Hooray, and welcome Avri!
We are very lucky to have you, your experience, your caring, your 
commitment to public interest principles
...and you support!
Kathy
> I wanted to make a few comments on why I joined.
>
> I have long been associated with the NCUC at a distance as a member 
> of, or as someone who donated to, several of the organizations that 
> belong to the NCUC. But I was never a member and actually did not plan 
> to become an individual member - I had other plans in mind.
>
> I am joining at this time, however,  not only because I support the 
> public-interest principles that are the foundation of NCUC, but 
> because I want to express my solidarity with a Stakeholder Group that 
> has received short shrift from ICANN in the process of establishing 
> itself.  The ICANN Board has now approved a Stakeholder Group Charter 
> that was not created through the bottom-up process but by ICANN Policy 
> Staff in a top-down manner.  The ICANN Board has also blatantly 
> ignored the bottom-up process that did occur and the community outrage 
> that ensued.  I am also disturbed that the requirement for parity and 
> equal conditions among the 4 Stakeholder Groups, something that was 
> central to the restructuring plan, has been ignored when it comes to 
> the NCSG.
>
> At this time, I  think it is important for me as an individual to take 
> a stand and to be counted with those who were so used and abused by 
> the ICANN system.  I am proud that my membership was approved and that 
> I can stand with you all in a continuing struggle to see that the 
> legitimate bottom-up processes and the will of civil society 
> participants in ICANN are respected.
>
> I further appreciate that the NCUC has accepted me as a member even 
> though I am still a Nomcom Appointee to the GNSO Council and as such 
> still bound to represent the public interest as I understand it and 
> not necessarily according to NCUC positions; though, of course, often 
> these two coincide.  As the current chair of the GNSO Council, it also 
> remains my responsibility to work toward consensus solutions despite 
> what I may believe is the 'best' solution.  For the remainder of my 
> term I will continue to function within the council as an NomCom 
> Appointee and as Chair in the same manner as I have up until now.  
> That is, I will not be speaking for the NCUC positon in any issues 
> within the purview of the GNSO Council, but will continue to speak in 
> my independent capacity.  My term as a member of GNSO council, and as 
> its chair, ends on 30 October 2009.
>
> Again, I am happy to have joined you.
>
> a.