Secret Board Briefings a Method of ICANN Capture

Nuno Garcia ngarcia at NGARCIA.NET
Wed Mar 10 16:35:58 CET 2010


I agree, knowing the docs of the agenda beforehand at least enables a
better preparation for the issues at stake.

BR
Nuno Garcia

2010/3/10 Robin Gross <robin at ipjustice.org>:
> Thanks, Adam.  Yes, this is something that noncommercial users have been
> saying for some time now.  Even in the GNSO's PPSC working group, NCSG,
> Registrars and CSG members all raised concerns on this point of the secret
> board briefing papers and the need for these to be made public - including
> pre-existing ones.
> Time to shed the Clear Light of Day on what goes on behind the scenes with
> the policy staff's manipulation of the process by managing all the pieces -
> like the Board.
> I would definitely support a joint statement from ALAC and NCSG on this
> issue.   Shall we begin the process to make this happen?
> Thanks,
> Robin
>
>
> On Mar 10, 2010, at 5:48 AM, Adam Peake wrote:
>
> One of the issues ALAC has been asking for in the discussions about
> improving transparency is briefing docs provided prior to board meetings
> (particularly on issues the board will be taking action on) must be made
> public.  With the usual exclusions for any documents confidential for legal,
> personal/personnel etc reasons.
> Perhaps we could agree on this?
> Adam
>
> At 2:10 AM -0800 3/10/10, Robin Gross wrote:
>
> Important new blog post from Avri about how ICANN policy staff continues to
> spread lies to Board about non-commercial users.  Disappointing, although
> not surprising.....
> <http://avri.doria.org/post/438544387/secret-board-briefings-a-method-of-icann-capture>http://avri.doria.org/post/438544387/secret-board-briefings-a-method-of-icann-capture
> Secret Board Briefings a Method of ICANN Capture
> While in a meeting with Board members, a member of my Stakeholder group had
> an opportunity to read part of one page of the Policy
> Staff¹s briefing report to the Board from across the table (some of us
> read documents upside down better the we read right side up.)
> In this case it was all they could do to refrain themself from standing up
> and yelling ³the staff lies.²   The lies in this case were repeated lies
> first invented by the Commercial Stakeholder Group (CSG) about the Non
> Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) - that the most diverse Stakeholder
> group in the GNSO was not diverse enough. The same group that seem to stand
> against all types of diversity requirement in every discussion.
> That this absurd accusation was made by a group that needs an exception from
> the geographical diversity clause for council member elections was not
> enough to show its absurdity and motivated the Board¹s unjust behavior
> toward the NCSG in last years Council member appointments (though we dearly
> love our Board appointed council members and fully accepted them as part of
> Œus¹, the method of their section was wrong and is a slow wound to heal).
> That the non commercial constituency was singled out in the LSE report on
> the GNSO as the most diverse of constituencies was also not sufficient to
> put lie to the statement. And now the Staff makes the great lie even greater
> by including it in the Policy Staff¹s briefing papers.
> The Board often talks about avoiding capture.  Capture has
> already occurred and it is the Policy Staff with its power to whisper lies
> into the ears of the Board that this capture is maintained and cemented.
>  Decisions are being made based on false information.
> How many lies about how many things would we find in a proper review of the
> Policy Briefings to the Board?
> How many decisions have been made based upon false information fed to the
> Board by the Policy Staff?
> This has to stop now!
> All Board briefing except those on truly confidential matters, must be made
> public immediately.
> All recent Board briefings on which the Board has based its decisions must
> be released immediately.
> All future Board briefings must be released to the public at the same time
> they are distributed to the Board.
> Additionally, in its review of transparency I hope the AOC Review Panel
> takes this pernicious practice to task.
> I understand that the ICANN Policy Staff has a new leader, and in my first
> brief meeting with David Olive, I have hope that things may change.  Then
> again, when Rod Beckstrom first became CEO, I had hope that things would
> change.
> And my hope is still waiting.
> I have admitted my great affection/addiction for ICANN on numerous
> occasions, but I really do fear that ICANN¹s soul has been captured by the
> Policy Staff and I worry that it may never recover unless some major changes
> happen real soon now.
>
>
>
> IP JUSTICE
> Robin Gross, Executive Director
> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
> p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
> w: <http://www.ipjustice.org>http://www.ipjustice.org
>  e: <mailto:robin at ipjustice.org>robin at ipjustice.org
>
>
>
> IP JUSTICE
> Robin Gross, Executive Director
> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
> p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
> w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org
>
>
>


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