Re: [ga] [fwd] Nominating Committee & at-large
Title: Help >"to follow on Kent Crispin's
logic WHICH SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO BoD AND
>STAFF. He says the NC is representative because it is elected, even if it >is by non representative groups." >jfc It seems to me too many people are trying to jump through ICANN's hoops to
placate them.
If you're talking about democratic representation, let's get real:
FACT: Millions upon millions of ordinary families and individuals, largely
non-commercial but prepared to use commerce sites along with personal and
interest sites, are the VAST MAJORITY of INTERNET USERS.
FACT: This enormous majority should therefore have a proportionately large
representation on any ICANN Board.
FACT: Registrars etc are an infinitessimally small % of the Internet Users.
There are also problems with conflicts of interest if they have executive
positions. Democratic representation suggests they do not merit more than 0.001%
representation and would be far better to operate purely in an Advisory
Capacity, not in any executive role on the ICANN Board.
TASK: To create processes through which we can achieve the democratic
representation of the "Ordinary Family and Individual User" huge majority.
STEP 1: ICANN and all other interested parties support the development of
groups which vary from international to national to local to area-specific, with
agreed methods of member verification, which need not be full-proof but should
aim to be 98% accurate.
STEP 2: Pool all these memberships, allowing one person-one vote.
STEP 3: Have a centralised vote for an agreed proportion of the Board. If
agreed, have regional or category votes to ensure range of representation.
THEN: talk to us about representation.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Crafty people love to talk about "Consensus" as a way of dodging true
democratic representation and the will of the people.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This process can, of course, be achieved. It would grow step-by-step but
would lead to a wonderful and idealistic central principle for the Internet : an
Internet for the whole world, developed and determined in accordance with the
true will of ordinary people.
Instead of jumping through ICANN hoops and proposals rigged to ensure the
perpetuation of the existing clique-in-power, we should prioritise the central
will of ordinary people, set in place rules on responsiveness, openness and
dialogue, and we should popularise the movement by embracing ICANN's narrow
mission but broadening the debate to the far-reaching implications for the
internet and the world of democratic representation.
Those governments who believe in democratic representation should embrace
this ideal and get the vision for an internet which speaks for freedom, justice
and the lives of millions and millions of human beings... indeed the whole human
race. This is a vision of a new layer of democracy which - in terms of
expression and solidarity - supercedes national boundaries, national regimes and
national tyrannies.
It really saddens me when I think of the idealistic origins of the net, and
how sometimes leading figures have compromised their founding ideals. If ICANN -
the central administration of the DNS - espoused this democracy movement, it
would be offering a lead and a mandate for devlopment of the net in so many
exciting directions to do with sharing, solidarity, international help,
communication, and the impulse of a new democratic "event".
But even if you think all this is too big and cloudy and idealistic, there
is absolutely NOTHING to stop the nurture and growth, from the bottom up, of a
multiplicity of user groups intent on democratic representation in the affairs
of the Internet. You don't have to change the world to begin. But from an early
stage, ICANN should stop making excuses, stop trying to sideline true
representation, and embrace the reality of this VAST MAJORITY - and promote it
instead of cunningly trying to concoct schemes which are more to do with
"insiders", and the self-perpetuation of a clique whose agenda is going in the
wrong, the anti-democratic direction.
The Internet for All. It's YOUR Internet. It's also an Internet for those
communities that still await it. We, the people of the world, should accept the
nobility of a good and just calling - and build what we know is right...
Richard Henderson
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