stated for Board and General assembly we should operate "to the maximum
extent possible via consensus" (9.2.21 and 9.4.17.1)

- "The Association shall at all times act in an open, accountable and
transparent manner and is committed to cultural and geographic diversity and
gender balance in its work internally and externally." (3.4)

The current state is:

- We have one candidate seconded by the european consumer protection/civil
liberties ALSes who are not ISOC members. This candidate comes from Moldova,
is female, comes from a non-EU country with a rather developing
IT-infrastructure.

We have two candidates from Luxembourg and France, both male, both EU, both
western region, both members of the same umbrella organisation, seconded by
all the members of the very same organisation - ISOC).

Let us take our bylaws serious concerning diversity and reaching consensus
among us. In this case the latter means, let us both accept, that there are
more or less two equally strong opinions expressed and try to have a fair
representation of both postions.

- We have nine nominees for the board and agreed to have the one join, who
will not make it in the selection for the ALAC (and all three ALAC members
will join as non-voting members).

This is great!

Instead of trying to put each other down and vote out, we should be happy
that we have these great people who are willing to serve the EURALO board
and stop all this destructive stuff. Let us welcome all to the EURALO Board!

Let us start working together on content, on outreach, on issues significant
for ICANN policies.

Best

Annette

--
Stefan Hügel (sh at fiff.de)

FIfF - Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche
Verantwortung e.V.
Geschäftsstelle: Goetheplatz 4, D-28203 Bremen
Telefon +49 421 33659255 - Fax +49 421 33659256 - http://www.fiff.de -
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