[Ncuc-af] Meeting with Ombudsman on Racism against Africans in NCSG/ICANN

Fri Jun 14 20:24:14 CEST 2019

Thanks Dorothy for the background inquiry.

Initially, NCSG chair, Stephanie had lamented over voting module for
individual and organization and I innocently suggested that she take up
that in next tenure (since she is running unopposed) and probably make it a
priority but instead of taking the feedback, she said that if I wanted, I
should start the process as that will not be her priority.

But I explained that she can simply share it with her EC and take my
comment as feedback to Executive Committee (EC), but she insisted that if I
want I can commence the process. So, I did a draft of some issues I think
borders on NCSG-Finance Committee (FC) to elucidate my points and she
started picking holes on them instead of still taking that as feedback and
Ayden and James bought it over giving their own interpretation of the
Charter and I said its not what I meant especially on what it takes to
actually make amendment proposal.

Then, Ayden sounded me off on FC Operating Procedure (OP) which I
personally drafted alongside Thato Mfikwe who was my chair in NCSG-FC in
the last one year, which is undergoing review until he (Ayden) was
appointed into FC a few months ago and that they want to commence OP once
ICANN 65 is over. Of course, I found that dismissive and mischievous.

My response to that was that if someone who took part in the OP review
process could not recognize colleagues efforts where he was coming as a
second timer in FC; something they could not do in six years, then it means
there is a “highpowered racism in NCSG” invariably because some Africans
did the OP so it must be done afresh. So, Stephanie sent it to Ombudsman
claiming I called her racist and I asked her to read my note again without
any prejudice whatsoever. Then she claimed I said she is prejudiced.

I was not actually responding to her, but she decided to tag it differently
and ascribe those to herself and all the commissioned and uncommissioned
warriors leveraged it including Amr to attack me.

Although we are now in the court of Ombudsman, it is important to state
that in the heat only Thato (SA) and Arsene (DRC) intervened.

So, here we are with the Ombudsman requesting some other instances
concerning Africans with respect to racism or systematic racism, hence my
call for others who may have been victim of unassumed quietness or oblivion
to share their experiences with me, privately if they wish or on this
trend) as I see this as an opportunity to bring more transparency and
diversity to NCSG processes and maybe ICANN as far as Africa is concerned.

I hope my background is sufficient to pass the message.

Thanks again for your concern. At least it brought out the need for
publication of travel supports for Africa/Africans as proposed earlier by
you. I will also strengthen that in my meeting.

Best Regards

Remmy Nweke
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On Fri, Jun 14, 2019 at 6:18 PM Remmy Nweke <remmyn at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks ma for reverting.
> I will take the publication of participation by subregions to Thato to be
> added in our NCSG African Strategic Document and the Ombudsman too with
> hope it will straighten transparency and diversity with regards to travel
> supports.
>
> With regards to the background. I will share that in a follow up mail
> shortly.
>
> Thanks
> Again
> Remmy
>
> On Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 15:34 Dorothy Gi <dkgxdgx at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Remmy,  I caught the messages last week. Please give me a bit more
>> background.  In the meantime I would ask that the proportion of attendance
>> at ICANN meetings from each constituency which is African should be
>> published by region e.g. West, East, North, Central and South Africa.
>> Also we should have full transparency on the proportion of travel support
>> that goes to Africans based in Africa working for African institutions. I
>> have personally not experienced any racism. There are a few rude people but
>> I have seen that they are just rude people, rude to everyone.
>> I am not sure of the background yet but I think this is an opportunity to
>> be forward looking and get better terms for African participation.
>> Dorothy K. Gordon
>> +233 267133598
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 14, 2019 at 2:24 PM Remmy Nweke <remmyn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Africans,
>>> I am sure you must have come across some mail trend lately especially on
>>> NCSG over systemic racism against Africans leading escalation of the issue
>>> to ICANN Ombudsman.
>>>
>>> This should not be seen as a valian voice rather an opportunity to set
>>> things right, transparently and in consideration of diversity that make our
>>> world.
>>>
>>> Africans cannot continue to be denied what is due them especially on
>>> intellectualism among others.s
>>>
>>> In the light of the above, I have been invited to a meeting with ICANN
>>> Ombudsman at ICANN65.
>>>
>>> He has requested to look into the issue and sought for any other racism
>>> related concerns in ICANN moreso on or against Africans.
>>>
>>> I therefore urge us true Africans in this community to use this
>>> opportunity to register our various racism experiences in any form in NCSG,
>>> NPOC or NCUC and ICANN generally by sharing the experience with me on
>>> remmyn at yahoo.co.uk with subject "Racism in NCSG/ICANN"
>>>
>>> Please be assured of my highest regards as we try to bring a positive
>>> vibes in NCSG engagement with and for Africa and ICANN as a whole.
>>>
>>> Also feel free to ask me any question. Thanks.
>>>
>>> Yours in service
>>> Remmy Nweke
>>> Proudly African
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Ncuc-af mailing list
>>> Ncuc-af at lists.ncuc.org
>>> https://lists.ncuc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ncuc-af
>>>
>>
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