Sometimes I can't help but wonder if ICANN inc. is any more than a venture capitalist mindset outfit, interested largely on its own bottom-line and the continued health and strengthening of financial well-being of its commercial stakeholders, with "global public interest" tag/label conveniently used as a PR shop front? Engages in ritual ITU bashing since that is its only major threat to the status-quo? Always guaranteed to succeed as "a better option" since *all* governments authority are feared, globally. I ask, would it not be useful to also pursue Civil Society participation at ITU also. Non-Commercials having two options is better that only one. Someone one told me that when arguing from a terribly weakened position, it often helps to consider, "an enemy of your enemy is your friend." just thinking out aloud here... On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 7:35 AM, Norbert Klein <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > For a long time I was watching and waiting: all the questions and > arguments against splitting NCSG had been raised properly – why should I add > my voice? But all this did not seem to lead to any substantial response from > those proposing the creation of NPOC. When I say “substantial” I mean: in > direct response to specific, direct questions. > > Thanks to Milton for summing up the concerns raised, looking back on a > history (I have been involved and representing an NGO in Cambodia among the > non-commercials of ICANN since 1999) which is difficult enough to understand > – like the fact to which Milton points here; I do not believe in > re-inventing the wheel, so I repeat what he wrote: > > "Note that ICANN Inc. is currently paralyzing new constituency formation > in NCSG because it won’t approve a charter that was approved overwhelmingly > by its noncommercial participants. Note how it uses the alleged lack of > widespread participation in NCUC to manipulate our representation in GNSO, > but ignores a far less diverse showing in the CSG." > > Or, as Avri said on NPOC: > > "- does it have a specific non commercial focus on some aspect of ICANN > issues > - does it avoid overlap with existing constituencies > - is it international in scope" > > I will take up another point which Bill Drake had raised some time ago – > again, I have not seen any effort to respond to that (if there was a > response to the point, and if I missed it – apologies. Please send it again. > Here, we sometimes miss some mail. > > Here – that is in Cambodia. > > Bill had asked: > > "I will simply reiterate what I've been asking for some time > now without ever getting a response. If their proposed > members are mostly humanitarian and service provisioning > orgs, what would be the problem with call it the Humanitarian > and Service Provider Organization Constituency, or something > similar? What's wrong with a title that accurately described > the membership and focus, rather than one that attempts to > colonize the broad rubric applicable to all NCSG members > exclusively for a subset thereof? > " > Does anybody really think – I mean also including people on the ICANN > board – that there is a genuine interest among a substantial number of > non-commercial organizations, in the different geographical regions of > ICANN, who have a track record of working together for some time, so > that they now want to have their common not-for-profit cause > (representing commercial entities) formalized in an ICANN related > platform in the NPOC structure? > But there are many non-commercials and individuals, concerned with > and struggling to get their voices heard - corporately and operationally - > in the field of Internet development, regulations, and use, to strengthen > the stability and security of the Internet (the ICANN raison d'etre) in a > context where we face quite some other kinds of problems, related, for > example, to the freedom of expression on which the member > governments of the UN have agreed – but which are fragile and > under threat in a number of these same countries in our, and in > some other regions of the world. > > > Norbert Klein > Open Institute > Cambodia > > -- regards, Alex Gakuru http://www.mwenyeji.com Hosting, surprise yourself!