Meeting in Dakar re NPOC complaint

Sat Oct 29 20:26:01 CEST 2011

Alain,
Are you speaking for yourself or for the NPOC leadership on this?
I ask because the NCSG EC just went through a major conflict with NPOC leadership because they were doing precisely what you suggest below. When organizations applied we were checking up on the bona fides of organizational representatives and whether someone on the Board or in the executive actually had actually appointed them. Some in the NPOC leadership seemed to think this was a mean thing to do. I on the other hand thought it was both legitimate and necessary. Are you suggesting that we continue to do that?

Looking forward to your answer

--MM

From: NCSG-Discuss [mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Alain Berranger
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2011 11:22 AM
To: NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: [NCSG-Discuss] Meeting in Dakar re NPOC complaint

Thanks Remmy,

Yes, I see the filing of SOIs at ICANN as a tool for increased transparency, minimizing and preferably eradicating conflicts of interest, and better communications in general.

For our SG, I would find it useful to understand the relationships between NCSG members and the various institutions s/he is affiliated with in one way or the other... It would be interesting to see a debate in NCSG about the pros and cons of individual memberships and institutional memberships. In the NPOC Constituency, we have found it more desirable to seek membership from Not-for-Profit Institutions, so that individuals mandated to represent the member institution actually have a mandate to represent and speak for their institution. This is why in our NPOC membership application form, we provide for two individuals to represent their institutions. This is not an issue for small organizations when the Executive Director or a Board Member is usually the main representative. It is an issue for larger organizations because of the need sometimes to seek a resolution from the Board or a letter of appointment by an Executive to actually designates who will represent the institution. There is also the issue of larger organizations - like Universities for instance - having more than one centre, faculty, division, unit, etc... interested in ICANN business and issues. Typically in an university, you may have the IT dept, the legal dept and the substantive research/teaching unit(s) all interested in ICANN issues.

As for your suggestion regarding Amber, I will leave it to her as NPOC interim Chair to decide if, when and how she responds.

Cheers, Alain

On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 5:44 AM, Remmy Nweke <remmyn at gmail.com<mailto:remmyn at gmail.com>> wrote:
Thanks Alain
For that insightful contribution. that update is crucial and I cannot agree less than to second the need to update the SOIs.
And for Amber, I think it would be good to get response too on the latest development regards the Dakar meeting, so as not make things look one-sided.

On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 4:12 AM, Alain Berranger <alain.berranger at gmail.com<mailto:alain.berranger at gmail.com>> wrote:
Thanks Dan,

I would add that a reasonable standard of transparency and participation would include all NCSG members' SOIs be submitted in the nearest future. It only takes a few minutes to complete. I notice that Amber and Konstantinos, our respective Chairs of NPOC and NCUC have completed their SOIs under the new format and we should all follow their lead. As many NPOC members have recently joined this discussion group, it would help us understand the web of relationships and degrees of separation in the  NCSG community and their two constituencies. For new comers, knowing who you are dealing with is essential.

Cheers, Alain

On Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 4:00 PM, Dan Krimm <dan at musicunbound.com<mailto:dan at musicunbound.com>> wrote:
This is a big relief, very happy to hear it.

I'd be even happier to see a post on-list by Amber that NPOC is happy with
this outcome.  Firsthand public reports are always the "gold standard"
here, and a very good habit to get into as a matter of course -- just a
friendly piece of advice about the collective culture here as a way to
offer a welcoming hand in good faith.

90% of success in life is simply showing up.  For those of us who are not
able to attend these events in person or even remotely in real time, this
list is where "showing up" has the broadest reach as well as the
tangibility and persistence of a written record.  It has real and
unduplicated meaning, and thus it makes a real difference.

So please, take our hand here on-list, and don't be a stranger.  This
public forum is an ineliminable venue for bringing our community together,
and should not be discounted.  Regular presence here in good faith should
be factored into any commitment to participate in the SG, especially as a
leader/representative.  This is a fabulous opportunity for a fresh start,
and for looking forward.

Dan

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On Fri, October 28, 2011 11:28 am, Robin Gross wrote:
> Thank you Milton.  I agree it was a worthwhile discussion and we were able
> to clarify several misunderstandings and recalibrate expectations
> regarding the NCSG membership application process so the SG should be less
> likely to have these hiccups in the future.
>
> Specifically, it was clarified that when new NCSG membership applications
> are submitted, they need to be submitted by the organization making the
> application itself (not the chair of NCUC or NPOC).  Although Konstantinos
> & Amber (as chairs of NCUC & NPOC) will come up with a membership form
> that can be submitted to the NCSG-EC and the constituency at the same
> time.  Applications will be responded to by the EC within 2 weeks from
> submission.  The NCSG-EC will conduct its due diligence and verify the
> applicants and make its decision as agreed in the NCSG charter.
>
> So with respect to the recent election results and the handling of
> membership applications, it was a very productive conversation and I am
> hopeful that we now have a clearer understanding of how to move forward.
> Actually, the NCSG Charter, which was agreed to by the NCSG membership,
> NCUC, NPOC and the ICANN Board proscribes many of the mechanisms and
> processes that should be followed for administration of the SG.
>
> It is my hope and sincere wish that past differences can be put aside and
> we can all begin working together in a cooperative and constructive
> fashion to build a stronger SG that promotes the interests of all
> noncommercial users of the DNS.  NCSG welcomes its new members, including
> NPOC members, and is looking forward to working with the participants in
> the coming months to build a stronger and more diverse SG at ICANN.
>
> Thank you,
> Robin Gross
> NCSG Chair
>
>
> On Oct 28, 2011, at 6:23 AM, Milton L Mueller wrote:
>
>> Dear members
>> NCSG EC members, NCUC members and NPOC leadership met in Dakar yesterday
>> with the ICANN Ombudsman acting as a neutral mediator.
>> The meeting focused on future practices for handling new membership
>> applications; there was and is no talk of undoing the election any more.
>> I think we identified some of the misunderstandings and process hiccups
>> that led to the initial problem and reached an agreement on how to
>> process membership applications in the future. I'll let Robin Gross, the
>> new NCSG Chair, fill you in on the details.
>>
>> Milton L. Mueller
>> Professor, Syracuse University School of Information Studies
>> Internet Governance Project
>> http://blog.internetgovernance.org
>>
>
>
>
>
> IP JUSTICE
> Robin Gross, Executive Director
> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
> p: +1-415-553-6261<tel:%2B1-415-553-6261>    f: +1-415-462-6451<tel:%2B1-415-462-6451>
> w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org<mailto:robin at ipjustice.org>
>

--
Alain Berranger, B.Eng, MBA
Member, Board of Directors, CECI, http://www.ceci.ca<http://www.ceci.ca/en/about-ceci/team/board-of-directors/>
Executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business, www.schulich.yorku.ca<http://www.schulich.yorku.ca>
interim Vice Chair, NPOC, NCSG, ICANN, http://npoc.org/
O:+1 514 484 7824<tel:%2B1%20514%20484%207824>; M:+1 514 704 7824<tel:%2B1%20514%20704%207824>
Skype: alain.berranger

--
REMMY NWEKE
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--
Alain Berranger, B.Eng, MBA
Member, Board of Directors, CECI, http://www.ceci.ca<http://www.ceci.ca/en/about-ceci/team/board-of-directors/>
Executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business, www.schulich.yorku.ca<http://www.schulich.yorku.ca>
interim Vice Chair, NPOC, NCSG, ICANN, http://npoc.org/
O:+1 514 484 7824; M:+1 514 704 7824
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