[CCWG-ACCT] Follow-up from the Word Internet Conference in China

"Kleinwächter, Wolfgang" wolfgang.kleinwaechter at medienkomm.uni-halle.de
Fri Jan 1 20:35:46 UTC 2016


FYI

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-gosset/digital-china-and-its-imp_b_8854374.html



Wolfgang


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org im Auftrag von Christopher Wilkinson
Gesendet: Do 31.12.2015 20:54
An: Accountability Cross Community
Betreff: Re: [CCWG-ACCT] Follow-up from the Word Internet Conference in China
 
+1	CW

On 31 Dec 2015, at 11:26, Roelof Meijer <Roelof.Meijer at sidn.nl> wrote:

> And that, in my opinion, would be the perfect final say on this issue.
> 
> Thanks, Sivasubramanian
> 
> 
> Roelof Meijer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 30-12-15 18:11, "accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org on
> behalf of Sivasubramanian M"
> <accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org on behalf of
> isolatedn at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> What is being blown out of proportion here? What did Fadi do? What do
>> those who criticize think was his rationale for doing what he did?
>> 
>> In dealing with a country as large as China, it is wise to defer
>> differences and emphasize points on which there are agreements. It
>> requires such an approach to open the door for dialogue, otherwise
>> decades would pass before we see China or Russia eye to eye.
>> 
>> There is a reaction, almost as if orchestrated, that seems to magnify
>> something perceived to have been done by Fadi Chehade exceeding his
>> brief, wrongly portrayed as self serving involvement, in complete
>> disregard for every thing that he did during his term in ICANN's best
>> interest. If the rationale is unspoken, is it to be misunderstood, so
>> much so that the Community should forget everything he did for ICANN
>> and harp on the absence of his vocal opposition to parts of the
>> Chinese statement and his willingness to serve a committee, which
>> might in reality turn out to be for the good of the multistakeholder
>> governance?
>> 
>> When someone in a highly responsible position comes under such a
>> severe attack, often the cause for attack is not what is apparent.
>> 
>> I observed from a distance that he wanted to bring about certain wider
>> changes which would alter the existing order in several ways (other
>> participants in various roles might know better), appeared to enjoy a
>> certain degree of freedom to initiate and execute programs in his own
>> style, for a year or two. He talked about values, he talked about
>> various imbalances, he showed respect for good people in the Board, he
>> reached out to the world by taking the initiative to organize an IGF
>> like multistakeholder event with Government participation which was a
>> successful event, and went on to further this good work by seeking to
>> involve the larger Business Community in the intended follow up as the
>> NetMundial Initiative. He improved participation in GAC, reached out
>> to Russia and China. There is more that he probably wanted to do. It
>> was meaningful leadership.
>> 
>> I recollect that, at the At-Large summit in London, he said "It is
>> time for the interests to move out of ICANN, and for the community to
>> come in". Sometime later, in Istanbul, he sought to introduce the
>> concept of ICANN "Townhall" meetings but arrived at the first meeting
>> severely discouraged (or so I thought). It appeared that he was
>> challenged for including certain public iana/accountability comments
>> in staff summary. Shortly afterwards, he was challenged in his
>> initiative to appoint External Advisors on ICANN Accountability, was
>> criticized on the process he was to adopt, and the process went
>> through some changes as a result; he was challenged in many other ways
>> whilst performing his role to its fullest actualization. The highest
>> of the orchestrated opposition was to the progress of NetMundial.
>> 
>> All these, for different reasons, threatened an existing order. Any
>> reform that has been brought about (by the Board and Fadi's team
>> together) is not even close to being even half done, because and only
>> because, the pressure against change must have been overwhelming.
>> 
>> Must have been severely stressful. A case of a CEO not empowered
>> enough to survive an overwhelmingly powerful community.
>> 
>> Sivasubramanian M
>> 
>> On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 8:05 PM, Carlos Raul Gutierrez <crg at isoc-cr.org>
>> wrote:
>>> Thank you Milton!
>>> 
>>> Very good article from my perspective, but still it is difficult to
>>> define
>>> how and at what level it is best to engage with your main (internet)
>>> equipment supplier.....
>>> 
>>> Have a nice "rutsch" into the new year.
>>> 
>>> Carlos
>>> 
>>> On Dec 30, 2015 5:49 AM, "Mueller, Milton L" <milton at gatech.edu> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Here¹s my view of ICANN and Fadi¹s support for the Chinese Wuzhen
>>>> Internet
>>>> Conference. (Spoiler: it¹s not about Fadi)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> http://www.internetgovernance.org/2015/12/29/the-chinese-netmundial-init
>>>> iative/
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> From: accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org
>>>> [mailto:accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org] On Behalf Of
>>>> Carlos Raul
