Thank you Rafik and colleagues- I am very pleased to be a part of NCSG. This is my first engagement with ICANN activities, and I am looking forward to becoming familiar with the work and people involved. The various debates on the list are helping me to understand the issues and culture of the group. Sincerely, Jason > >> On 15 Sep 2015, at 13:42, Rafik Dammak <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> > >> Hi everyone. > >> > >> I am glad to welcome in the NCSG list our new individual members who > >> were approved by the NCSG EC. > >> > >> They were successfully added to this mailing list and so able to read > >> this welcoming and follow the discussions. > >> > >> I am happy as NCSG chair, to support new and existing members in order > to > >> let them be fully involved and participate in our policy discussion and > for > >> that I am ready to respond to your questions with the help of other > >> experienced members and officers. I had mail exchange and even skype > calls > >> for those who asked, so please feel free to contact me if you want more > >> information or asking for clarifications. > >> > >> There are opportunities to learn about policy development : with the > >> quarterly GNSO Working Group newcomers Webinar, for which the schedule > >> will be shared in due time. We also have our monthly confcall soon and > the > >> next will be in 22nd September, more details to be sent later. > >> > >> A lot of public comments > >> <https://www.icann.org/public-comments#open-public> and important > >> reports to cover (priority-wise) and much more in the coming weeks. For > >> example you can read out latest comments from NCSG here > >> <https://community.icann.org/x/pCTRAg> , in particular about ICANN > >> accountability proposal http://goo.gl/xqUxHC . you can also check the > >> recordings of NCSG confcalls https://community.icann.org/x/Ah7xAg . > >> > >> > >> Some information, you should keep somewhere: > >> > >> - While a lot discussion happen here, there are several information > >> in our wikispace which is updated regularly, please check here > >> <https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/NCSG-Wiki+Home> > or > >> more easy to remember ncsg.is . Navigating there will > >> give flavour of what we did and are doing. > >> > >> > >> - In particular if you want some info on how to participate in > >> working groups and NCSG , please follow the announcements shared > here and > >> be in touch with the Policy committee chair and me . Also please > check > >> those links too: > >> - Some tips to * > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/How+To+Get+Involved > >> < > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/How+To+Get+Involved>* > >> - List of working groups and members involved > >> > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/Getting+Involved+in+Working+Groups > >> > >> - Policy comments and statements here: > >> > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/Policy+Development > >> > >> - Recordings and transcripts of latest meetings: * > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/Meetings+Record > >> < > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/Meetings+Record>* > >> - There is a one-stop page > >> < > http://gnso.icann.org/sites/gnso.icann.org/files/gnso/presentations/policy-efforts.htm> > to > >> find all information about GNSO and also about GNSO activities > >> <http://gnso.icann.org/en/icannmeeting> during ICANN meeting. > >> > >> > >> - Also to catch-up with ongoing discussion in the mailing list > >> archive : https://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A0=NCSG-DISCUSS > >> - Also you can find the NCSG calendar here: > >> > https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/NCSG+Events+Calendar > >> > >> - Finally, don't feel overwhelmed by ICANN acronyms, you will find > >> most of them in this glossary > >> https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/glossary-2014-02-03-en > >> > >> > >> Please welcome warmly: > >> *Individual* > >> > >> Miguel Ignacio Estrada > >> Argentina Joseph Marc Antoine Ridore Haiti Renato Leite Monteiro > >> Brazil Raoul Plommer > >> Finland Roberto Pizzato > >> Italy Frank Ross > >> USA Jason Laker > >> > >> United States Anastasiia Usenko > >> Ukraine Silvia Rosa > >> Perú > >> > >> *Organization * > >> Observer Research Foundation Arun Mohan Sukumar > >> > >> India > >> > >> I will send other updates later and please feel free to contact me > >> directly offlist. > >> > >> Best Regards, > >> > >> Rafik Dammak > >> > >> NCSG Chair > >> > >> *follow NCSG : @NCSG_ICANN & ncsg.is <http://ncsg.is/>* > >> > > -- *Jason A. Laker, Ph.D.* *Professor, Department of Counselor Education & Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership* *Chair, Board of Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility* San José State University O: 408-924-3654 F: 408-924-4137 One Washington Square, Sweeney Hall 404 San José, CA 95192-0073 *Affiliated Research Faculty, Center for Research and Education on <http://cregs.sfsu.edu/>* *Ge**nder and Sexuality* <http://cregs.sfsu.edu/> San Francisco State University *Co-Investigator, Sexual Coercion and Violence in College: Reforming Policies and Practices for Consent Education and Personal Agency* *Series Editor, Palgrave Studies in Global Citizenship Education and Democracy <http://www.palgrave.com/series/palgrave-studies%20in%20global%20citizenship%20education%20and%20democracy/GCED/>* www.jasonlaker.com *Optimism is the foundation of courage. * -Nicholas M. Butler *"Although difficult in a policy environment in which extraneous concerns routinely displace properly educational ones, it is imperative—in our time of rapid transformational change—that we keep the debate alive about educational values and related issues of what constitutes a good life and a just society.”* Rosa Bruno-Jofre *"If the world is cold, make it your business to build fires." -Horace Traubel*