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I posted it on Dvorak's Blog:<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/08/21/top-ten-myths-about-civil-society-participation-in-icann/">http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/08/21/top-ten-myths-about-civil-society-participation-in-icann/</a><br>
<br>
Baudouin SCHOMBE wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:ecb172de0908210857q5f6575e4wb5ef8d65b4b2a0ee@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">dear All,<br>
<br>
the Top 10 Myths is added in my blog (<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://akimambo.unblog.fr">http://akimambo.unblog.fr</a><br>
<br>
Baudouin<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">2009/8/21 Robin Gross <span dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org">robin@ipjustice.org</a>></span><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote"
style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div style="">Attached (and below) is the latest draft of the "Top
10 Myths" article. Thanks very much for the feedback to improve it so
far. Please send any additional edits and suggestions asap, so we can
publish this document in the next day or so.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thank you,</div>
<div>Robin </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"> </h1>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant: small-caps;">Top
Ten Myths About Civil Society Participation in ICANN</span></h1>
<div><span style="font-size: 14pt;">From The Non-Commercial Users
Constituency (NCUC)</span></div>
<div
style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">
<p style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in;">20 August 2009</p>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 1</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>"Existing civil society groups are not representative or
diverse enough."</i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><i>Untrue by any reasonable standard</i><span
style="font-style: normal;">.<span> </span>The current civil society
grouping, the Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC), now has 142
members including 73 noncommercial organizations and 69 individuals in
48 countries.<span> </span>This is an increase of 215% since the
parity principle was established.<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="#1233abc6b747538e__ftn1" name="1233abc6b747538e__ftnref1"
title=""><span><span>[1]</span></span></a><span> </span>Noncommercial
participation in ICANN is now more diverse than any other constituency,
so it is completely unfair to level this charge at NCUC without
applying it to others.<span> </span>Even back in 2006, an independent
report by the London School of Economics showed that NCUC was the most
diverse geographically, had the largest number of different people
serving on the GNSO Council over time, and the highest turn-over in
council representatives of any of the 6 constituencies.<span> </span>In
contrast, the commercial users’ constituency has recycled the same 5
people on the Council for a decade and upon the GNSO reform, the first
3 of 6 GNSO Councilors from Commercial Stakeholder Group will represent
the United States.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 2</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>"The NCUC charter would give the same small group 6
votes instead of 3."</i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><i>False</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.<span> </span>For
the past 8 months, NCUC has stated that it will dissolve when the NCSG
is formed.<span> </span>It does not make sense to have a
"Noncommercial Users Constituency" and a "Noncommercial Stakeholders
Group,” as they are synonymous terms.<span> </span>Thus, NCUC leaders
would <u>not</u> be in control of a new NCSG – a completely new
leadership would be elected.<span> </span>Under the NCUC charter
proposal, all noncommercial groups and individuals would vote on
Council seats, not just former NCUC members.<span> </span>Strict
geographic diversity requirements would mean that candidates from
throughout the world would have to be selected even if they could not
get a majority of total votes. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 3</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>“More civil society groups will get involved if the
Board intervenes.”</i></b></div>
<div><i>A complete illusion.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span>
</span>Board imposition of its own charter and its refusal to
listen to civil society groups will be interpreted as rejection of the
many groups that commented and as discrimination against civil society
participation.<span> </span>ICANN’s reputation among noncommercial
groups will be irreparably damaged unless this action is reversed or a
compromise is found.<span> </span>Even if we were to accept these
actions and try to work with them, the total impact of the staff/SIC
NCSG charter will be to handicap noncommercial groups and make them
less likely to participate.<span> </span>The appointment of
representatives by the Board disenfranchises noncommercial groups and
individuals.<span> </span>The constituency-based SIC structure
requires too much organizational overhead for most noncommercial
organizations to sustain; it also pits groups against each other in
political competition for votes and members.<span> </span>Most
noncommercial organizations will not enter the ICANN GNSO under those
conditions.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 4</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>"NCUC will not share council seats with other
noncommercial constituencies."</i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><i>Wrong</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. NCUC’s
proposed charter was designed to allow dozens of new noncommercial
constituencies to form at will and to advance their own candidates for
Council seats.<span> </span>Given the diversity and breadth of NCUC's
membership, many different constituencies with competing agendas are
likely to form.<span> </span>The organic, bottom-up self-forming
approach to constituency formation is much better than the board/staff
approach – and more consistent with the BGC recommendations.<span> </span>The
SIC charter makes constituency formation very top-heavy and difficult,
and gives the staff and Board arbitrary power to decide how
“representative” or “significant” new participants are.<span> </span>Because
it ties constituencies to Council seats, every new constituency
instigates power struggles over the allocation of Council seats. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 5</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>"The NCUC wants to take away the Board's right to
approve constituencies."</i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><i>False. </i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>People
who said this have obviously not read the NCUC-proposed charter.
