African ALS Community Lisbon Meetings

First Session, 24th March 2007

09:00 - 18:00

Meeting Room: Esmeralda 1 (NOTE THIS IS A CHANGE FROM PREVIOUSLY POSTED INFO)

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DOCUMENTS:

In addition to any documents specific to this meeting below, please also see the following:

1. The Policy-related documents supporting the discussion of regional priorities can be found at Lisbon Documents page.
2. The Rules of Procedure page.

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FINAL AGENDA:

1. Adoption of the Agenda
2. Welcome to ICANN Lisbon
3. Election of a Chair and Vice-Chair
4. Begin Discussion of RALO Communication Priorities for 2007
   • How to involve African Internet Users
   • What are the relevant issues for African Internet Users
5. Election of RALO Officers (please see the Nominations 2007 page and Nominations for ALAC)
   • Terms of the two ALAC members
   • Discussion of Nominations and New Nominations for Secretariat, Two At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) regional representatives
   • Election of the Officers
6. Any Other Business

Notes from discussion:

Election of RALO officers

• • Terms of the two ALAC members
    • One year is not enough to well understand the system and contribute, support one term of 2 years and one of 3 years.
    • But 3 years is possibly too long because the person may become too busy and not be able to fulfil their obligations.
    • The 1 year and 2 year term, considering that re-election is acceptable, is better.
    • We need clearly to say that if a certain number of ALSs is not happy with the representation then we can replace the ALAC member. Similarly if an ALAC member wishes to resign, what process is to be followed.
    • We have to ensure that regular flow of communication gets to us, from ALAC to ALSs so that we can evaluate the ALAC member
    • ICANN bylaws say 2 years, can we change that? We can elect one person for one year with the potential for re-election for a further two.
  • We need to be able to replace an ALAC member if:
    • the ALSs are unhappy with the ALAC members efforts
    • the ALAC member resigns
  • Discussion on how to do this?
    • Based on how many ALSs agree? Do we create a review committee? Based on a complaint or request from an ALS?
    • ALAC has a minimum set of criteria for contribution. Must participate in ICANN meetings. 1 of 4 or 2 of 4 (pierre not sure), monthly teleconference: at least one per month, we can set others if we want to but do we need to? ALAC was forced to find ways to get people replaced on the ALAC.
    • Diop talks about ALAC representation on the ICANN board. ICANN will not call for 'impeachment', there is no criteria for contribution at the board level.
    • Dandjinou: We must communicate explicit criteria for which we will evaluate the RALO elected ALAC members
    • Consensus : One or two years is possibly not a long time and impeachment may not be neccesary, if the person does not perform, they will not be re-elected.
    • Diop: We should have a mid-term review or 6 monthly review of ALAC members based on our setup of expectations
    • Kasole : The secretariat should also be reviewed, who will do the review.
    • Koubaa : We (all ALSs) have the responsibility to do this work.
    • Kasole : we need to define the 'divorce' process

Minimum participation criteria of RALO officers

• • Minimum participation criteria for ALAC (RALO expectations)
    • Attend 50% of ICANN meetings
    • Attend 50% of ALAC teleconferences
    • Send written feedback to ALSs after every meeting on:
      • participation of other African ALAC members
      • new issues
      • update on previous issues
  • Minimum participation criteria for Secretariat (RALO expectations)
    • Optional: Write a 6 monthly consolidated report of feedback from ALAC members (solicit input from ALAC members and ensure co-operation between all stakeholders including the ALSs)
    • Make a timely call for Nominations for all RALO officers (3 month at least prior to election)
    • Encourage ALSs to provide nominees for the election
    • Manage the election process (either face to face or electronically)

Nomination and election of ALAC representatives

• • Final review of Nominations process
    • Acceptance of the ALAC nominations process
    • Final call for ALAC nominations announced today - another email sent to the list
    • Final election on March 27th
      • Vote by open ballot (show of hands and/or email to the list)
      • An ALS may send their Proxy at any time before election - secretariat write emails individually to each of the three ALSs not here, and to the list
      • Who is entitled to Vote? All ALS's invited here? All those at step 7? Anyone that is here and on the telephone? This was discussed extensively yet it was agreed that according to the bylaws, only those accredited ALSs will be allowed to vote.
      • All agree that everyone/anyone should be able to participate in African RALO meetings, present physically or on the telephone

Appoint AFRALO secretariat

• • • Secretariat obligations seem to be high for an unpaid unfunded 'job', we will request to ICANN (via Nick Ashton-Hart) for additional funding to assist the secretariat to attend ICANN meetings. This will assist the RALO to improve its communications. We need to further look at other RALOs and learn from what they are doing to handle these issues.
    • Secretary has to perform three tasks :
      • Maintaining a list of authorized contact persons for each of the At Large Structures, and;
      • Managing the process of selecting all of the African representatives to the At Large Advisory Committee, and;
      • To the extent possible as provided in Section 2, providing for the certification of new ALS and adding them as Members.
    • Call for Interest of handling the secretariat position to be sent to the list

Yaovi identified a flaw in the MOU, section 2 C second sentence (pg 3)

