[council] Funding for travel

Tue Dec 4 07:52:06 UTC 2007

First of all, I would like to restate my appreciation that Philip 
started the discussion about financial support to attend the GNSO 
Council meetings.  I am also happy to know, from the different positive 
responses, that this is a problem that affects not only me, but also 
many other council members.

We discussed it in a council meeting first - if I remember correctly - 
in Wellington, when information about ICANN funding for different other 
sectors was shared, but no action was taken. I was even surprised to 
learn now from Denise Michel's mail that "funding for Council members' 
travel to 2 intersessional meetings" is in the ICANN budget. Was this in 
response to a GNSO Council request? Or how was this achieved? I think 
this was done DURING 2006/2007 - so maybe it could be a model to help us 
out with wider funding also DURING the rest of 2007 for 2008 as a 
special case.

I share the opinion that efforts should  be made to fund all council 
member's participation (unless somebody says that outside cover has 
already been achieved). Otherwise there would probably be a very 
complicated process of assessing who, and for which meeting, might get 
support.

Let me share my situation as a NCUC delegated council member as an 
example. The financial situation of our constituency saw ups and downs 
over time. Sometimes I had NCUC support (not full coverage of all flight 
and hotel costs), sometimes - like for the Los Angeles meeting, when I 
had already given up hope - I got "last minute" outside support. But 
because of the late date when I was able to make the bookings, the most 
economical bookings were already sold out (I mention this, because also 
the TIMING of funding assurance is important to save resources). To 
participate in the Lisbon meetings, I paid everything from my personal 
resources - I cannot do this often, as I am no longer in a salaried 
employment, but I am a "free" associate of the Cambodian NGO where I work.

To financially facilitate my regular participation as a council member, 
without the almost regular anxiety whether or not I can finance to go to 
the next meeting, would be a great help not only for me, but I think 
that quite a number of colleagues in the council are in a similar situation.

Norbert Klein
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

=

Robin Gross wrote:
>
> I think the approach is for full support for all council members.  I'm 
> not sure that trying to divide councilors into classes of need and 
> interest is useful in this situation.
>
> The organization should simply pay for the work of the organization to 
> be done, which means the travel costs of those expected to participate 
> in policy meetings.
>
> Robin
>
>
> Avri Doria wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> While I have made a request to Denise regarding support for travel  
>> for remote locations by council members, understanding that most  
>> every location is remote to someone, I am not sure what direct 
>> action  we can take.  I have asked for budget consideration for 
>> 2008.  Does  anyone have any suggestions?
>>
>> For clarification, what level of support we are asking for:
>>
>> - Full support for all council members equivalent to nomcom 
>> appointee  level os support
>> - Full support for at least one member from each constituency
>> - Support on an individual need basis.  As I understand it, some  
>> participants may have already been able to get support on this basis.
>>
>> One personal comment about nomcom appointee support.  For the most  
>> part nomcom appointees are outsiders brought into ICANN and are  
>> generally not people who would have had professional interest in  
>> ICANN had they not been brought in by the Nomcom.  Speaking  
>> personally,  while a registrant and thus a stakeholder without  
>> constituency, ICANN was not on my list of professional activities 
>> and  thus was not  something i would have chosen to spent my own 
>> income on  (i.e., I was content as an outside critic until  asked to 
>> participate  from the inside).  I am assuming that those in 
>> constituencies and who  become active in these constituencies have a 
>> professional or advocacy  reason for participation.  I am not arguing 
>> that this disqualifies  anyone for support, but am trying to point 
>> out that there may be a  difference in consideration between nomcom 
>> appointee expenses and  constituency representative expenses.  Also I 
>> do not expect that any  nomcom appointee get their income from 
>> activities relating to ICANN.  e.g, I don't.  I also wonder whether 
>> any of the constituencies  provide support for their chosen council 
>> members and whether this  should be an issue as part of the 
>> restructuring effort.
>>
>> a.
>>
>> On 3 dec 2007, at 09.41, Mike Rodenbaugh wrote:
>>
>>> I also support another direct request, and echo Ute’s comments.  I  
>>> doubt that many Councilors outside of the NomComm (who have their  
>>> expenses paid) and the Registries and Registrars (who have ICANN  
>>> issues central to their businesses) would be able to make the trips  
>>> to Delhi or Africa.
>>>
>>> From: owner-council at gnso.icann.org [mailto:owner- 
>>> council at gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Ute Decker
>>> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 3:09 AM
>>> To: council at gnso.icann.org
>>> Subject: RE: [council] Funding for travel
>>>
>>> I very much support that – ideally giving him also an idea of  
>>> scale.  I am among the many who will not be able to attend unless  
>>> travel cost is covered and this is too important a meeting to miss  
>>> out on.
>>>
>>> From: owner-council at gnso.icann.org [mailto:owner- 
>>> council at gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Philip Sheppard
>>> Sent: 03 December 2007 10:59
>>> To: council at gnso.icann.org
>>> Subject: [council] Funding for travel
>>>
>>> Given that Delhi will soon be upon us, and that Council travel  
>>> funding is in the ICANN budget, (even though we have repeated this  
>>> request in our reform submission), should we consider a direct  
>>> request to the ICANN CEO to authorise release of funds for Delhi ?
>>>
>>> Philip

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