NCUC’s proposal let the board approve or disapprove of new
constituencies formed under its proposed charter. Our proposal simply
offered to apply some simple, objective criteria (e.g., number of
applicants) to new constituency groupings and then make a
recommendation to the Board.<span> </span>The idea was to reduce the
burden of forming a new constituency for both the applicants and the
Board.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 6</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>"ALAC prefers the ICANN staff drafted charter over the
civil society drafted charter."</i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"><br>
</span><i>False.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>One
ALAC leader said that she prefers the staff drafted charter.<span> </span>ICANN
staff ran away with this comment and falsely told the ICANN Board of
Directors that ALAC prefers the staff drafted charter.<span> </span>In
fact, the formal statement actually approved by ALAC said that many
members of ALAC supported the NCUC proposal and that “the de-linking of
Council seats from Constituencies is a very good move in the right
direction.” </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 7</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>"Civil society is divided on the NCSG charter issue."</i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><i>Wrong.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> There has
never been such an overwhelmingly lopsided public comment period in
ICANN’s history.<span> </span>While ICANN’s staff is telling the
Board that civil society is divided, the clear, documented consensus
among civil society groups has been against the ICANN drafted NCSG
charter and in favor of the NCUC one.<span> </span>Board members who
rely only on staff-provided information may believe civil society is
divided, but Board members who have actually read the public comments
can see the solidarity of civil society against what ICANN is trying to
impose on them.<span></span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 8</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>The outpouring of civil society opposition can be
dismissed as the product of a 'letter writing campaign.' </i></b><span
style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><i>An outrageous claim</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.<span>
</span>Overwhelming civil society opposition to the SIC charter
emerged not once, but twice.<span> </span>In addition, there is the
massive growth in NCUC membership stimulated by the broader community’s
opposition to the staff and Board actions. Attempts to minimize the
degree to which civil society has been undermined by these developments
are simply not going to work, and reveal a shocking degree of
insularity and arrogance.<span> </span>ICANN is required to have
public comment periods because it is supposed to listen to and be
responsive to public opinion.<span> </span>Public opinion results
from networks of communication and public dialogue on controversial
issues, including organized calls to action.<span> </span>No policy
or bylaw gives ICANN staff the authority to decide that it can discount
or ignore nearly all of the groups who have taken an interest in the
GNSO reforms, simply because they have taken a position critical of the
staff’s.<span> </span>ICANN's attempt to discount critical comments
by labeling them a "letter writing campaign" undermines future
participation and confidence in ICANN public processes.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 9</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>“Civil Society won’t participate in ICANN under NCUC’s
charter proposal.”</i></b></div>
<div>False.<span> </span>ICANN staffers and others claim that
civil society is discouraged from engaging at ICANN because NCUC’s
charter proposal does not guarantee GNSO Council seats to
constituencies.<span> </span>The facts could not be further from the
truth.<span> </span>NCUC’s membership includes 142 noncommercial
organizations and individuals.<span> </span>Since 2008 NCUC’s
membership has increased by more 215%<span> </span>– largely in
direct response to civil society’s support for the NCUC charter.<span>
</span>Not a single noncommercial organization commented in the
public comment forum that hard-wiring council seats to constituencies
will induce their participation in ICANN.<span> </span>None of the
noncommercial organizations that commented on the NCSG Charter said
they would participate to ICANN only if NCSG's Charter secured the
constituencies a guaranteed seat on the GNSO.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><b><i>Myth 10</i></b></div>
<div><b><i>“The purpose of a constituency is to have your very own
GNSO Council Seat.”</i></b></div>
<div>False.<span> </span>Some claim GNSO Council seats must be
hard-wired to specific constituencies because a constituency is
meaningless without a guaranteed GNSO Council representative.<span> </span>However
this interpretation fails to understand the role of constituencies in
the new GNSO, which is to give a <i>voice</i><span
style="font-style: normal;"> and a </span><i>means of participation</i><span
style="font-style: normal;"> in the policy development process -- not
a guaranteed councilor who has little incentive to reach beyond her
constituency and find consensus with other constituencies.<span> </span>Two
