[NA-Discuss] The self-nomination of Eric Brunner-Williams for NARALO Chair

Eric Brunner-Williams ebw at abenaki.wabanaki.net
Tue Jun 18 04:13:39 UTC 2013


Colleagues,

I think the situation may reasonably be summarized as there exist some
At-Large Structures which meet a reasonable interpretation of the 2007
MOU, and some which do not. On issues for which a vote is the means of
determining the position of record of the Region there is no
distinction between them.

I suggest that this situation has come about by ordinary fatigue,
enhanced by a correctable, but persistent error.

The error has been to waste much of the time any Chair has available
on tasks which do not directly contribute to the increase in vitality
of existing ALSes, aka "inreach", or the number of new ALSes, aka
"outreach".

The practice, which began some time ago, before Garth Bruen
volunteered, and before Beau Brendler volunteered, with Evan Libovitch
who created this "Perq", was to use the _very_ limited travel support
to send the Chair and Secretary to general meetings. The error has
persisted for _years_.

This practice has three consequences -- all adverse.

First, the time required by ICANN travel is ten days door-to-door, for
each meeting -- 30 days/year. The Chairs and Secretaries of RALOs do
not need to spend a month a year reading their status reports to each
other and chatting up the ALAC. Electronic mail, podcasts and phones
suffice.

Second, each year six additional people who actually do make informed
contributions to policy could participate first hand in ICANN meetings
and bring back to their At-Large Structures their experience and
improved judgement. This opportunity is currently wasted on
_ineffective_ Officer junkets.

Third, the RALO officers could be spending one month of full-time work
per year on "inreach" and "outreach", on making the RALO less ...
absurdly inconsequential. This opportunity too is currently wasted on
_ineffective_ Officer junkets.

If elected Chair, and this constitutes self-nomination, I will use the
office of regional Chair to ensure that the Chair and Secretary work
only to advance Regional Organizational goals, cease the current abuse
of travel support as a private right of office, and advance those who
are informed and engaged in public policy issues.

Eric Brunner-Williams
Eugene, Oregon


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