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I urge all of those in this constituency who oppose the Lynn Plan and the
ALSC recommendations for reducing the At Large recommendation to make their
opposition known to relevant officials in their home countries. In particular,
I would urge constituency members to contact the their country's GAC representative
and make your opposition, and reasons for it, known.<br>
<br>
This constituency just re-affirmed, by an overwhelming margin, its resolution
supporting the original compact under which ICANN formed, a true partnership
with the Internet community in which the Internet community elected the majority
of the Board. As a constituency, we should make this determination again
clear tot he Board and the Names Council. As members of the consticuency,
we should take what action we can to support this resolution.<br>
<br>
If the government representatives can be persuaded to reject the Lynn plan,
it cannot possibly come to pass. <br>
<br>
At the same time, we must not fall for the trap of preferring the ALSC recommendations
as a "compromise." This is precisely the strategy used by those who opposed
at large elections in 2000 in Cairo. The Internet community was forced to
settle for 5 directly elected directors, rather than the 9 promised. Yet
this was a "compromise," because the Board had threatened to withdraw any
representation.<br>
<br>
In this regard, I urge caution in joining the efforts of Esther Dyson and
Pindar Wong in organizing an ALM behind the ALSC. WhileI have no doubt they
mean well, <i>the viability of the at large is not the issue</i>. The issue
if whether the Internet community will recieve the representation promised
at the formation of ICANN, or whether we will be cheated and forced to settle
for less. While issues regarding the mechanics of forming an ALM exist, they
are by no means insurmountable. More fundamentally, they have no impact
on the nature of the representation.<br>
<br>
The 2000 election proved that members of the Internet community will come
together in large numbers to join in a fair ICANN process. We do not need
a "proof of concept" on the At Large.<br>
<br>
But formation of an ALM under the terms of the ALSC builds momentum behind
the ALSC recommendations. The ALSC recommendations also give the Internet
community short shrift. Again, we must avoid the trap of rushing to the
ALSC recommendations to save us fromt he Lynn plan, or in seeing ALSC as
an acceptable compromise.<br>
<br>
Finally, the ncdnhc.org site remains down. Is there any way to post a resolution
on this issue for consideration in Accra?<br>
<br>
Harold Feld <br>
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