RALO Communication Priorities for 2007

1. How to involve African Internet Users
   • ISOC-Sudan: Outreach activities: face to face meetings, regional Internet organisations, e.g. 2003 hosted an activity.
   • ISOC-ZA : needs to obtain information from ALAC as to what decisions are being made on ALAC and what is being discussed. At most we will be able to include two paragraphs in our quarterly newsletter.
   • ISOC Morrocco : What about what effects our members? How do we communicate these to ALAC members?
   • ISOC-Mali : We need to explain to our members what is ICANN, what we do do, what we perform, what is of interest ito ICANN, how does it affect them? What are the relevant issues for African Internet Users
   • ISOC - DRC : How to particpate in decision making - we all agree this is important - different points of view to be presented on time so that they may be considered, how to present different points of views, welcome them, and take them into consideration. Need to have an open communication channel, and they must participate. There is a difference between governance of Internet and on the Internet
   • ISOC - Mali : Users ignore waht is going on, our task is to inform them.. they use the Internet but ignore the possibility of participation and the potential benefits of participation in the structure. They may inform of their concerns.
   • ISOC - DRC :example: many domains are not managed by Africans which is a problem that effects us, prices have been doubled, now $100 per domain
   • ISOC - Mali : Mali domain is ignored by the population and they use other domains as the Mali domain is more complicated
   • ISOC - ZA : Major issue examples : WHOIS issues and IDN issues. Dysfunctional cctlds, we cannot make local problems a RALO or ALAC issue. (discussion on redelegation and who does this... local people must be made aware of the issues to deal with the domain names)
   • ISOC - Sudan : IDNs and dispute resolution policies on gtlds are issues worth communicating, cctld is not an issue for us.
   • Dandjinou : Users must be encouraged to participate and become aware of ICANN issues. In the ALAC, we questioned 'legitimacy', who are/were we representing? Now I find interesting that the legitimacy is there, through the new African RALO. The next year and thereafter should be important learning times.
   • ISOC - Morocco : there are so many intermediaries, state and government entities, ICANN constituencies, ISPs, ISP customers, mobile users, at what level do we focus communications?
   • Dandjinou : Who is a User? Who are we representing?
   • ISOC-ZA : We understand the Internet User better than others, especially as ISOC chapters. This is essential for us to understand.
   • Dandjinou : User issues are the cost! domain names are not yet really an issue. ICANN is not really in the business of connectivity. We must be ready to respond to these challenges.
   • ISOC-ZA : we are about to elect ALAC members, how can we expect to get their feelings on the processes and issues they are facing.
   • Dandjinou : when we were there (in the ALAC) there were no lines for reporting.
   • ISOC Sudan : ALS, AFRALO end users, we need to help the users understand the basic functions of ICANN, what are the appropriate channels? Between us, what are the channels?
   • ISOC DRC : use all means available for communication, ALAC/ALS/Secretariat communications use the ICANN facilitated list http.--atlarge-lists.icann.org-mailman-listinfo, and Internet Users to be communicated using ALS.
   • Dandjinou : language issue is still there, some colleagues may not be able to contribute, ICANN is doing what it takes to facilitate, flag what needs to be done.
   • Anne Rachel Inne : ICANN is doing what it can and will do more for translations, please, this should NOT be a problem or barrier. We will strive to make a way of getting the translations out.
   • ISOC Mali : I manage but in order to progress we need help with this.
   • ISOC South Africa : a number of mailing lists are used to communicate with our members and Internet Users. Although the major means is the primary membership list to whom we post a few times per year
   • ISOC Morocco : some direct presentations, and internal lists used, only just starting up a membership list.
   • ISOC Sudan : we have a website and mailing list where we have translated and send information relating to all users. We need more than a mailing list, e.g. a portal for end users. Users are more familiar with surfing the web, rather than participating in a mailing list.
   • Dandjinou : Why not? If the resources are available, then why not? What else? How many of us use newspapers to communicate to Internet Users? e.g. a info rich article about domain names? What about creating a list of listservs relating to African Internet issues. I have the feeling that we're not reaching out enough, what about radio?
   • ISOC DRC : we should ALL communication channels available. For example a few weeks ago I was involved in an ISOC - what is the Internet - expert communications person establish a short Congo Television show to attract attention to the Internet. Maybe the secretariat should be alert and try to send to a specific list items that have been pre-selected with relevance to ALAC.
   • ISOC Mali : concentrate information on issues that interest Internet Users. Organisae meetings and show the people. Cannot simply create lists. Does not reach others.

Agreed Salient points (what we need to communicate to Internet Users in Africa):

• • • Users must be empowered in creating awareness of their ability to contribute to ICANN policies, and encouraged to participate through the ALAC and specific ALS
    • Users must be made aware of domain names and their ability to contribute towards 'fixing' any problems with their cctld
    • IDNs
    • Dispute resolution policy
    • Whois policy
    • Western Sahara cctld

shortcut to here: http://tinyurl.com/2namxb

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REMOTE PARTICIPATION:

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Please join MR NICK ASHTON HART on MAR-24-2007 (Saturday) at 09:00 AM CENTRAL EUROPE TIME.
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