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

Thu Dec 31 10:26:10 UTC 2015

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.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>> >> Accountability-Cross-Community mailing list
>>> >> Accountability-Cross-Community at icann.org
>>> >> https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/accountability-cross-community
>>> >>
>>> >_______________________________________________
>>> >Accountability-Cross-Community mailing list
>>> >Accountability-Cross-Community at icann.org
>>> >https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/accountability-cross-community
>>> >
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Accountability-Cross-Community mailing list
>>> Accountability-Cross-Community at icann.org
>>> https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/accountability-cross-community
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Accountability-Cross-Community mailing list
>>> Accountability-Cross-Community at icann.org
>>> https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/accountability-cross-community
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Accountability-Cross-Community mailing list
>> Accountability-Cross-Community at icann.org
>> https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/accountability-cross-community
>>
>
>
>
>-- 
>Sivasubramanian M
>_______________________________________________
>Accountability-Cross-Community mailing list
>Accountability-Cross-Community at icann.org
>https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/accountability-cross-community