>>>> Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 10:35 AM
>>>> To: Roelof Meijer <Roelof.Meijer at sidn.nl>
>>>> Cc: Accountability Cross Community
>>>> <accountability-cross-community at icann.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [CCWG-ACCT] Follow-up from the Word Internet Conference in
>>>> China
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> @Roelof +1 on the last comment. Having somebody as bright as Fadi but
>>>> choking his efforts to follow up on the IMHO GREAT results of the Net
>>>> Mundial meeting in Brazil, has been the main explanation to me on why
>>>> he is
>>>> leaving.
>>>> 
>>>> For those critical of his entrepreneurship they may consider NOT hiring
>>>> private sector CEOs in the future, but "secretary general" type of
>>>> management that just follow up orders.
>>>> 
>>>> Happy holidays
>>>> 
>>>> Carlos Raul
>>>> 
>>>> On Dec 28, 2015 9:05 AM, "Roelof Meijer" <Roelof.Meijer at sidn.nl> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Might be the reason why someone like Fadi is actually NOT working for
>>>> you...
>>>> 
>>>> And no, I do not agree at all that this is a "great example of lack of
>>>> accountability"
>>>> 
>>>> Best,
>>>> 
>>>> Roelof Meijer
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On 26-12-15 13:19, "accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org on
>>>> behalf of Nigel Roberts"
>>>> <accountability-cross-community-bounces at icann.org
>>>> on behalf of nigel at channelisles.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Paul
>>>>> 
>>>>> If Fadi worked for me, then his leaving date would just have been
>>>>> brought forward dramatically, and he would have, as we say in the UK,
>>>>> found a number of pressing reasons to spend more time with the family.
>>>>> 
>>>>> But the Board don't collectively have the cojones to do that.
>>>>> 
>>>>> That's not really a criticism of the institution or the current
>>>> members
>>>>> of it, just a recognition of how much power that the Board of
>>>>> non-profits (don't) have over their General Manager (as I saw over 20
>>>>> years ago as a board member of the Radio Society of Great Britain,
>>>> which
>>>>> despite being an office I could trace back in history to a certain Sr.
>>>>> Marconi, had exactly the same level of power(lessness) than the ICANN
>>>>> Board has, in some aspects).
>>>>> 
>>>>> Indeed, were I an ICANN Board member I might take that view -- in that
>>>>> the damage to the organisation from further inflaming the situation
>>>>> might be greater than just crossing my fingers and waiting for the
>>>>> problem to go away naturally in the Spring.
>>>>> 
>>>>> However, it's a great example of lack of accountability, wouldn't you
>>>>> agree?
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 25/12/15 15:33, Paul Rosenzweig wrote:
>>>>>> We must live in a bit of a different world, I think. Where I come
>>>> from,
>>>>>> any
>>>>>> public official (and let's not kid ourselves -- that is what Fadi
>>>> is)
>>>>>> who
>>>>>> did what Fadi did would be subject to discipline if not removal.
>>>> While
>>>>>> acting in a public role, the official has no private capacity --
>>>> none
>>>>>> at
>>>>>> all.  At least in the world I inhabit that prohibition is so
>>>> stringent
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> it applies even to actions that would be (under any reasonable
>>>> test) so
>>>>>> clearly distinct that the likelihood of confusing the public role
>>>> with
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> private role was virtually non-existent.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> For a particularly telling recent example of this, consider this
>>>> story:
>>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/meet-the-author-of-the-
>>>>>> rev
>>>>>> ena
>>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> nt--except-you-cant-because-of-his-federal-job/2015/12/22/32d632fe-a5c
>>>>>> 5-1
>>>>>> 1e5
>>>>>> -ad3f-991ce3374e23_story.html.  A minor Federal official wrote "The
>>>>>> Revenant" before he joined the government.  Now, the book is a major
>>>>>> movie
>>>>>> just released today, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  In the normal
>>>> course
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> events, the writer of the book on which the film was based would be
>>>>>> doing
>>>>>> publicity for the film.  Here, the author cannot -- because he is a
>>>>>> Deputy
>>>>>> Trade Representative of the US.  Now, I don't know about you, but
>>>> for
>>>>>> me the
>>>>>> likelihood that people will associate the movie publicity with the
>>>> USTR
>>>>>> office and draw an inference of official US government approval is
>>>>>> vanishingly small -- so on the merits I would say that this is a
>>>> place
>>>>>> where
>>>>>> the officials private life could diverge from his public
>>>>>> responsibility.
>>>>>> But as I said, here we are so cautious about even the appearance of
>>>>>> impropriety that the author is not doing any public relations for
>>>> his
>>>>>> movie.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> As others have pointed out for Fadi the possibility of confusion is
>>>>>> clearly
>>>>>> much higher -- the press and the public will (and have) linked his
>>>> new
>>>>>> "personal capacity" job to his current status as CEO of ICANN --
>>>> which
>>>>>> is of
>>>>>> course exactly why he was hired and exactly what the Chinese wanted.
>>>>>> Frankly, as Nigel said, I find his behavior troubling and remarkably
