[alac] Statement about my candidacy
All, as per what was discussed yesterday in the meeting, I am sending a public statement about my candidacy as Board liaison for all of you to consider, and especially for those who won't be able to join the face to face discussion later today. I decided to volunteer for Board liaison because I think it is a position in which I could perform very well. I see this role as that of someone who has to gather the opinions of the ALAC, bring them to the Board and ensure that they are adequately considered and, if possible, adopted; the liaison also has to give the ALAC early warning of what's coming up in the Board, so that Board decisions don't come out of the blue, and the ALAC has a chance to influence them. In my opinion, the Board liaison should not have a personal agenda to push, but rather transmit in a fair manner the range of opinions in the At Large, especially when there is no consensus; he/she should be able to speak up when necessary, but always in a constructive manner. He/she should be able to work successfully and productively in the social context of a mid-sized group, being able to understand, respect and be respected by all others even when they represent opposite interests, and trying to push the Board towards the needs and interests of the users by dialogue and logic. Under these assumptions, I think that I have all the necessary features. Having attended all ICANN meetings since 2002 except one, most of which as ALAC Chair, I am well recognized and esteemed in the community, and also outside of it (for example in the WSIS/IGF environment, where I am pretty well known as well). People know me for standing up at the open mike in public forums without fear of making my points, but also supplementing them with rationales and reasonable proposals. My three years as Chair taught me how to mediate and channel the broad diversity of opinions that lies inside the At Large, with respect and consideration for all, not letting my personal views unbalance my actions as Chair (I think that everyone was substantially happy with how I chaired the Committee). At the same time, I have a broad background - including engineering, business and policy -, culturally diverse and multilingual, that makes it simpler for me to interact with the various groups, from governments to business constituencies, and with people from different parts of the world. Moreover, I think I would contribute to enhance the diversity of the Board. ICANN in general, and the Board in particular, still ranks very low on geographical and cultural diversity. Among the 15 voting members of the new Board, there will be five from North America, plus one Australian and one New Zealander. On the other hand, there will be only one European and one African. I think that there is the need to add to the Board more non-US-centric points of view. In terms of time commitment, as you might know, my ALAC term is going to expire next March, when, at the Lisbon meeting, the EURALO will almost certainly be accredited. I do not intend to reapply, because I think that four years in the same position is quite enough and new people should have a chance to serve, so the Board liaison role would be my one and only commitment inside ICANN, and get all the attention it deserves. All in all, I really think, in good conscience, that I am particularly fit for this role - but then, that's for all of us to determine. I am looking forward to discussing the above with all of you later at the meeting, or in person if you like, or by email for those who are not here, to understand what's better for the Committee as a whole. Ciao, -- vb. [Vittorio Bertola - v.bertola [a] bertola.eu.org]<----- http://bertola.eu.org/ <- Prima o poi... |