of the other three stakeholder groups (Registries and Registrars)
adopted NCUC’s charter approach of decoupling GNSO Council seats to
constituencies, but NCUC has been prevented from electing its
councilors on a SG-wide basis.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant: small-caps;"><b><u>Join
NCUC</u></b></span></div>
<div>All noncommercial organizations and individuals are invited to
join NCUC and participate in policy development in ICANN’s GNSO.<span>
</span>Bring your experience and your perspective to Internet
policy discussions and help protect noncommercial users of the Internet
by participating at ICANN via the NCUC.<span> </span>Join today: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://icann-ncuc.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp"
target="_blank">http://icann-ncuc.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp</a>?</div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant: small-caps;"><b><u>Glossary
of ICANN Acronyms</u></b></span></div>
<div> </div>
<p style=""><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://alac.icann.org/"
target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">ALAC</span></a><b>
- At-Large Advisory Committee</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></p>
<div> </div>
<div>ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is responsible for
considering and providing advice on the activities of the ICANN, as
they relate to the interests of individual Internet users (the
"At-Large" community).<span> </span></div>
<div> </div>
<p style=""><b>gTLD - Generic Top Level Domain</b><span
style="font-weight: normal;"></span></p>
<p style=""> </p>
<p style="">Most TLDs with three or more characters are referred to
as "generic" TLDs, or "gTLDs". They can be subdivided into two types,
"sponsored" TLDs (sTLDs) and "unsponsored TLDs (uTLDs), as described in
more detail below.</p>
<p style=""> </p>
<p style="">In the 1980s, seven gTLDs (.com, .edu, .gov, .int,
.mil, .net, and .org) were created. Domain names may be registered in
three of these (.com, .net, and .org) without restriction; the other
four have limited purposes.<span> </span>Over the next twelve years,
various discussions occurred concerning additional gTLDs, leading to
the selection in November 2000 of seven new TLDs for introduction.<span>
</span>These were introduced in 2001 and 2002.<span> </span>Four
of the new TLDs (.biz, .info, .name, and .pro) are unsponsored. The
other three new TLDs (.aero, .coop, and .museum) are sponsored.</p>
<p style=""> </p>
<p style=""><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://gnso.icann.org/" target="_blank"><span
style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">GNSO</span></a> -
Generic Names Supporting Organization</b></p>
<p style="">The GNSO is responsible for developing policy
recommendations to the ICANN Board that relate to generic top-level
domains (gTLDs).</p>
<div> </div>
<div>The GNSO is the body of 6 constituencies, as follows: the
Commercial and Business constituency, the gTLD Registry constituency,
the ISP constituency, the non-commercial constituency, the registrar's
constituency, and the IP constituency.<span> </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, the GNSO is in the process of restructuring away from
a framework of 6 constituencies to 4 stakeholder groups: Commercial,
Noncommercial, Registrar, Registry.<span> </span>The Noncommercial
and Commercial Stakeholder Groups together make up the “Non-contracting
Parties House” in the new bi-cameral GNSO; and the Registrar and
Registry Stakeholder Groups will together comprise the “Contracting
Parties House” in the new GNSO structure (beginning Oct. 2009).</div>
<div> </div>
<p style=""><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/index.html" target="_blank"><span
style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">ICANN</span></a> -
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers</b></p>
<div>The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) is an internationally organized, non-profit corporation that
has responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation,
protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD)
Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system
management functions</div>
<div> </div>
<div><b> </b></div>
<div><b>NCUC - Noncommercial Users Constituency</b></div>
<div> </div>
<p style="line-height: 16pt;">The Noncommercial Users Constituency
(NCUC) is the home for noncommercial organizations and individuals in
the <span style="font-family: TrebuchetMS;"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://icann.org/" target="_blank"><span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers</span></a></span> (ICANN) <span
style="font-family: TrebuchetMS;"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://gnso.icann.org/" target="_blank"><span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Generic
Names Supporting Organization</span></a></span> (GNSO).<span> </span>With
real voting power in ICANN policy making and Board selection, it
develops and supports positions that protect noncommercial
communication and activity on the Internet.<span> </span>NCUC works
to promote the public interest in ICANN policy and is the only
noncommercial constituency in ICANN’s GSNO (there are 5 commercial
constituencies).<span> </span>The NCUC is open to noncommercial
