Re: [ga] European At Large meeting announcement (today)

[Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Richard and all former DNSO GA members or other interested stakeholders/users,

 I believe it is pretty clear that Vittorio's comments are more SPIN,
which as you know Richard, many are well aware of such discourse
from Vittorio, as well as Denise, and Esther from the old ALAC
archives...

Same thing, different day...

Richard Henderson wrote:

> My responses below:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Vittorio Bertola <vb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Richard Henderson <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> RH: Unfortunately the ALAC was invented by the Board, is financed by the
> Board, is controlled through a maze of mechanisms by the Board.
>
> VB: The first affirmation is only partly correct...
>
> RH: I simply don't accept that Vittorio. The At Large membership did not
> suddenly say "Hey! Let's lock ourselves in an ICANN structure, that sounds
> like fun!" The whole ALAC initiative was devised by the ICANN Board, who
> appointed Denise Michel to oversee it, and drafted in Esther to back her up.
> The aim was to "look good" to DoC and others, and create a powerless
> replacement for the Elected Representatives of the At Large who they'd just
> expelled! ALAC was a damage-limitation exercise, which they hoped would
> legitimise the coup they'd carried out against the elected At Large people.
>
> RH: Unfortunately the ALAC is financed by the Board
>
> VB: The second affirmation is only partly correct - yes, ICANN is paying our
> travel costs to come here, but is not paying our time, nor a number of other
> practical expenses that we are supporting with our own money or with money
> from our organizations.
>
> RH: ICANN expels the At Large's elected representatives, then finances the
> travel and development of ALAC, to "get away" with their coup - they're
> paying your travel to take the place of the At Large's elected
> representatives. As for your time, Vittorio, we all expend our time. My
> point is that if ICANN is financing the ALAC initiative, you can see it is
> an ICANN initiative, not an At Large initiative.
>
> RH: Unfortunately the ALAC is controlled through a maze of mechanisms by the
> Board.
>
> VB: The third affirmation is absolutely incorrect - please show a situation
> where the Board has obliged the ALAC to do or say something it didn't want
> to do.
>
> RH: Of course ICANN does not control your thoughts, Vittorio. But ALAC *is*
> controlled - or shall we say "constrained and contained" - in the political
> reality at ICANN. Whatever views you have, however independent you wish to
> be, whatever criticisms you choose to level against the Board... they still
> *control your power* and render you unable to prevent them, by structuring
> ALAC as a kind of organisation for organisations, divided by regional its
> regional subdivisions, powerless, a atlking shop to be ignored at will, held
> at a distance from executive power by further layers of nominating
> committees on which you can never have a majority, access to the Boardroom
> cut off... (though they let you 'sit in' on certain meetings)... Vittorio,
> they want ALAC to be seen as the At Large, (and it simply isn't), and they
> control you by not giving you any power. Rendered powerless, ALAC merely
> strengthens ICANN's own power. ALAC thinks it controls its own positions,
> but the very existence of ALAC weakens the position of the At Large by
> blurring the real democratic rights of the people it has appointed itself to
> "represent". They are *controlling* you indeed, and you do not even realise
> it!
>
> On your remaining points I will simply repeat my original post : when ALAC
> is made up of individual members, each with one vote, and those individuals
> elect all their representatives (with no votes going to organisations!)...
> then ALAC starts to be sincerely bottom up and democratic...
>
> And at that point it would demand seats on the Board, elected
> democratically, and that is exactly what ICANN abolished. Logical
> conclusion: whatever happens, the ICANN Board is not going to facilitate a
> structure based on one person one vote (because that is exactly what it set
> out to abolish!)...
>
> Vittorio, I have always respected your humanity and sincerity - this is no
> personal attack - I cannot, however, accept the defence you offer of an
> initiative set up by the Board to perpetuate the power of the Board.
>
> The message of the (real) At Large: restore our elected representatives to
> the Board Room!
>
> ...
>
> Sincere good wishes,
>
> Richard Henderson

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Be precise in the use of words and expect precision from others" -
    Pierre Abelard
===============================================================
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data security
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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