Quoting Milton Mueller <[log in to unmask]>: I like it. In response to Erick's point, I would rephrase a bit as follows. > Harold, Hakikur and Eung Hwi > > Your comments were great, how about something like this as an agreed > position: > > Regarding the "Restricted Fund for Developing Country Internet > Communities." > > We support the concept but would prefer to see it re-labelled a > "Restricted Fund for Technical Forums in Developing Countries." > Encouraging and facilitating knowledge-sharing on technical matters > related to DNS and IP protocols falls within ICANN's general purview and > fosters coordination rather than top-down management. In this context, ICANN should explicitly recognize it's role as a facilitator to local communities. The constituency stresses that it is neither ICANN's role to create communities where none exist, nor to seek to "guide" communities on a particular path. The genius of the Internet has been its ability to allow self-organizing communities to engage involuntary cooperation. This ensures a continuing wellspring of new ideas and innovations. If ICANN were to go beyond its role as a facilitator and coordinator by attempting to "jump start" a local community or "correct" a local communities "mistakes," such actions -- however well intentioned -- would be antithetical to the traditions of the Internet community and to ICANN's guiding principles. We therefore encourage ICANN to define clear and > transparent procedures for organizations to apply for these funds and to > avoid making grants at the discretion of central staff. ICANN should > have objective, neutral and participatory mechanisms to determine who > gets these funds. Any evaluation committee should include > representatives from each of the Supporting Organizations. > > > --MM > -- Harold Feld Associate Director Media Access Project