<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">As mentioned here previously, we will do an outreach event in BA geared toward progressive LAC civil society people not currently involved in ICANN. This will be Saturday 20 June, 16:00 -18:00 local time in the Aguila Room, remote participation pending. <a href="http://buenosaires53.icann.org/en/schedule/sat-civil-society-ncuc" class="">http://buenosaires53.icann.org/en/schedule/sat-civil-society-ncuc</a>. A program team was established, and the draft agenda is at <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gRnbG-zlSzke5D2bQO30yXAu2kXxfuLNXIRL1jwj9v0/edit?pli=1" class="">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gRnbG-zlSzke5D2bQO30yXAu2kXxfuLNXIRL1jwj9v0/edit?pli=1</a> The event unfortunately conflicts with the GNSO Council meeting, but it will be followed by a reception for all CS-type people in ICANN from 18:00-19:30 so Councilors can join up with us then. We might want to go off and do a sort of NCUC dinner afterwards; there’s a decent steak place across the street from the Sheraton, or we could wander further afield.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It would be good to know who all will be coming from our side. I included on the program a list of members I knew to be in town and/or who’ve said they would come. If you’re not on that list but think you can make it, please send me a note and I’ll add you.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Below is the invitation letter that Valeria Betancourt of APC sent out yesterday to potential non-NCUC attendees, with a brief cover note in Spanish.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Bill</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">------------------</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Hello,<br class=""> <br class="">The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will hold its 53rd public meeting at the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center, San Martin 1225, on Monday – Thursday 22-25 June 2015. There also will be pre-meeting working sessions held on Thursday – Sunday 18-21 June <a href="http://buenosaires53.icann.org/en/schedule-full" class="">http://buenosaires53.icann.org/en/schedule-full</a>. We are writing to invite you to participate in an outreach session for regional civil society actors to be held in the Sheraton’s Aguila Room on Saturday 20 June from 16:00-18:00. <a href="http://buenosaires53.icann.org/en/schedule/sat-civil-society-ncuc" class="">http://buenosaires53.icann.org/en/schedule/sat-civil-society-ncuc</a>. A networking reception will be held directly afterwards from 18:00-19:30.</div><div class=""> <br class=""><i class="">Civil Society Outreach Event - NCUC</i> will provide an opportunity for open and vigorous dialogue between public interest advocates who are active both within and outside the ICANN community. From within ICANN will be members of the Noncommercial Users Constituency <a href="http://www.ncuc.org" class="">www.ncuc.org</a>, which since 1999 has been the voice of civil society activists and researchers in ICANN’s policy processes on generic top level domain names and related matters. NCUC currently comprises 420 members from 98 countries, including 106 noncommercial organizations and 314 individuals, including many from the global South (see attached flyer). From outside the ICANN community we hope to have participants from advocacy and research organizations based in Latin America and the Caribbean who are involved in human rights, privacy protection, freedom of expression, access to knowledge, development, and related Internet governance issues.<br class=""> <br class="">The agenda would be to discuss items such as:<br class=""> <br class="">· Civil society positions and work within ICANN’s structures, and how interested people can get involved;<br class="">· The views and interests of Latin America and the Caribbean activists and researchers with respect to ICANN-related Internet issues;<br class="">· A brief overview of the ICANN meeting week and highlights of key debates. <br class=""> <br class="">If you would like to join us, please confirm your attendance via email to Ms. Valeria Betancourt of the Association for Progressive Communications (a NCUC member organization) at <a href="mailto:valeriab@apc.org" class="">valeriab@apc.org</a>. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Valeria, or William at <a href="mailto:william.drake@uzh.ch" class="">william.drake@uzh.ch</a>. <br class=""> <br class="">Finally, please note that participation in the ICANN meeting itself is free of charge and open to the public, and that newcomers are very much welcomed to attend. Registration can be done in advance at <a href="https://registration.icann.org" class="">https://registration.icann.org</a> or on site. This will be an historic meeting as the ICANN community pushes to conclude months of intensive work on transitioning control of key Internet functions from the US government to the global multistakeholder community, and on establishing enhanced accountability mechanisms for a newly independent and more globalized ICANN. In addition, there will be three meetings on human rights issues, two meetings on Internet governance issues, and a range of other high interest events. NCUC’s Constituency Day meeting on Tuesday 23 June also could be of interest; we will discuss, among other things, the global controversies surrounding the new .sucks top level domain.<br class=""> <br class="">Thank you for considering this invitation, we look forward to hearing from you.<br class=""> <br class=""> Best<br class=""> <br class="">Dr. William J. Drake Valeria Betancourt<br class="">University of Zurich, & Chair, NCUC <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> Directora, Programa de Políticas de Information y Comunicación<br class=""> Asociación para el Progreso de las Comunicaciones</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div apple-content-edited="true" class="">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">*********************************************************<br class="">William J. Drake<br class="">International Fellow & Lecturer<br class=""> Media Change & Innovation Division, IPMZ<br class=""> University of Zurich, Switzerland<br class="">Chair, Noncommercial Users Constituency, <br class=""> ICANN, <a href="http://www.ncuc.org" class="">www.ncuc.org</a><br class=""><a href="mailto:william.drake@uzh.ch" class="">william.drake@uzh.ch</a> (direct), <a href="mailto:wjdrake@gmail.com" class="">wjdrake@gmail.com</a> (lists),<br class=""> <a href="http://www.williamdrake.org" class="">www.williamdrake.org</a><br class=""><i class="">Internet Governance: The NETmundial Roadmap </i><a href="http://goo.gl/sRR01q" class="">http://goo.gl/sRR01q</a><br class="">*********************************************************</div>
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