AT-LARGE GATEWAY
At-Large Regional Policy Engagement Program (ARPEP)
At-Large Review Implementation Plan Development
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In line with the resolution of the WG on the ROP at today's meeting for a draft resolution IN SUPPORT of weighted voting in AFRALO, I submit below, a draft for the consideration of the WG.
WEIGHTED VOTING means one vote by one country as opposed to one vote by each ALS from one country.
1. The resolution if adopted would bring about a cohesion of the various ALS(s) in each country thereby creating room for a common platform on any issue. This will in turn build collaboration and unity as opposed to the present trend where ALSs from the same country are working at cross purposes.
2. It will prevent any country having the largest number of ALSs from pursuing an agenda beneficial to her interest ALONE as opposed to the benefit of the region-meaning influencing decisions to their own advantage
3. Weighted voting will build and reinforce democratic practice within each country as decisions to be proposed by it would first be discussed and agreed upon by a majority before it is presented to AFRALO. This practice would transcend to their contributions at both regional and global meetings.
4. This platform will also encourage stronger ALSs to identify the needs of lesser ones with a view to helping build institutional capacity.
5. Will give room for the ALS to co-organize programs to promote ICANN at a national level as opposed to the present local activities by any ALS which will attract ICANN funding since it wears the toga of nationalism.
METHODOLOGY:
The Secretariat of AFRALO would act as a coordinating centre for all the ALS. It will be the responsibility of the secretariat to link all the ALSs together in any country, give general guidelines for their operations and once a national structure evolve, the Country representative will now act as liaison between AFRALO and their countries. This is without prejudice to prevailing rule of engagement between AFRALO and all ALSs. But on issues that requires voting, AFRALO will require any decision taken by the Country to be relayed to it through the Country Rep AFTER due process of discussion and voting by all the ALS in that country. This will reduce the workload on the Secretariat and save time on discussions and decisions on issues of regional interest. PLEASE THIS IS JUST A DRAFT. LET EVERYONE ADD OR EDIT TO THE BENEFIT OF AFRALO.
Thanks.
Comment by Tijani BEN JEMAA (inline)
WEIGHTED VOTING means one vote by one country as opposed to one vote by each ALS from one country.
- The resolution if adopted would bring about a cohesion of the various ALS(s) in each country thereby creating room for a common platform on any issue. This will in turn build collaboration and unity as opposed to the present trend where ALSs from the same country are working at cross purposes.
While collaboration and dialogue are always beneficial, I don’t think that obliging all ALSes of a country to have the same opinion is a democratic approach. We need the diversity in the same country. We are an individual end-users organization and not a national end-users one. The aim is not creating country position that may create big tensions between conflicted countries (and there are a lot in our continent unfortunately). - It will prevent any country having the largest number of ALSs from pursuing an agenda beneficial to its interest ALONE as opposed to the benefit of the region-meaning influencing decisions to their own advantage
Absolutely; this is the main goal, and this was applied in LACRALO since long and still is.
Proposal by Tijani BEN JEMAA
- To prevent any country having the largest number of ALSes from pursuing an agenda beneficial to its own interest as opposed to the benefit of the region, and avoid that it influences decisions to its own advantage,
- The vote of each ALS in a country will be weighted according to the total number of certified ALSes in that country.
- The system of the vote weighting shall be so that the sum of the weight of all ALSes in a country is equal to 1
- Considering Country A where there are “n” ALSes; the Vote weight for each ALS in that country is equal to 1/n