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<p><font size="+1"><font face="Lucida Grande">I agree with Ed, while
it sounds exotic, Reykjavik out of season (i.e. not June or July)
is a good choice and has great travel connections. Clearly
whoever is unfamiliar with Iceland needs a webinar....and the
bonus is, if a volcano blows we get to stay for a while:-)</font></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><font face="Lucida Grande">Safe and different.</font></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><font face="Lucida Grande">Stephanie</font></font><br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2016-10-21 22:11, Edward Morris
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:b9a27ea9e69541f491310571fd25ec9d@toast.net"
type="cite">
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida
Grande',Sans-Serif; font-size: 14px">
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Hi everybody,</span></span></div>
<div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">A bit of history: since the NCPH
intercessional meeting was started four years ago every
meeting has been held in the United States. The CSG
contingent is largely US based. We are far more diverse.
That’s why I support any and all efforts to have the
next such meeting hosted outside the boundaries of the
USA.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">I understand a bit why the meeting
is unlikely to happen in Asia or South America or
Africa. I would support holding a meeting in any of
those regions. Unfortunately the budget for the
intercessional meeting is not large and because of the
CSG’s largely American composition bringing attendees to
most, if not all, of those regions is not within the
budget. Zika is also an issue for some, whether a
rational concern or not.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">I should note that rotating the
meeting between ICANN’s three hub cities – Los Angeles,
Singapore and Istanbul – makes a lot of sense to me but
then again I also supported putting ICANN Meetings
themselves on a similar rotation. Apparently doing the
rotation for the intercessional is also a no go.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">I was pleasantly surprised when I
learned that at long last Reykjavik appears to be
getting serious consideration for a small group ICANN
meeting. I had argued for CCWG F2F meetings to be held
there but without success. Reykjavik just makes sense.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Thus, I was sad to see on the NCUC
EC page that this wonderful city was disparaged as “some
city in Iceland (please forgive me I will never ever be
able to spell that city’s name).” I was happy to learn
that some in the noncommercial community do support
Reykjavik. Just apparently not within the NCUC EC
leadership. Again, sad.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">One of the NCUC suggestions was that
the intercessional meeting be attached to a normal
Meeting, at the beginning or end. I strongly oppose that
idea for the following reasons:</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">1. ICANN meetings are already too
long.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">For those who are single, are
students, academics, unemployed or unattached it might
be easy to pop off for 10 days to two weeks a few times
a year. For the rest of of us it is not. I would find it
much easier to get away for a three day and a five day
meeting (two meetings) than I would for a single eight
day meeting. I suspect I am not alone with this
preference.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">2. The front end of meetings are
already used by other groups.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">The CCWG will be meeting prior to
the next three Meetings. Many NCUC members volunteer on
the CCWG. Do we proceed to have an intercessional
without these volunteers? Or do we extend the meeting
even longer?</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">3. People are tired after an ICANN
Meeting.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Do we want to meet for a few days at
the end of an ICANN Meeting? After a week of nonstop
work I’m not sure it would be productive to add another
few days of work to the schedule. I doubt many would
stick around to participate. Those who do may have the
battles of the previous week on their mind. I know I
would. I’m not sure I would be up to being overly
friendly to CSG members I’d just battled for several
days.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">4. The whole idea of the
intercessional meeting was to bring the NCPH together <em>away
</em>from the ICANN Meeting, where things could be a bit
more relaxed. </span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">This was a poor idea and I’m sorry
to see the NCUC proposing it.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">I was happy to see the NCUC suggest
Singapore as a possible meeting site (see above). I’m
sorry the budget seems not to allow for it.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">I understand from posts by our
representatives to the planning meeting that the cities
that may have received traction are Washington, Boston
and Reykjavik. Two years ago the intercession was in DC.
