Help to strengthen Civil Rights and Consumer Protection in ICANN’s policies!
Dearest comrades and companions,
dear Sir or Madam,
the question of how Internet Governance is shaped is one of the central sociopolitical tasks of the coming years. It will be a matter of how consumers and Internet users can become involved in the policy making of ICANN.
We are all aware of how sorry the tale of direct participation by Internet users in ICANN has been.
There is, nevertheless, a civil society element in ICANN, the At-large Advisory Committee (ALAC), composed to represent Internet users, five regions in world each providing 3 representatives. At this point these representatives are chosen by a nominating committee of ICANN. However, the goal is that the current ALAC members build structures to foster participation in their respective regions, and furthermore facilitate the direct election of regional ALAC representatives.
As new European member of ALAC, I am standing up for the broader participation and political ownership of those who would make human rights and consumer protection fundamental aspects of ICANN’s structure and work.
Now is the time to found a regional structure to facilitate the broadest possible participation of Internet users. Current ICANN bylaws require organizational participants who would like to build up a regional structure to represent individuals interests and concerns. These organizations (or groups of people working on internet users’ issues) are, in ICANN’s terms, “At-Large Structures” (ALSes).
There are already a few European organizations that have become ALSes, however, yet they are not representative for the diversity of European Internet oriented Human rights and consumer protection organizations.
Some out of these few ALSes (nine in number, almost all ISOC European chapters) have developed a ‘principles’ document, in which they campaign for the founding of a European Regional At-Large Organization (EU-RALO).
Up to now, this recommendation bureaucratizes our opportunity for participation in ICANN.
Instead of fostering direct participation and defining political goals for a RALO, it proposes the following rules: Representatives are to be elected who in turn elect representatives that may then advise ICANN…
To build reasonable information flows and foster involvement in ICANN on the part of European Internet users requires the participation of all Internet oriented Human rights and consumer protection organizations.
To reach the status of what ICANN refers to as an “At-Large Structure” (ALS), has a few simple requisites and a questionnaire to be filled.
It would be helpful if you could use your individual and institutional contacts in north, south, west and east Europe to solicit for an inclusive civil society engagement and accrediting as “At-large Structure”.
For the discussion of the best possible structure of a European Regional At-Large Organisation,
I will set up a Wiki .
This discussion needs time. The period of three weeks (end in the middle of february) proposed by our european fellow members is absolutely unrealistic and neither gives time for the democratic process of finding a position within an organisation, nor collectively in public. Please go ahead, and let them know about this mistake of procedure.
Now is the time for you to act and strengthen civil society in ICANN. Check the form attached to this document: Obtain your accreditation today.
Best regards,
Annette Muehlberg,
European member, ALAC, and Co-chair network new media
This call to action is supported by:
Peter Bittner, Computer Science Forum for Peace and Social Responsibility; Forum InformatikerInnen Frieden und gesellschaftlicheVerantwortung, (FIfF)
Markus Beckedahl, Co-chair of network new media (nnm)
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kleinwaechter, ICANN-Studienkreis, University of Aarhus
Andy Mueller-Maguhn, Chaos Computer Club
Dr. Volker Grassmuck, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, Humboldt-
Universität, Berlin
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And this is the way to get accredited as ALS:
Please fill out this form (also see), and send it to: als@alac.icann.org.
(Spanish and italian speakers can use the following link)
Contact information
1. Organization’s Name:
2. Organization’s email address:
3. Organization’s phone number (include country/city codes):
4. Organization’s address (location and postal address, if different):
5. Organization’s website (URL) (if available):
6. Organization’s contact for ALS application (email, phone, address):
Description
7. Is your organization constituted so that participation by individual Internet users who are citizens or residents of countries within the Geographic Region in which your organization is based will predominate in your organization’s operation?
8. Describe your organization’s constituents/membership (number, citizenship/location, defining characteristic - e.g. profession for professional societies):
9. Explain the eligibility requirements (if any) for your organization’s constituents/membership (if you provide a written application for admission as a member, you may attach a copy):
10. In what language/s does your organization conduct its business?
11. Provide support for the statement that your organization is self-supporting (by answering “yes” you confirm that it will not rely on ICANN for funding):
12. Describe your organization’s structure (e.g. governing and decision-making bodies and processes):
13. Does your organization commit to supporting its individual constituents’/membership’s informed participation in ICANN?
14. Describe how your organization keeps its constituents/membership informed about, and enables them to participate in, decisions regarding issues of interest:
15. Does your organization post on the Internet publicly-accessible, current information about your organization’s goals, structure, description of constituent group(s)/membership, working mechanisms, leadership, and contact(s) (if this information currently is available, provide URLs)?
16. Provide information on your organization’s leadership (leaders’ names, positions, emails):
Objectives
17. What is your organization’s primary goal or mission (please attach any mission or policy statement for your organization, if in writing, or provide a URL, if posted):
18. What ICANN-related issues currently are of interest to your organization’s constituents/membership:
19. If formed, will your organization commit to assisting the Regional At-Large Organization (RALO) for the region in which your organization is based in performing its function?
Signature
(Include the name, and title, if applicable, of the individual who is authorized by your organization to sign this application and commit your organization to comply with ALS criteria.)
