[NA-Discuss] [At-Large] ICANN regional meetings -- good or bad?

[Thompson, Darlene]

Interesting message, Wendy, on several fronts.

In San Juan, the NA region came up with a plan for outreach and
education in LA and submitted it (but NOT on the proper ICANN form) and
then were never consulted about it at all for the LA meeting.  I am
definitely seeing a bit of a disconnect with ICANN.  First we are told
that the ALSs are supposed to be doing outreach, we attempt to, and then
are completely ignored.

This is also why a core group of us were attempting to push forward the
idea of the "Summit" as a way of bringing the regions together so that
we can understand the cultural differences in how we inter-relate and,
in so doing, be able to work more harmoniously together.

This, however, is simply my "take" on the situation.  I look forward to
seeing what others think.

D

Darlene A. Thompson
Community Access Program Administrator
Nunavut Department of Education/N-CAP
c/o P.O. Box 1000, Station 910
Iqaluit, NU  X0A 0H0
Phone:  (867) 975-6531
Fax:  (867) 979-8870
dthompson at gov.nu.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: alac-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org
[mailto:alac-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Wendy Seltzer
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:34 AM
To: At-Large writ small
Subject: [At-Large] ICANN regional meetings -- good or bad?

In recent minutes, the Board approved a "regional meeting" in Taipei,
announced at
<http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-20sep07.htm>

Some ALAC participants from the Asia-Pacific have raised concerns that
none of the ALAC, AP RALO, or At-Large Structures were consulted, even
though the ALAC and its structures are tasked with representing user
interests in ICANN.

I'm also concerned that ICANN not follow the strategy of other
organizations, such as WIPO, in using regional meetings to divide and
conquer, pitting regions against one another rather than helping them to
realize and coordinate their common interests. I hope we can push ICANN
away from that mode.

Thoughts?
--Wendy

-- 
Wendy Seltzer -- wendy at seltzer.org
Visiting Professor, Northeastern University School of Law
Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html
http://www.chillingeffects.org/
http://www.torproject.org/

_______________________________________________
ALAC mailing list
ALAC at atlarge-lists.icann.org
http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/alac_atlarge-lists.icann
.org

At-Large Official Site: http://www.alac.icann.org
ALAC Independent: http://www.icannalac.org