Re: [ga] 911 - ICANN

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

ICANN is just a symptom and manifestation of a greater fascism. It is very sad. There is so much prospect and opportunity, so much potential for real outreach to others and meaningful participation. Instead of which we have - the need to control, the need to hold onto power, the fear of open dialogue, the fear of open process and debate.

What an extraordinary thing - in a world which desperately needs communication and reconciliation - that this great instrument of communicating has become the domain and fiefdom of a small group of insiders, fallen under the control of a small sect acting on behalf of more powerful people, with little transparency, unresponsive to outside concerns and advice, creating facades of participation but expelling the real advocates of involvement from its Board.

In truth - this ICANN quango is a profound disappointment. It could do so much to involve thousands of people from hundreds of countries. It could open up its processes. It could engage. It could *network*.

Instead of which, all it really seeks to do is "retain control". That is what ICANN is for. It was created by USG for that purpose.

There is such a paucity of vision, such a lack of imagination, such a subordination and subservience to a greater authority. Meanwhile, the individuals, the fellow human beings, the ordinary internet users, are locked out. Marginalised.

As Eric points out in his thought-provoking analogy, it is exactly this marginalising of others' interests which creates the seeds of terror.

ICANN is part of a culture and mentality which seems unable to see over the horizons of its own beleaguered stockades.

There is a whole world and humanity beyond - but ICANN's community seems stuck in the past, unwilling to open up and allow democratic participation and the inspirational dialogue and critique that comes from involvement and open debate.

There is a whole world and humanity beyond - and ICANN should be FOR the People, and OF the People - it should  and could be the inspirational advocate of individual involvement, of the People's Net, and it should reach out by opening its own processes to transparent dialogue and democratic representation.

There is a whole world and humanity beyond - and if ICANN does not evolve it will become a relic, something routed round, or overlaid... something that could have been...

so much better!

"Where there is no vision, the People perish!"

Yrs,

Richard Henderson

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Hugh Dierker 
  To: ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 2:53 PM
  Subject: [ga] 911 - ICANN


  Why is 911 relevant to ICANN.

  1. Communication.
  Make no mistake about it that communication is an essential part of preventing such terror. It lies at the vary heart of prevention. Hatred is for the most part borne of ignorance. Ignorance is the result of lack of knowledge and knowledge must be imparted through communication. ICANN is at least in part an overseer of the most important international communication tool of our time. Failure here sets us back in time. Frustration here creates more hatred. Many claim that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was a direct result of the increase of communication. Perhaps it was hastened by a man often called the Great Communicator.
  2. Denial of individual participation.
  To a large extent radicalism occurs when the denial of participation reaches such a point that otherwise rational sentient beings will resort to irrational violence or other antisocial behavior. Injustice is a common result of lack of particpation, while autocracy fluorishes individuals that witness wrongs are left with few appropriate channels of release in which their grievances can be heard.
  3. Historical Wrongs Committed.
  For power bases which derive their strength through hatred we find the fabric woven through intricate spinning of past wrongs into current action maps can only be broken through communication and participation. Outreach is best when it not only hears but listens to the voices of those outside the ruling members of a group. In this sense outreach is also a preventative cure for the hatred that can be aggravated by perceiving past wrongs as continuing.

  ICANN people have learned nothing from our 911 history. They continue to deny voices to the individual. They continue to rule without regard to rights of all to communication. They continue to suppress open and free speech. They have no effective outreach. They continue to incorporate within their structure those who have an historical past of committing wrongs against individuals. The suppression of archives is just about the epitome of fermenting missunderstanding and breeding ignorance.
  It is sad to see a child remain ignorant due to lack of knowledge, it is an atrocity to see those with all the knowledge remain ignorant.
  Eric 


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