Do we need to go back to the U.S. capital every two
years? Remember that thing called the transition? Or do
we go to Boston: my birthplace, but only a whole 7 hours
drive away from Washington in the same country? One
country, one internet?</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Why Reykjavik, or as it was called
in a post on the NCUC EC message board, “some city in
Iceland”? Because it just makes sense.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">1. Ease of travel</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">The large of majority of
intercessional attendees come from either Europe or the
east coast of the United States. Here are some nonstop
travel times to Reykjavik:</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Berlin: 3 hours 45 minutes</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Boston: 5 hours 5 minutes</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">London: 3 hours 10 minutes</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">New York: 5 hours 25 minutes</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Paris: 3 hours 30 minutes</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Shared pain. Yes, Reykjavik is in
Europe but it is fairly close to North America. Of great
importance when travelling in winter there are nonstop
flights to Reykjavik from a surprising number of North
American cities, east and west coasts, and European
cities, north and south (<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keflav%C3%ADk_International_Airport">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keflav%C3%ADk_International_Airport</a>
). I had weather related connection problems while
transiting to two of the three intercessions I was
supposed to attend. Nonstop flights lessen that
possibility.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Those coming from outside these two
regions will need to change planes to get to Iceland,
the same as many have to do no matter where we may hold
the meeting.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">2. Cost</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">The US Department of State per diem
rate for Reykjavik is $318 a day (includes all expenses,
including accommodation. Compare that to Paris ($497) or
London ($468).</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">3. Infrastructure</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Iceland is a modern Nordic country.
Things work and the meeting infrastructure is fantastic:
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.meetinreykjavik.is/planyourevent">http://www.meetinreykjavik.is/planyourevent</a>
.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">4. Weather</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">It’s not the tropics, but in
February Reykjavik’s average high temperature of 39
degrees F is actually 2 degrees higher than Boston – an
apparent alternate choice.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">5. Attractiveness</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">We’re there to work and Iceland has
excellent facilities for that. For those who also like
fine dining Icelandic seafood and lamb are world famous.
Pollution, traffic congestion: non existent.
Sightseeing, unique and tremendous. Nightlife: voted
many times being amongst the best on earth.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">The big thing though is work. This
is a two day meeting. Reykjavik offers the potential to
bring the greatest number of attendees to a central
location with the least amount of travel wear and tear.
Is it perfect for anyone? No. Is it good for many? Yes.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">It certainly is worthy of
consideration. And as a non US resident I would have
serious reservations travelling once again to the USA
for the intercessional meeting. Is it too much to ask
that it be held outside of the USA once every four or
five years? I will also note that the NCUC has more
members based in Europe than in any other region (<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.ncuc.org/about/members/">http://www.ncuc.org/about/members/</a>
). How about making the CSG folks have to travel to the
region we have the most members for once?</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Having said all of this I would also
opine that I don’t really see the value in even having
the intercessional meeting. It seems to largely exist to
allow the CSG members to lobby staff. No wonder they
want to keep having it in the country with the most
ICANN staff. Perhaps instead of debating where we should
be having the meeting we should be debating whether to
have it at all.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">If we are going to have it, though,
and there are some good reasons to do so, let’s really
consider the options, without disparaging one of the
most remarkable cities and societies in the world.
Reykjavik, the capital of the country with the oldest
Parliament in the world (the Althing, founded 930), is
not all that hard to spell. It’s also very easy to get
to, has tremendous facilities, reasonable costs, and a
wonderful democratic tradition. All reasons why the
intercessional should be held there. At least once.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Reykjavik: it just makes sense.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Ed</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">- It makes sense particularly for
the NCUC. I note that the NCUC currently has no members
in Iceland. As a technologically advanced country with
high education levels and high levels of English
competence, a country that has led the world in privacy
and online free speech initiatives, this is surprising.
This should be prime NCUC membership territory. If we
take the intercessional to Reykjavik, do some outreach,
it just very well may become one of our more prolific
countries in terms of membership. Demographically and
ideologically it should be. Given Iceland’s unequaled
democratic tradition it’s also a place we may be able to
learn from ourselves as we transition ICANN into it’s
exciting new era.</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">More information:</span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span
style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida
grande,sans-serif;">Let’s Meet In The Middle: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://vimeo.com/77711285">https://vimeo.com/77711285</a></span></span></div>
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