[council] Comments on travel support

[Doug Brent <doug.brent@xxxxxxxxx>]

GNSO Counselors,

I understand that there is an ongoing discussion regarding travel support
for GNSO Council members to ICANN meetings. You all are volunteers, and
rightly want an explicit policy for travel support, a rationale that makes
sense to you about that policy, and understanding of how that plays into the
budget.

Just a few years ago, this was an easy discussion with an automatic
decision...ICANN just didn't have the resources to broadly fund travel. Now,
it is important to re-look at the situation and  come up with explicit,
sensible policies....which is challenging. How do we encourage and support
the activities of volunteers? How do we justify the money we collect and
spend? This is clearly an issue with broad community impact.

Staff is actively working on this topic, with a goal (a tough one) to get a
broad community policy ready for review by the Delhi meeting. Another very
logical input point is the 2009 budget work, which will certainly begin in
Delhi. I'd be happy to join a GNSO phone call some time soon to get your
input on this matter, or am also happy to hear directly from you on this via
email or phone.

Thanks,
Doug
--
Doug Brent
Chief Operating Officer
ICANN
Voice: +1 310.301.3871
Mobile: +1 650.996.4447
Fax: +1 310.823.8649