Thanks Ed for a the efforts. Remmy Nweke On Jun 24, 2016 2:19 PM, "tara taub" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Wow! > Sexual > Harassment is really everywhere. > Bravo Edward to stand against. > Tara Taubman > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 24 Jun 2016, at 13:24, Edward Morris <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > My fellow NCSG member, > > As many of you are aware, the issue of sexual harassment at ICANN meetings > has become a topic both of conversation and of action by the corporation. > Changes in ICANN’s Expected Standards of Behaviour have been proposed and > are currently open for public comment. > > There has been a wide variety of opinion within the NCSG regarding the > extent of the problem and proposed solutions. I worked closely on the GNSO > Council with Jennifer Gore Standiford of the Registrars Stakeholder Group > to create a sample conference anti-harassment policy that we proposed as > one of several prototypes to send to the Board for their consideration. > This prototype resulted from a small Council sub-team that included four of > your six Councilors. It was rejected by the wider Council, with opposition > first pronounced by one of your Councilors who stated “it is my view that > we need a privacy policy more than a harassment policy “. I could not > disagree more strongly with that statement. Obviously there is a wide > variety of opinion on this matter. > > One of the problems faced by victims of sexual harassment at ICANN > Meetings is that such harassment is often experienced at a location where > the victims do not know the language, the local laws or how to access > support and help from both law enforcement and victims support groups. That > is why I believe it is imperative for ICANN to create a specific conference > harassment policy complete with clear and simple reporting and enforcement > procedures and mechanisms so that victims know where to turn for > assistance. Working with staff, the Board and other community members I do > believe we will eventually get such a policy enacted. It will not, however, > be ready in time for the upcoming meeting in Helsinki. > > As a graduate of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lapland in > Rovaniemi, Finland I do have knowledge of the laws, customs and procedures > of the Finnish state. Finland has a zero tolerance policy for harassment of > any kind. Police officers in Helsinki are empowered to issue on the spot > fines for what are considered minor forms of harassment. Victims also have > full recourse to the Finnish legal system to pursue action, both civil and > criminal, for any form of harassment they may experience. > > I am ready to offer my personal assistance to any member of the ICANN > community who feel they have been harassed during ICANN56 and would like to > report such violations of their person to the appropriate authorities. I am > not creating new laws and procedures; rather I am ensuring that lack of > cultural or linguistic knowledge is not an impediment for victims of > harassment who wish to pursue clams against their assailant. Towards that > end: > > 1. I have made contact with the appropriate officers in the Helsinki > Police Department whose focus is harassment type offences. I have directed > them to documents, available online, that describe recent well publicized > incidents of alleged harassment at ICANN meetings. I have been assured that > all cases of alleged harassment that are reported to them will be taken > seriously and will be fully investigated. The nationality of the parties > involved is not a consideration. Assistance with these complaints in the > English language is available 24/7. I have also been given a personal > mobile telephone numbers of one of the specialist officers and have been > directed to call her if the initial response to a complaint is not > satisfactory. > > 2. I have spoken to NYTKIS – the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations > – and have been referred to two Helsinki based groups that are available to > counsel and provide assistance to female victims of harassment on a 24/7 > basis. I have made contact with SETA, the largest LGBT organization in > Finland, and have similar contact information for any LGBT member of our > community who feel they have been harassed and desires support. > > 3. I have arranged with two Helsinki based colleagues with whom I attended > law school to provide pro bono representation for any victim of sexual > harassment at ICANN 56 should legal representation be needed or desired. > > Colleagues, I have been made aware of allegations of sexual harassment at > three of the last four ICANN meetings I have attended. On two occasions I > have counseled and attempted to help female victims who were so wounded > that they broke down in tears describing what had happened to them. In > another instance a community member accompanied me to an event she really > was not interested in attending to escape a male who was harassing her but > whom she did not feel to be in a secure enough position of employment to > confront. This type of occurrence must stop. If I do nothing else through > my involvement in ICANN I am determined to do whatever is necessary to > change the rules and eventually the culture at ICANN so that ALL people > feel that they are able to safely participate in ICANN activities in a > professional and respectful manner. > > Any NCSG member who feels a need to contact me in Helsinki with reference > to this subject may do so by email at [log in to unmask], Skype at > ejmorris or Wire at [log in to unmask] I will not in any way judge the > validity of any complaint but rather will serve as a bridge to Finnish > authorities and groups who are able both to do so and to offer the impacted > party appropriate and caring support and counseling. > > Respectfully, > > Ed Morris > > >