I'm a lawyer by training, and before working with two research institutions in India on Internet governance policy, I was briefly a journalist with a national daily. It is the NCUC's spirit of openness and its ability to absorb vastly divergent -- often critical -- views on policy that attracted me to this constituency. It has been very similar to being in an editorial board meeting with a bunch of quibbling journalists who care about the same causes!
Over the last year, I have engaged in modest community-strengthening efforts in India and the Asia Pacific region on Internet governance. I am the vice-chair of the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Forum and the coordinator of CyFy, an annual conference on IG and cyber security hosted by the Observer Researcher Foundation, New Delhi. At CyFy this year, we focused on bringing together nearly 30 researchers and practitioners from Asia and Africa, aided generously by DFID and the Swedish government. Regional consultations are crucial to building consensus in global platforms like ICANN and I hope to continue facilitating discussions among the NCUC Asia Pacific community.
The NCUC itself is in flux with greater representation today from developing regions. First, the constituency's position within ICANN ought to be consolidated, a task that will require our tweaking the bylaws. With the help of our senior colleagues in the NCUC, a small team of us is currently working on this operation, and hope to have results before Marrakech. Second, the constituency should coordinate its strategies and policies, especially as the post-IANA set up may empower some constituencies over others. How can we best synchronise out divergent views on key issues at ICANN? How do we ensure that our GNSO councillors get the support they need from the community? And finally, how do we expand our reach and funding, to ensure travel support and resources to emerging voices?
I have more questions than answers, but I hope to help pitch in with my input to the NCUC community on these issues, whether as EC representative or not. As for the executive committee, let me add here that I have great faith in the Chair candidate and the other probables from across regions, both in their organisational and strategic abilities. My best to all candidates, especially my colleagues from the Asia Pacific region.
REGION: Africa
1. Why do you want to serve on the EC?
First, in order to represent the best representation of Africa in this position, and secondly in order to serve and possible all stakeholders to exercise good stewardship cemented in human dignity. We need a period of renewal for another blood in the veins of this organization until the election of new people to the benefit of everyone.To help my continental African and to raise the voice of African in ICANN. To try to support african people in the ICANN community.
2. Provide a brief biography of recent experience, associations, and affiliations relevant to serving on the Executive Committee. Describe the relevance of your personal and professional experience to serve on the NCUC Executive Committee, and identify any conflicts of interests you might have.
I am Electronics Engineer (System Administrator and Network) I completed a Master degree in Computer Engineering and Networks.
MY activities:
I am participating in many activities:
- ICANN Meeting in Cairo, Egypt 2008.
- ICANN Meeting in Sydney, Australia 2009.
- ICANN Meeting in Belgium.-ICANN Meeting in Costa Rica.
- I am a Member of Locking of a Domain Name Subject to UDRP Proceedings PDP WG Working Group, ICANN.
- I am a Member of The Inter Register Transfer Policy Part C working Group, ICANN.
- 3rd Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum On ICT Research, Scandic Marina Congress Centre - Helsinki, Finland.
- 2010 Euro-Africa E-Infrastructures Conference, Scandic Marina Congress Centre -Helsinki, Finland.
- 6th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- AFRINIC Meetings.- NomCom 2011m 2012, AfriNic.
- African Peering Coordinate Forum (AFPIF), Peering Coordinators Day, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- EGM on the Roadmap for Internet Governance in Arab Region, United Nations House, Beirut, Lebanon.
- First and Second African Internet Governance Forum.
- First and Second Arab Internet Governance Forum.
- Internet Governance Forum, Bali, Indonesia.I have no conflicts of interest.
3. The EC performs several functional responsibilities for the Constituency. What level of time commitment can you bring to your EC role on a weekly and overall basis? Describe any concerns or limitations on your ability to attend online meetings of the Executive Committee and ICANN Meetings in person.
I have dedicate about 12 Hours a week and more if there are some more meetings available. I will perform my duties and responsibilities perfectly . Also to increase my contribution in ICANN Meetings in person and online meetings.
4. Communication with the membership is critical. How would you keep members apprised of your EC-related activities?
The Communications for the memberships is very important and it can be available through mailing list and regular announcements.
