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Dear Yrjö,<br>
<br>
thank you very much for starting this discussion. Please be so kind
to find a few of my personal points of views, interspersed in your
text:<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 29/07/2016 16:32, Yrjö Länsipuro
wrote:<br>
</div>
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<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
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<span lang="EN-US">Dear members of the Task Force,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
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<span lang="EN-US">A few thoughts on our task:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span lang="EN-US">1) It is self-evident that without active
ALS's, EURALO (like other RALOs and At Large itself) would
be just an<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>empty shell. The credibility of ALAC/At Large as "t</span><span
style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">he primary
organizational home within</span><span
style="color:#333333;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span><span
style="mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:FI">ICANN</span><span
style="color:#333333;mso-ansi-language:
FI"> </span><span
style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">for individual
Internet users" hinges on whether our voice is emanating
from the grassroots or just from a club of "usual
suspects". <br>
</span></p>
</div>
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</blockquote>
<br>
Ever since I have been involved in At-Large this has been a key
component part and potential criticism. Indeed, ICANN as a whole is
often accused of being a small club of "usual suspects" and the
mission for the ALAC & At-Large Community is to make sure it is
not. It is a very serious mission indeed.<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
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<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">2) As we heard from
Wolf at the EURALO call (July 26), earlier attempts at
enhancing the grassroots engagement have been resisted by
some ALS's as bureaucratic meddling from EURALO's side. <span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span
style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>As unjustified as such criticism may be,
now we have to make absolutely sure that our efforts
<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>will not be seen in such light, and don't
meet the same fate.</span></p>
</div>
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</blockquote>
<br>
Today we are at an intersection with two more components which make
the game very different indeed:<br>
<br>
1. The implementation of the At-Large Summit recommendations<br>
These were decided by the At-Large community, drafted at the Summit
in London (June 2014) and ratified unanimously by the ALAC. It is
the will of the At-Large Community to proceed forward with these
changes. The tracking of the recommendation implementation is on:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://community.icann.org/x/IJZCAw">https://community.icann.org/x/IJZCAw</a><br>
Recommendation #28<br>
Recommendation #29<br>
Recommendation #42<br>
Recommendation #43<br>
<br>
2. The current ALAC Review. <br>
This is a bylaw-mandated independent review of the ALAC and its
component parts. Recommendations from the independent review are
binding once the ALAC ratifies them and the plan is sent to the
ICANN Board.<br>
The At-Large Review Working Party's page is on:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://community.icann.org/x/aZMQAw">https://community.icann.org/x/aZMQAw</a><br>
<br>
This second process will make recommendations on improving the RALOs
which are non negotiable. I would think that ALSes which have a
problem with the recommendations would be better served in taking
part in the current process of self-improvement, rather than waiting
to be told what to do in the RALO top down. Because I also have to
add one more thing: the concept that a RALO is "sovereign" is
completely false. The RALO has obligations to ICANN and if these
obligations are not met, including working with ICANN on regional
outreach and strategic plans, the ALAC has the option of ending its
MoU with the RALO and to create a new one with new members.<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
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type="cite">
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<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">3) If one looks at
the EURALO ALS list
(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://atlarge.icann.org/alses/euralo">https://atlarge.icann.org/alses/euralo</a>), two facts jump
out.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>First, the <b
style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">
great diversity</b> of the ALS's as to their nature and
areas of interest. <span style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>Some<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>cover
a broad spectrum of internet and information society
issues.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Some are
interested in a more narrow segment among them.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Some<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>are
NGO's<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>engaged in other fields that have joined the At
Large because of the importance of the internet in<span
style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>their core activities.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Thus, their engagement in<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>At Large varies greatly in relevance and subject
matter interest from one ALS to the next.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Thus, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">one
size does not fit all</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>( The other salient feature is EURALO's lopsided
geography, especially the absence of ALS's in some parts
of Europe. That is a separate problem, but our work may
also contribute to solving it)</span></p>
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</blockquote>
<br>
Absolutely agreed -- but you know, EURALO is not the only region
like this. The whole At-Large Community is very diverse. Hence ATLAS
II recommendations #28 and #29. <br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
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<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">4) Enhancing the
measurable activity level of ALS's is not an end in
itself. Statistics aside,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>we are first of all interested in their <b
style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">
activities that support the main role of At Large/ALAC</b>
"to consider and provide advice on the activities of</span><span
style="color:#333333;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span><span
style="mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt;mso-ansi-language:FI">ICANN</span><span
style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;
color:#333333;background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">,
insofar as they relate to the interests of individual
Internet users".<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>Thus, all potential expertise "hidden" in the ALS's
should be discovered and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>leveraged in preparing ALAC advice on ICANN
activities.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>This would relieve the workload of those few who
now do most of the drafting.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Here, the
diversity and different fields of specialization of ALS's
could actually be a great asset.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Ooops, sorry, at the risk of repeating myself -- see #28 & #29
:-)<br>
We are entirely in agreement.<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:HE1PR0601MB2347DDA62E82C96FCE8F89F0FF010@HE1PR0601MB2347.eurprd06.prod.outlook.com"
type="cite">
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<div>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">5) An ALS can play
an important role as
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">a component of the
multistakeholder setup at the national level</b> and
even as the initiator for national-level multistakeholder
cooperation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>To what extent this actually happens,<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>
varies from country to country, <span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>with have different
traditions of communications among different sectors of
the society, but the potential for improvement seems to be
there.
<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Like charity, multistakeholderism starts<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>at home. The engagement of ALS´s in national
multistakeholder cooperation should be actively promoted
by EURALO, ie. by facilitating their contacts with other
national level stakeholders active in ICANN.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>(The table<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>prepared
by Oksana is a good beginning for mapping the situation in
various countries)</span></p>
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</blockquote>
<br>
Absolutely agree.<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:HE1PR0601MB2347DDA62E82C96FCE8F89F0FF010@HE1PR0601MB2347.eurprd06.prod.outlook.com"
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<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;
background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="mso-bidi-font-size:10.5pt;color:#333333;background:white;mso-ansi-language:FI">6)
In my view, the Task Force should focus on<span
style="mso-spacerun:
yes">
</span>(1) how to encourage the participation of fresh
expert resources from the ALS's, according to their area
of specialization, in the development of ALAC advice to
ICANN's policy development processes and (2) how to
encourage ALS's to play an active part in the
multistakeholder processes on the national level.</span></b></p>
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</blockquote>
<br>
I would hope that the task force can also play a good part in the
mapping & the topics of interest from #28 & #29.<br>
<br>
Last but not least, I think the task force should also be looking at
the work of the At-Large ALS Criteria and Expectations Task Force.
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://community.icann.org/x/AohCAw">https://community.icann.org/x/AohCAw</a><br>
<br>
Kindest regards,<br>
<br>
Olivier<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond, PhD
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.gih.com/ocl.html">http://www.gih.com/ocl.html</a>
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