[ga] Icann At Large Poll rejects RALOs and ICANN's new At Large structure
Title: Help The membership of ICANN at LARGE was polled this week.
We aim to be a "bottom up" democratic movement and this poll has provided
some valuable insights about what we - as a membership - see as the scope,
mission and direction of our organisation.
The first lesson, I think, is that it is feasible to steer the organisation
through real democratic involvement of members, and this is an important signal
to send to ICANN, and its "top down" approach.
Hopefully this Poll will be the precursor of many more, and of a culture of
democracy which might one day be extended to Internet Governance itself. We want
members to be involved? We have a mechanism to support this.
To some of the findings:
A massive 92% voted for regular polls. This completely contradicts those
who felt such polls were unwanted. We should not be afraid of "bottom up"
democracy. The real truth, I believe, is that people are *more* likely to get
involved, if they feel they are genuinely consulted, genuinely involved in
decisions, and that our democracy is real. I think that if a panel
tries to go it alone, and fails to poll members, then members are more likely to
disengage.
Anyway, 92% is decisive. Regular polls and the use of this kind of polling
mechanism are here to stay. This is clearly something close to the heart of what
we are about : a "bottom up" impulse, a belief in grassroots democracy, pitted
against the autocratic "top down" mechanisms that try to sideline
democracy.
The Poll asked members if they wanted the organisation to work to
create an "Umbrella" group for national and regional 'At Large' constituencies
representing Internet users but operating independently of ICANN.
A clear majority favoured this concept, rather than the ICANN RALO
approach.
I'm afraid the ICANN RALO initiative has been condemned by the vote of
this organisation. 69% simply don't trust this ICANN plan. Only 16% do trust
it. It is clear that our membership sees through ICANN's sham, which
"claimed" to seek user representation, but in reality this was a "top down"
agenda to control... to control and contain the real At Large, which exists
OUTSIDE Icann, while being committed to make comments on what goes on INSIDE it.
ICANN have been trying to pre-empt the real At Large, and set up RALOs
before the At Large sets up their own independently. In short they have been
trying to ensnare a captive at large, while attempting to "legitimise"
the reform process which chose to EXPEL the elected representatives on
the Board.
We will have to act decisively on this issue. By a vote of more than 4
to 1, our Poll shows a membership which sees through the ICANN
intentions.
And by a margin of more than 3 to 1, the members voted in favour of
creating the At Large regional organisations independently and outside of
ICANN. Only 1 in 5 wanted the ICANN RALOs.
The implications here are pretty clear.
Our majority view (a) publicly refutes the RALOs
(b) is likely to refuse to participate in them
(c) may take early steps to create the structure of a
worldwide/regional/local umbrella, outside ICANN and its imposed
ralos... making contact with groups like CECUA and starting to form a
coalition of user groups to establish a real alternative to ICANN's "top
down" autocracy.
What we have now is the beginning of "DEFINITION".
At grassroots level, Denise, Esther, internet users do not trust your
initiative, and do not want ICANN to develop the RALOs structure. At grassroots
level, people are more clear about ICANN's motives through its EXPULSION of
elected representatives. Everything you do seems to go in the opposite direction
from true "bottom up" democracy.
We have had the courage to embrace "bottom up" democracy : we start to
understand the direction our membership wants to take. You should do the
same.
I believe our organisation is a prototype, and part of an emerging
alliance, developing structures and democratic processes and mechanisms, and
operating from the "bottom up".
I believe ICANN is wholly out of step with the spirit and aspirations of
the At Large.
Richard Henderson
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