[ncdnhc-discuss] clarification (sort of) on ICANNatlarge.com and other ICANN "at-large" things

[James Love]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: clarification (sort of) on ICANNatlarge.com and other ICANN 
"at-large" things
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 07:09:45 -0400
From: James Love <james.love at cptech.org>
To: "random-bits at lists.essential.org" <random-bits at lists.essential.org>

I sometimes get so deep into this ICANN stuff I forget to explain basic
things.   And even though I'm sure I have left out many important details,
here are a few that I should mention.

1.   ICANN created an at-large study committee, chaired by Carl Bildt
(Chair), the former Prime Minister of Sweden, plus Chuck Costello , Pierre
Dandjinou, Esther Dyson, Olivier Iteanu, Ching-Yi Liu, Thomas Niles, Oscar
Robles, and Pindar Won.  The staff person was Denise Michel, who had worked
in a variety of US government, tech industry, trade association and lobbyist
jobs.

2.   In Accra the ICANN board basically rejected having elections from the
public for its board members, but appeared to leave to door open to giving
the public some board seats later, and people were urged to go out and
organize and make proposals.  Using the atlargestudy.org forums, the
ICANNatlarge.com effort emerged as an attempt to have a self organized
democratic organization for the general public.   Many hoped this would
eventually elect ICANN board members, possibly as an ICANN "Supporting
Organization" or possibly in some other way.

3.   ICANNatlarge.com had over 800 members, and held its first election for
a temporary 7 person panel, to which I was one of the seven elected.

4.   A few days after the ICANNatlarge.com election Esther and Denise
announced that there would be yet another ICANN sponsored effort, this one
using at-large.org, a site first registered to Kent Crispin.   The new
"at-large" effort appeared to be run by Esther and Denise.  The Esther and
Denise effort created a new "At Large Organizing Committee"  made up of
people who represent organizations, with a few dozen members.   There is no
evidence that this group actually meets, votes, makes decisions or does much
more than appear on a web page, but it has a lot of nice well meaning people
involved.  http://www.at-large.org/at-large-members.htm.   In Bucharest
Esther and Denise explained that this group would not have votes, but would
find ways to learn what the public thought... it was sort of an outreach or
focus group for public input, but one basically managed top down, rather
than bottom up, and in keeping with the deep hostility of the ICANN board to
anything remotely democratic, it did not even insist on the right to elect
its own leaders, which seemed to allow Esther and Densie to run it however
they like, without any need to explain "why them?"

5.  Meanwhile, interest in ICANNatlarge.com drops off quite a bit, because
it is clear that once again ICANN didn't like the election returns, and has
reminded itself it didn't like elections either.

6.  But ICANNatlarge.com more or less decides to stick to the original plan,
and announced it would hold the election to replace the inital 90 day board
members.   That election is going on now, and has attracted some good
candidates.

7.  So basically, ICANNatlarge.com is moving ahead, holding elections, and
trying to create the type of self organized democratic voice for the public
that ICANN promised it would use to elect 9 of its board members.   It is
the democratic alternative to Esther and Denise's "at-large.org" effort,
which is anything but democratic.

8.    The Icannatlarge.com web sit is a bit of a mess right now, in my
opinion, but if one wants to register to vote in the election, go to
icannatlarge.com and "register here."   That means, register to vote, or
become a voting member in icannatlarge.com (it could be more clear).  If
someone wants to run for the board or nominate someone else, now is the time
to do so, by posting a note to the groups's discuss list.  (If you have
don't have time for this crazy ICANN stuff, well, who can blame you? )

   Jamie

------
James Love, Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org, mailto:love at cptech.org
voice: 1.202.387.8030; mobile 1.202.361.3040


-- 
------
James Love, Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org, mailto:love at cptech.org
voice: 1.202.387.8030; mobile 1.202.361.3040