organizations and individuals involved in education, community
networking, public policy advocacy, development, promotion of the arts,
digital rights, children's welfare, religion, consumer protection,
scientific research, human rights and many other areas.<span> </span>NCUC
maintains a website at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://ncdnhc.org" target="_blank">http://ncdnhc.org</a>.</p>
<div> </div>
<div><b>NCSG - Noncommercial Stakeholders Group</b></div>
<div> </div>
<div>The GNSO is in the process of being restructured from “6
constituencies” to “4 stakeholder groups”, including a Noncommercial
Stakeholders Group (NCSG) into which all noncommercial organizations
and individuals will belong for policy development purposes, including
members of the Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC).<span> </span>The
NCSG and the Commercial Stakeholder Group (CSG) will together comprise
the “Non-contracting Parties House” in the new bicameral GNSO structure
beginning October 2009.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant: small-caps;"><b><u>Links
to Background Information:</u></b></span></div>
<div><b><u> </u></b></div>
<div><b>NCUC Letter to ICANN Board and CEO on NCSG Charter
Controversy:</b></div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://bit.ly/BiOg8"
target="_blank">http://bit.ly/BiOg8</a></div>
<div><b><u> </u></b></div>
<div><b>Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC):</b></div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://ncdnhc.org"
target="_blank">http://ncdnhc.org</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>NCUC submitted NCSG charter proposal:</b></div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/ncsg-petition-charter.pdf"
target="_blank">http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/ncsg-petition-charter.pdf</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>Robin Gross on “<i>Is ICANN Accountable to the Public
Interest?”:</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://ipjustice.org/ICANN/NCSG/NCUC-ICANN-Injustices.html"
target="_blank">http://ipjustice.org/ICANN/NCSG/NCUC-ICANN-Injustices.html</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>ICANN GNSO Chair Avri Doria on “<i>Why I Joined the NCUC</i></b><span
style="font-style: normal;"><b>”:</b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: ComicSansMS;"><u><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://tiny.cc/EPDtx" target="_blank"><span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: windowtext;"><b>http://tiny.cc/EPDtx</b></span></a></u></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: ComicSansMS;"> </span></div>
<div><b>Internet Governance Project: “<i>4 ICANN Board members
dissent in vote on NCSG charter</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>”:</b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: ComicSansMS-Bold;"><u><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://tiny.cc/S5CjP" target="_blank"><span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: windowtext;"><b>http://tiny.cc/S5CjP</b></span></a></u></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>2006 London School of Economics Independent Report on GNSO:</b></div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15sep06.htm"
target="_blank">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15sep06.htm</a></div>
<div><br clear="all">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%">
<div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="#1233abc6b747538e__ftnref1"
name="1233abc6b747538e__ftn1" title=""><span><span>[1]</span></span></a>
We encourage those GNSO constituencies who claim is NCUC is
insufficiently large enough to deserve representational parity with
commercial users on the GNSO Council to publish their own
constituency’s current membership roster, as NCUC does at: <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://ncdnhc.org/page/membership-roster"
target="_blank">http://ncdnhc.org/page/membership-roster</a>.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
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<div><br>
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<div style="">
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<div><br>
</div>
<div>IP JUSTICE</div>
<div>Robin Gross, Executive Director</div>
<div>1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA</div>
<div>p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451</div>
<div>w: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.ipjustice.org"
target="_blank">http://www.ipjustice.org</a> e: <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org"
target="_blank">robin@ipjustice.org</a></div>
<br>
</span><br>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
<br clear="all">
<br>
-- <br>
SCHOMBE BAUDOUIN<br>
COORDONNATEUR NATIONAL REPRONTIC<br>
COORDONNATEUR SOUS REGIONAL ACSIS/AFRIQUE CENTRALE<br>
MEMBRE FACILITATEUR GAID AFRIQUE<br>
téléphone fixe: +243 1510 34 91<br>
Téléphone mobile:+243998983491/+243999334571<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:email%3Ab.schombe@gmail.com">email:b.schombe@gmail.com</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://akimambo.unblog.fr">http://akimambo.unblog.fr</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://educticafrique.ning.com/">http://educticafrique.ning.com/</a><br>
</blockquote>
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