>>>>>> tone
>>>>>> deaf.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I should add that the purpose of the restriction on trading on your
>>>>>> public
>>>>>> position works both ways.  We worry not only about the new "private"
>>>>>> connection currying favor with public official, we also worry that
>>>> the
>>>>>> official may make decisions in his public capacity that are now to
>>>>>> benefit
>>>>>> his future private actions rather than the public interest.  It
>>>> isn't
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> connection and the cooperation that is troubling (as Eric notes) --
>>>> it
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> the promise of future employment with unknown benefits that was made
>>>>>> while
>>>>>> the public official was still working for the public that raises the
>>>>>> questions.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Paul
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Paul Rosenzweig
>>>>>> paul.rosenzweig at redbranchconsulting.com
>>>>>> O: +1 (202) 547-0660
>>>>>> M: +1 (202) 329-9650
>>>>>> VOIP: +1 (202) 738-1739
>>>>>> Skype: paul.rosenzweig1066
>>>>>> Link to my PGP Key
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Nigel Roberts [mailto:nigel at channelisles.net]
>>>>>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2015 5:47 AM
>>>>>> To: accountability-cross-community at icann.org
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [CCWG-ACCT] Follow-up from the Word Internet
>>>> Conference in
>>>>>> China
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Are we tending a bit much toward micromanagement of the CEO?  I
>>>> have
>>>>>>> never been one of his fans, but this seems a bit much to make an
>>>> issue
>>>>>> over.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> avri
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> This is not just a matter of judgment, but a matter of
>>>> cross-cultural
>>>>>> judgment. The CEO gets paid to get this right. And I REALLY expected
>>>>>> better
>>>>>> from Mr Chehade' in that department
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Actually, I would not have expected this kind of behaviour from
>>>> recent
>>>>>> previous CEOs.  Certainly not from Paul.  In fact not even from Rod,
>>>>>> who
>>>>>>   despite his public persona and irritating Hollywood rockstar ways
>>>>>> was, in
>>>>>> many was, quite sensitive to non-US cultures!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In China, relationships matter.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Appearance matters. A lot.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Both of those things can be as important, if not more important than
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> 'letter of the law' as to whose dime he was on when carrying on the
>>>>>> discussion with the relevant actors inside China.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The American way (and the British, to a lesser extent) is based on a
>>>>>> cliteral interpretation of the rules (with a seasoning of
>>>> 'wiggle-room'
>>>>>> for peccadilloes).
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> So while it's understandable to hear from some of you that you don't
>>>>>> see the
>>>>>> problem, some of us really, really see a big issue here.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I'm not going to complain loudly about the ethics side, although I
>>>>>> personally find it curious that Fadi was there on ICANN's dime, yet
>>>>>> once
>>>>>> again making announcements 'in his personal capacity'.  A CEO can
>>>> never
>>>>>> be
>>>>>> in his personal capacity, in my view until he gets his cardboard
>>>> box.
>>>>>> (It was strange how the reporters describe him as ICANN's CEO,
>>>> though.
>>>>>> Oh yes, that's because he IS. Even yet.)
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The issue is that the head of ICANN, voluntarily handed in his
>>>>>> resignation,
>>>>>> choosing to leave early, before transition was complete, and in
>>>> another
>>>>>> revolving-door shocker joined an organisation with an apparently
>>>>>> completely
>>>>>> different world view, and chose Wuzhen to make supportive
>>>> statements of
>>>>>> them
>>>>>> and their backers.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Once again, 'it's not what they say, its what others hear'.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> UK public servants have a purdah period before moving to
>>>> organisations
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> operate in the same sphere.  Why, in the name of accountabaility,
>>>> does
>>>>>> ICANN
>>>>>> still not? (Have we forgotten and already discounted the terrible
>>>>>> optics of
>>>>>> Dengate-Thrushgate?). A mere xix months would not be onerous.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Please don't dissect Fadi's actual words. They don't count.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hardly at all.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It's the nature of 'who', 'where', and 'when' that counts much more
>>>>>> than
>>>>>> 'what', or even 'why'.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> '
>>>>>>> And with that, I shall stop and simply add -- Happy Holidays!
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Likewise.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Sivasubramanian M
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