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Comments in favor of diversity of participation

  • To: gnso-bylaw-revision@xxxxxxxxx
  • Subject: Comments in favor of diversity of participation
  • From: Ross Rader <ross@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:47:30 -0400

Speaking for myself...

As one of the original proponents of GNSO Council term limits, I thought it might be helpful to provide feedback in favor of moving forward with further enhancements to the diversity requirements that the community has employed in structuring the policy development body of the GNSO, i.e. currently called "the GNSO Council".

Diversity of participation is a core principle of ICANN. The GNSO generally strives to ensure that participants from a broad range of backgrounds, interests, geographies, political persuasion, etc. come together to undertake the work of the GNSO in accordance with ICANN's bylaws. However, the GNSO Council has not managed to fully diversify its composition. This is largely due to the number of Councillors whom are repeatedly appointed by their constituencies in seemingly endless cycles for years and years on end. While I am sure that they are reasonably competent and qualified to perform the tasks of their position, their endless participation does nothing to broaden the horizons of the Council, and in many ways limits the scope of the vision and imagination that the Council can employ when addressing the challenges it regularly faces.

Term limits for Councillors are a great and simple way to encourage the growth and maturity of the Council. This concept has been previously recognized by the Council itself in the recommendations it passed to the board on this subject, and then confirmed again by the independent reviewers.

Term limits bring many additional benefits to the Council and therefore the community. They will;

- increase competition at a constituency level so that the best people with the best ideas are brought forward. - limit the development of "career politicians" and break ties special interests on a regular and predictable basis. - ensure the regular introduction of "fresh bulls" who bring fresh ideas and new ways of doing things with them. - regularly re-balance the concentration of individual political power within the council and help contain unnecessary bureaucracies and unduly influential lobbies.

I encourage the board to move forward with the original Council recommendations. Improving the diversity of participation in the GNSO is an important matter and further delay will only serve to further the interests of those seeking to extend their seat of power.

/ross


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