Question 2: Noncommercial values and identity - Answer of ALAIN BERRANGER

[Alain Berranger]

Greetings everyone,

If the NCSG is to increase its influence within ICANN, it needs to continue
its diversification of non-commercial voices, which means continued
recruiting of new members and bringing in new perspectives, being open to
new voices. We are a very diverse group and herein lies the challenge: to
have individual users, representatives of NGOs, of Not-for-profits and
Academia agree on policies, find together the common not the divergent
points and  still be relevant to our various constituencies. In Canada alone
for instance, we have some 160,000 registered NGOs. So how do 3 or 4
Canadian members in NCSG truly reflect the voice of such a large number?
Besides increasing single membership, it may also be desirable to bring into
NCSG, a number of sector-wide not-for-profit associations with their own
membership. We are diversified in nature and therefore have diversified
interests, so we need to evolve our constituencies, be relevant without
creating silos - quite a challenge! For instance academia has a set of
internet governance issues which are very specific (notably distance
education and open universities) and different from individuals, small NGOs,
large NGOs, those operating in developed economies and those operating in
emerging or developing economies, those operating under quasi-dictatorships,
or chaotic environments and those in democratic societies, etc... I have
noticed IMHO that we need to develop a consensus on our definitions and
comprehension of what constitutes a non-commercial entity - such a general
term by the way and defined in opposition to what is commercial? We may want
to explore different ways to evolve the multi-stakeholder nature of ICANN
and make the voice of NCSG stronger? In San Francisco, the keynote speaker -
Bill Clinton, spoke of governments/private sector and civil society as the
three pillars of ICANN. I agree, but a government agency can be
not-for-profit.. an NGO may have commercial activities (to raise funds
mostly...)... Private sector have corporate foundations and community
affairs departments... What is an NGO really? what is a not-for-profit?
Where are the grey zones? Do we need other constituencies inside NCSG like
academia and individual users, besides NCUC and NPOC? or to the contrary,
should we have a single group - this created a difficult debate when NPOC
came forward... we must have a full debate on this using all the evidence at
hand.

I would say that all the diverse voices and points of view of the very
different groups that make up NCSG must be heard and given equal time. I
think Debbie made that point quite well in her response.

Also,I think that what could drive and unite us more at NCSG, and be very
attractive to many new members is the notion that internet governance
(including but not limited to ICANN's purview) must be carried out for the
development and to the benefit of underserved communities worldwide, in
other words that internet governance should increase equity of opportunities
and contribute to eradicating poverty.

One NPOC member from Africa tells me that the internet is a huge issue in
his country and that it is facing immense attack from the regime. Some
online newspapers have been blocked, and the intelligence agencies also hack
into people's emails as well. The national telecom is the main gateway, and
there is budding number of local ISPs which are all under the control of the
government. Meanwhile, the issue of children and young people accessing porn
sites through cybercafes remains unaddressed.  With all of this going on,
there is still the problem of affordability, accessibility and efficiency of
service in a poor country. In many parts of developing countries internet
access is either very poor or absent totally. The charges are also too high
and the number of people accessing internet overall is often less than 1 in
10.

So, in conclusion, I think that many more voices are necessary in NCSG and I
will continue to mobilise for that.


Best, ALAIN BERRANGER
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