5. How do you foresee NCUC’s function, scale, or role changing in the future? What areas of ICANN policy, if any, need more attention and why?
I promise to continue to raise issues with NCUC policy and rules. I need to raise the issues in Cyber security, especially in Social Security ( protections of children from the dangers of Internet). We have to continue engaging in the GNSO PDP process.I shall pressure to see new faces in ICANN Board Members especially in developing countries. More about me see my C.V. attached here
REGION: Europe
Here is first of all my background - I'm 27 years old, I live in Moscow, Russia. I got BSc in IT, BA in Management, MSc in IT and PhD in IT.
Currently I'm associate professor, deputy head for international relations at the School of Business Informatics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow, Russia) (the most liberal and one of the top universities in Russia), I'm also academic head of the MSc program in "E-Business". I got my small company as well and I know how to deal with "business things". I'm also a public person - serve as PA for different public people in Russia from Parliament and Council of Federation, I'm also an expert for the special commission on development of Information society in Russia and trying to introduce some best practices I get from the IGFs and some other Internet society-related meetings where I participate.
I've been participating at the IGF for 4 years and for 3years I've been co-organizer of different workshops there, which I truly believe, were successful in terms of further implementation of their results.
I'm also a speaker at different international and Russian events related to the Internet development, Business informatics and Standardization of innovations in IT.
I truly believe that experience I can get out of serving at the EC will definitely help me with further development of some policies and introducing some activities in the area of Internet in Russia and CIS on the level of Civil Society and Technical Community at the same time. As I nominated to be at the European level - (I actively collaborate with colleagues from Finland, Estonia, Austria and Germany) - I guess I will try to being deeply involved in collaboration with colleagues from all the European countries, even though I truly believe is it very tough process (thus I asked if there is EC representative from Russia and CIS and not for the whole Europe).
I'm a young person and have to work hard in order to think about my future "prospective" retirement and in general to work for living ( :-)) , thus I work 40h a week (usually even more). But I usually find time for the things I'm interested in, in terms of commitment of time - I believe I can spend from 5 to 8 hours per week on EC. In terms of attending meetings in person - for me it is matter of funding as my University cant fund my participation in those activities as it is not related to any university's activities :-( Thus - if there is some funding available for in person participation at different events and meetings - I commit my participation and I'm sure I can arrange my schedule in order to participate at the events and meetings.
I guess that Social Networks really help to communicate as well as e-mails - thus I will think about Facebook activities and communication via e-mail.
I think that society should be actively involved in control of almost all areas of ICANN policy - why? because most of the time those areas have connection (direct or indirect) to the society and our lifestyle in either short-term or long-term prospective. Society should be involved in domain zone allocation as further society will use those domains and so on.
I guess now the most important topic is the situation with that "transfer of ICANN" which was postponed this summer but which should be performed anyway.
I won't go to any concrete steps so far as I think that all the steps will be introduces together with the community and initiative should go from the community level focusing on the problems community has.
I know I have small chances being elected as I didn't have possibilities to participate in such a nice e-mail discussions about some topics, but I participated in some polls, signed several manifests and corrected some documents, which were shared via e-mail list during 2015.
Thank you very much and I'm looking forward for any answers, comments and of course - results.
p.s. sorry for typos
You can find some of my bio here:
REGION: North America
I have been nominated for the Executive Committee position for North America and have accepted the nomination.
As we have already discussed on the list, there is a need for some major organizational changes in the constituency. This will require a mixture of leadership, experience, institutional memory and vision. We are also facing challenges regarding the role of constituencies in the NCSG that need to be deal with. I think I have a deep understanding of all those issues and thus am in a good position to do something about them.
I would also like to point out that my opponent in this race, Mr. None of the Above, is well-known for never doing any work. There is no record of him ever making a contribution to the NCUC and if you look at our email list archives you will never find a constructive comment from this guy. He has nothing to offer but negative campaigning and negative statements. Further, when the constituency was founded, where was he? Not around, contributed nothing. Typical. None of the Above is really a loser.
