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I've been out of town, but if this offer is being made to all
constituencies, and we turn it down, won't we potentially be at an
even greater disadvantage than we already are? We are already
volunteer people in NCUC working across the table from people
largely paid to be here from other constituencies. If they now get
paid staff to write their comments (presumably which they have
designed and drafted), doesn't our disadvantage become that much
worse? Aren't we that much further behind? <br>
<br>
I agree that this person does not seem a good fit for our positions,
our work and our views. Of course, we would want someone who is! But
that's different than rejecting the program. With so many comments
to which we are Not responding and so much work we are Not doing, it
would be good to have someone who could turn our notes into a draft
-- to spin straw into gold :-).<br>
<br>
Best, Kathy<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/25/2016 3:23 PM, Sonigitu Ekpe
wrote:<br>
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<div>Dear All,<br>
<br>
</div>
I think after studying the write up, it is worth supporting.<br>
<br>
</div>
My 50cents, is to give in my support for the pilot program.<br>
<br>
</div>
Thank you.<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all">
<div>
<div class="gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr">Sonigitu Ekpe <br>
<br>
Mobile +234 805 0232 469 Office + 234 802 751 0179 <br>
"LIFE is all about love and thanksgiving" <br>
<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 6:13 AM, Edward
Morris <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:egmorris1@toast.net" target="_blank">egmorris1@toast.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><span
style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px">
<div> </div>
<div>Hello everybody,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The NCUC EC will be discussing today whether to
participate in an ICANN pilot program designed to offer
assistance with policy research and document drafting to
selected constituencies and stakeholder groups. I echo
the views expressed by Milton on the NCUC EC mailing
list when he writes "I want to express my strongest
opposition to this entire program".</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It is tempting. We are launching three major pdp's,
some of us are dramatically overworked, we sure need
help. But not from ICANN, not in this way, not now.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>If ICANN wants to support the NCUC in policy
development (of course, the NCUC traditionally does not
do policy to any great extent, a mistake in my
view) there are ways to assist us with resources. The
key is control of these resources. This program IMHO
does not empower the NCUC; if successful it could make
us somewhat dependent upon ICANN for assistance with <strong>policy</strong>.
Friends, if we can't research and draft and create
policy positions ourselves then we don't deserve to
exist. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Three years ago I was opposed to accepting ICANN's
offer of administrative help. It was not that I thought
hiring someone (who turned out to be MaryAm) to assist
with the tasks volunteers like Robin were then
spending far too much time doing would doom us to
"company union" status. My opposition was based upon the
fear that once we went down this slippery slope there
was no turning back. My fear is being realised with this
program.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In our proposed response we seem to be asking ICANN
for some of this type of support:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>- assistance with front end issue research</div>
<div>- research on the background of the specific issue
being addressed</div>
<div>- join community calls/chats where "position setting"
is focus</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This program is bering developed by an ICANN
contractor WBC Global. Dan O'Neill is the Principal of
the firm and is the one working on this program with
ICANN. Dan's biography states:</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><span
style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">As
the principal of the firm, he offers public policy,
political and strategic business advice to Fortune 500
and other companies, with a focus on international
trade, market access and intellectual property
rights. He represent companies before Congress, the
White House and federal agencies on a diverse set of
public policy matters including investment,
international trade disputes, international tax,
custom issues as well as economic sanctions issues.</span><br
style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span
style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> </span><br
style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span
style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Recent
activities on behalf of clients include: advising on
the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement on
negotiations impacting intellectual property rights,
investment and market access; lobby in support of
permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) for Russia;
strategizing and lobbying for companies having market
access and IPR issues in China; advising on WTO
negotiations on expansion of the Information
Technology Agreement and renewed effort to secure an
agreement on Services; and provide advice on the use
of US trade preference programs for investment issues
in developing countries.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span
style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">He
also plays a leading role in business community
activity with UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF).</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This is not someone I want anywhere near our
Constituency. Mr. O'Neill spends his professional life
advocating for positions and organisations that are
traditionally opposed to that which the NCUC supports.
He's not somebody with our interests at heart.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>If ICANN wants to support the NCUC in this area I
have no problem with the NCUC accepting ICANN's
financial support: provided we have complete
independence in selecting the hire and defining the job.
There are many in the nonprofit sector, many public
interest organizations, we could contract with for
policy help if we had the resources and freedom to do
so. We can do better than joining a "pilot program"
being organised by someone who has a "leading role in
business community activity" within the IGF. In fact,
instead of joining this program we should be questioning
why WBC was hired.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>One other problem: If ICANN is going to pay people to
do some of our policy work then why should anyone do
other parts of our policy work for free? When I run
political campaigns I keep paid canvassers completely
separate from volunteer canvassers. I've found you lose
the volunteers if you don't. Same thing here. If you
look at the details of the proposal there is even a
chance the help provided may be an active member of
another part of the ICANN community. Amazing.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I join Milton in hoping the EC rejects this. We do
need help in this area but not under these terms. Our
independence is very much at stake. Please, EC, keep
ICANN and WBC Global away from direct involvement in
the noncommercial policy develkopmnent process. Do not
go further down this slope leading to dependence upon
ICANN for all that we do.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Best,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ed</div>
<div> </div>
</span>
<br>
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