[At-Large] Coping with active participation in At-Large during COVID-19

[Glenn McKnight]

Thanks  Maureen
As  you know this is an issue I brought up in the ALT PLUS call a week
before the ZOOM call this week  with Leon, at that time I interfaced with
Leon on the dire straits that some people are facing during this pandemic
situation and that many folks are unwilling to step forward and publicly
come to the table with a "cap in their hands"
We are facing a 4% drop in the world economy and this means a
depression much worse than the Great Depression.   Also this Covid-19 may
see a serious second and third wave resulting in many more deaths and
economic disruption.  ( shades of the 1918 pandemic that killed 100
million)

I would surmise that  we have in the ATLARGE community that many folks are
unemployed or underemployed and facing tough times and seriously compounded
in countries that don't have any safety net to protect them and help them
over the difficult times.  Since charity starts at home I suggest ICANN
dig into its pockets as  ISOC and Mozilla and many others and come up with
a financial assistance to those that could really appreciate the support.
 I suggest that  the  stipend for the ICANN Meetings to be paid to the
ATLARGE members which will cover their internet costs and food costs as
they fully participate with the remote meetings.    In the cases where
people don't want or need this financial support they can simple not apply
for the stipend and the financial costs would be reduced.  It should be
confidential and an optional application process.
In a recent survey of Atlarge members we found a large number of African
and small island states with very poor internet access and very high costs
for their access to the Internet.  This produces a digital divide that
needs to be recognized and if not addressed  we may loose more members from
the community.  As recommendations to join more online meetings and join
ICANN LEARN webinars its an assumption that  we all have fair and equal
access  and this inequality is enhanced with more reliance on remote
participation



Glenn McKnight
ICANN NOMCOM 2019-2021
mcknight.glenn at gmail.com
Curator for  Internet Governance Hub Blog
www.internetgovernancehub.blog  <http://www.internetgovernancehub.blog>
http://toronto.ieee.ca/
IEEE Toronto SIGHT Chair
glenn.mcknight at ieee.org
skype  gmcknight
twitter @Inkmedia
289-830 6259
.


On Thu, Apr 30, 2020 at 3:59 PM Maureen Hilyard <maureen.hilyard at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear At-Large Community
>
> In all our recent ICANN meetings, the Board and the senior staff have been
> very mindful of the difficulties that are being experienced by the
> volunteer community of At-Large during this pandemic and its impact on
> their ability to participate as regularly as they used to.
>
> During his intervention in the ALAC meeting on  28 April, the At-Large
> appointed Board member, Leon Sanchez, raised his ongoing concerns and asked
> the 70+ participants at the meeting how ICANN might be able to help
> volunteers to continue with their active involvement in the work of
> At-Large and contributing to the bigger picture work of ICANN.
>
> Because he has requested practical and constructive suggestions about how
> ICANN may be able to assist, I am putting this message out to those who
> also already attend online meetings and actively participate and engage,
> even under really trying personal circumstances. I am willing to pass on
> your suggestions to Leon, who will in turn take these to the Board for
> their consideration.
>
> *Please respond only to this thread* before 7 May, so that the full
> account can be passed on to Leon.  I look forward to your thoughtful
> contributions to this matter.
>
> Regards
> Maureen
> ALAC Chair
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