[ga] Restructuring Working Group

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

The At-Large Study Committee will soon be presenting its final 
recommendations to the ICANN Board.  Conclusions will be predicated in part 
upon whatever substantive input is received by the Committee prior to their 
working deadline (October 26).  As the ALSC was chartered to seek a 
"consensus" on the concept, structure and processes relating to an At-Large 
membership, it is vital that the General Assembly acts to ensure that a 
"consensus" has been achieved.

Although the Names Council has indicated that it will be launching a Task 
Force to attend to these matters, the General Assembly will, on this 
occasion, act independently of the Council and present its own "unfiltered" 
supporting recommendations directly to the ALSC.   We have a stake in this 
reorganization that we alone must act to protect -- the concept of the "Open 
Forum" (which is not articulated anywhere in the ALSC draft), is at risk; we 
must justify the continued existence of an Assembly and fight to have it 
preserved in the ICANN structure that will be forthcoming.

Our Assembly has an obligation to support the ICANN mission by lending our 
expertise to this project; we must collaborate with the ALSC and with the 
existing constituencies to define the best possible structure for the 
Internet community's representation and participation in ICANN.  This effort 
will require the equivalent of an open Working Group (with a 30-day timeline) 
to produce results that may thereafter be ratified by a vote of the full 
Assembly.  

The emphasis must be placed on "results".  Compromise will be necessary if 
consensus is to be achieved, and this will require forging an acceptable path 
somewhere between the NAIS report and the ALSC draft.   

I have faith in the ability of the General Assembly to rise to meet this 
challenge.   We all seek a more responsive, representative and participatory 
body.  Having been presented with a "bare-bones" structure by the ALSC, we 
will need to assist in adding flesh to the skeleton in a manner which 
safeguards our mutual interests and which continues to promote our founding 
principles.  

Let us concentrate our efforts, focus on our task, set aside our rhetoric and 
roll up our sleeves... we have a job to do.












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