[wilhelmtux-discussion] Fwd: [WSIS-EUC] Strengthening european civil society participation in ALAC - ICANN

Thu Feb 9 08:06:06 CET 2006

Hi folks,

the following seems to be very interresting for our group(s), especially the 
possibility to register as an organisation at ICANN for the ALAC (At-large 
advisory Committee.

Kind regards

Myriam

----------  Message transmis  ----------

Subject: [WSIS-EUC] Strengthening european civil society participation in ALAC 
- ICANN
Date: Mardi 7 Février 2006 22:13
From: Annette Muehlberg <annette at nnm-ev.de>
To: wsis-euc at fsfeurope.org

Dearest comrades and companions,
dear Sir or Madam,

the question of how Internet Governance is shaped is one of the central
sociopolitical tasks of the coming years. It will be a matter of how
consumers and Internet users can become involved in the policy making of
ICANN.

We are all aware of how sorry the tale of direct participation by
Internet users in ICANN has been. There is, nevertheless, a civil
society element in ICANN, the At-large Advisory Committee (ALAC),
composed to represent Internet users, five regions in world each
providing 3 representatives. At this point these representatives are
chosen by a nominating committee of ICANN. However, the goal is that the
current ALAC members build structures to foster participation in their
respective regions, and furthermore facilitate the direct election of
regional ALAC representatives.

As new European member of ALAC, I am standing up for the broader
participation and political ownership of those who would make human
rights and consumer protection fundamental aspects of ICANN's structure
and work.

Now is the time to found a regional structure to facilitate the broadest
possible participation of Internet users. Current ICANN bylaws require
organizational participants who would like to build up a regional
structure to represent individuals interests and concerns. These
organizations (or groups of people working on internet users' issues)
are, in ICANN's terms, "At-Large Structures" (ALSes).

To reach the status of what ICANN refers to as an "At-Large Structure"
(ALS), has a few simple requisites and a questionnaire to be filled, all
of which may be found at the following address:
http://alac.icann.org/applications/

There are already a few European organizations that have become ALSes,
however, in no wise are they representative for the diversity of
European Internet oriented Human rights and consumer protection
organizations. These few ALSes (nine in number, almost all ISOC European
chapters) have developed a 'principles' document, in which they propose
the future structure of a European Regional At-Large Organization
(EU-RALO). See http://bertola.eu.org/euralo_principles.pdf

This recommendation represents a full scale bureaucratization of this
opportunity for participation in ICANN. Instead of fostering direct
participation and defining political goals for RALO, they appear busy
forming a cozy little club: Representatives are to be elected who in
turn elect representatives that may then advise ICANN.

To build reasonable information flows and foster involvement in ICANN on
the part of European Internet users requires the participation of all
Internet oriented Human rights and consumer protection organizations.

NOW is the time for you to act that we may open a window to civil
society in ICANN. The 'club culture' bureaucratization can only be put
to a stop through accredited ALSes. Obtain your accreditation today.
Otherwise, in the next weeks, structures will be put in place which will
block your direct participation in ICANN.

The time is short since our club buddies have slyly set a rather tight
deadline, February 15, for discussion of their recommendation.
Thereafter, they want to put it to the vote.

It is impossible to consider the future of European Internet user
involvement in a new "EU-RALO" from a broad base in such a short period
of time. This is especially true for Internet user groups in eastern
Europe. It would be helpful if you could use your individual and
institutional contacts in north, south, west and east Europe to solicit
for an inclusive civil society engagement and accrediting as "At-large
Structure".

We must gain more time. We can do so if, as newly accredited ALSes, we
vote against the current structural recommendations. In parallel, I will
put forward the basis for an alternative recommendation. There is an
ongoing, very critical discussion on the Internet Governance List of the
World Summit for the Information Society which we may also build on.

On http://www.wecann.net I will give more informationen and set up a
Wiki for the discussion of a RALO ( http://www.wecann.net/ralowiki ).

Let us strengthen the civil rights and consumer protection related to
the Internet and Assigned Names and Numbers and form an ALS.

Best regards,

Annette Muehlberg,
European member, ALAC, and Co-chair network new media

This call to action is supported by:

Peter Bittner, Computer Science Forum for Peace and Social
Responsibility (Forum InformatikerInnen Frieden und
gesellschaftlicheVerantwortung, (FIfF))

Markus Beckedahl, Co-chair of network new media (nnm)

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kleinwaechter, ICANN-Studienkreis, University of Aarhus

Andy Mueller-Maguhn, Chaos Computer Club

Dr. Volker Grassmuck, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, Humboldt-
Universität, Berlin
----------------------------------
And this is the way to get accredited as ALS:

Fill in the following form below (also see:
http://alac.icann.org/correspondence/structures-app.htm ) and send it
to: als[@]alac.icann.org

Spanish and italian speakers can use the following link:
http://alac.icann.org/framework.htm

If you need some support, please let me know: annette [@] nnm-ev.de

----------------------
Please fill out this form, and send it to <als at alac.icann.org>.

Contact information

  1. Organization's Name:

  2. Organization's email address:

  3. Organization's phone number (include country/city codes):

  4. Organization's address (location and postal address, if
     different):

  5. Organization's website (URL) (if available):

  6. Organization's contact for ALS application (email, phone,
     address):

Description

  7. Is your organization constituted so that participation by
     individual Internet users who are citizens or residents of
     countries within the Geographic Region in which your
     organization is based will predominate in your organization's
     operation?

  8. Describe your organization's constituents/membership (number,
     citizenship/location, defining characteristic - e.g. profession
     for professional societies):

  9. Explain the eligibility requirements (if any) for your
     organization's constituents/membership (if you provide a written
     application for admission as a member, you may attach a copy):

10. In what language/s does your organization conduct its business?

11. Provide support for the statement that your organization is
     self-supporting (by answering "yes" you confirm that it will not
     rely on ICANN for funding):

12. Describe your organization's structure (e.g. governing and
     decision-making bodies and processes):

13. Does your organization commit to supporting its individual
     constituents'/membership's informed participation in ICANN?

14. Describe how your organization keeps its constituents/membership
     informed about, and enables them to participate in, decisions
     regarding issues of interest:

15. Does your organization post on the Internet publicly-accessible,
     current information about your organization's goals, structure,
     description of constituent group(s)/membership, working
     mechanisms, leadership, and contact(s) (if this information
     currently is available, provide URLs)?

16. Provide information on your organization's leadership (leaders'
     names, positions, emails):

Objectives

17. What is your organization's primary goal or mission (please
     attach any mission or policy statement for your organization, if
     in writing, or provide a URL, if posted):

18. What ICANN-related issues currently are of interest to your
     organization's constituents/membership:

19. If formed, will your organization commit to assisting the
     Regional At-Large Organization (RALO) for the region in which
     your organization is based in performing its function?

Signature

     (Include the name, and title, if applicable, of the individual
     who is authorized by your organization to sign this application
     and commit your organization to comply with ALS criteria.)

_______________________________________________
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WSIS-EUC at fsfeurope.org
https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/wsis-euc

-------------------------------------------------------

-- 
Myriam R. Schweingruber, fsfe fellow # 304

Join the fellowship and protect your freedom: http://www.fsfe.org

PS. This message is digitaly signed - diese Mail ist digital signiert - ce 
message comporte une signature numérique
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