[bc-gnso] Remarks on ICANN Empowered Community Forum last Thursday

[Steve DelBianco]

BC members -- Wanted you to see this intervention regarding the IANA Transition and new ICANN bylaws.
Last Thursday at the Approval Action Community Forum<https://icann78.sched.com/event/1T4Jk/approval-action-community-forum>, I was the only person to speak, and said this, at 22:40 of this zoom feed<https://icann.zoom.us/rec/play/l2LwV-lIVw-Toz_goWQemlIYYLun5k0ssot_q83DWUb5SpoG9jKaSjO0sxn5tPQ-gti_ryYCbHuCj54.FQQhHdv1W0yPgNO4?canPlayFromShare=true&from=share_recording_detail&startTime=1698325378000&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ficann.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FQtleusV8TqY3QNUqi3UJivJsi0ycXKfbrDjM-o825P2MGQZAlbVFvBUMxtnClIGT.U2PReAcsf8_sJ7Dl%3FstartTime%3D1698325378000>

Steve DelBianco with the business constituency.
I looked around, and about half of the folks in this room were around in 2014, 2015, and 2016, when we used the IANA transition as a leverage point to create bylaws, processes, and the empowered community.

It allows the communities ICANN was designed to serve to hold the board and org
accountable to those communities.

For the other half in the room: You have to be mystified about Why there would be so much preparation from legal and org, and why the entire board is seated in the room to look at what seem to be insignificant and trivial amendments to the fundamental bylaws.

But you couldn't be more wrong.

This represents an exercise of the muscle of the empowered community.  Because there may be times in the future when we're exercising this muscle on far more controversial amendments to fundamental bylaws, or a challenge to a decision that ICANN is made.

And the fact that you're taking this so seriously gives me great comfort, and it gives me ammunition.
Back in Washington, DC,  where critics of ICANN and those who wish the transition never occurred are continuing to wonder whether the empowered community has any power at all.

So I'll point to this as an instance that it's really being taken seriously. So when and if we need to hold board and org accountable on something more significant, we'll know how to do it.

So I thank you for your seriousness.

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