<div dir="ltr"><div>+1 to this letter.<br></div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:small"><div><b>WISDOM DONKOR</b><br></div><div><font size="1">President & CEO</font></div><div><font size="1">Africa Open Data and Internet Research Foundation</font></div><div><font size="1">P.O. Box CT 2439, Cantonments, Accra | <a href="http://www.aodirf.org" target="_blank">www.aodirf.org</a> / <a href="http://www.afrigeocon.org" target="_blank">www.afrigeocon.org</a> </font></div><div><font size="1">Tel: +233 20 812 8851</font></div><div><font size="1">Skype: wisdom_dk | Facebook: kwasi wisdom | Twitter: @wisdom_dk </font></div><div>__________________________________________________</div><div><font size="1">Specialization:</font></div><div><font size="1">E-government Network Infrastructure and E-application, Internet Governance, Open Data policies platforms & Community Development, Cyber Security, Domain Name Systems, Software Engineering, Event Planning & Management, </font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Dec 18, 2019 at 11:48 AM Sheetal Kumar <<a href="mailto:sheetal@gp-digital.org">sheetal@gp-digital.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>
Dear all, <br></div><div><br></div><div>This is the final version of the letter, which we will be sending today. I will cc in the list. Thanks to everyone for their active contributions.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Best</div><div>Sheetal. <br></div><div>
<div>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br></div><div><b>Subject: Letter from the Internet Governance Caucus re: the sale of .org</b></div><div>
<div>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br></div>To: Gonzalo Camarillo, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Internet Society<br><br>As members of a network which encompasses many non-commercial organizations and individuals, we are concerned by the announcement that Ethos Capital intends to acquire the assets of the Public Interest Registry (PIR) from the Internet Society (ISOC), including the .ORG, .NGO, and .ONG Registry Agreements. We ask that this sale be called off. <br><br>Principally, we are concerned that the sale of PIR to a private entity investment firm would significantly alter the Domain Name System and weaken ISOC. PIR played an important role, as the only remaining non-commercial top-level domain registry operator, in serving as a counterbalance against commercial exploitation. PIR ran .ORG, .NGO, and .ONG for the benefit of its users, whereas other top-level domains are run by private companies with purely financial objectives. While the interests of companies and users do at times overlap, they can also conflict, and when this occurs there are significant human rights implications. PIR, as a subsidiary of ISOC, could be relied upon to do what was best for domain name registrants, and has a proud history of doing just that. However, PIR also gave ISOC greater legitimacy and wider influence. It allowed ISOC to take an even more active role in shaping Internet infrastructure. In relinquishing its control over PIR, ISOC would lose some of its ability to directly impact how millions of people around the world positively experience the Internet every day, and we think that is a great pity.<br><br>We understand that Ethos Capital approached ISOC with an offer in September 2019 and that an agreement had been reached to sell PIR by November 2019. This secret process caught us, and everyone, unaware, not just of the transaction but of the urgency to divest of PIR. <br><br>We join ICANN in its 9 December 2019 letter calling for ISOC to be more transparent about the proposed sale of PIR
and we call for more inclusiveness in addition. We ask that ISOC commit to publishing on its website all correspondence and documents exchanged with ICANN in relation to the proposed change in control of PIR. In addition, we ask that ISOC commit to publishing on its website any filings (including motions and petitions) in the Pennsylvania Orphans' Court relating to the change in status of the PIR.<br><br>We expect an organization that operates in the public interest, and who promotes the values of openness, trust, and transparency, to be coherent with those values when making major decisions. <br><br>This is a major decision that would result in a significant change, for ISOC and for the Internet community, and it has been proposed a) without a human rights impact assessment being conducted, b) without consultation with impacted stakeholders, and c) without appropriate safeguards in place to protect the interests of .ORG, .NGO, and .ONG registrants and the people who visit their websites every day. <br><br><div>ISOC has successfully stewarded .ORG via PIR for 17 years, gaining a reputation as a careful manager of a resource that truly is the global home for nonprofits and the noncommercial community. Given this background, and ISOC’s stated commitments to transparency and openness, we are unable to reconcile the path that ISOC has taken with the values we thought ISOC espoused. Accordingly, we call upon ISOC to withdraw from its negotiations with Ethos Capital, and to withdraw from selling PIR, so to honor its charter.</div><div><br></div><div>Sincerely yours,<br></div><div><br></div><div>Members of the Internet Governance Caucus (IGC)*<br></div><div><br></div><div><i>*The Internet Governance Caucus is composed of 500 individual members. Please see more information on the IGC here: <a href="https://igcaucus.org/igc-charter/" target="_blank">https://igcaucus.org/igc-charter/</a></i></div></div>
</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, 13 Dec 2019 at 20:16, Sylvain Baya <<a href="mailto:abscoco@gmail.com" target="_blank">abscoco@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div>Hi all,</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Thanks dear Ayden.</div><div dir="auto">Just one thing :-)</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">...add *inclusiveness* alongside with the recommendation for more *transparency*.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Please see below (inline)...<br><br><div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">Le ven. 13 déc. 2019 4:54 PM, Ayden Férdeline <<a href="mailto:ayden@ferdeline.com" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">ayden@ferdeline.com</a>> a écrit :<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div>Thanks for this edit, Ian, and thanks to everyone who had shared their input on this statement. I've pasted below what we have at present. I apologise if I have missed any edits or failed to address any concerns - if so, please can you advise. Thanks again and enjoy your weekend!</div><div><br></div><div><div><div>Best wishes, Ayden Férdeline <br></div><div>====</div><div><br></div></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">To: Gonzalo Camarillo, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Internet Society</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">As members of a network which encompasses many non-commercial organizations and individuals, we are concerned by the announcement that Ethos Capital intends to acquire the assets of the Public Interest Registry (PIR) from the Internet Society (ISOC), including the .ORG, .NGO, and .ONG Registry Agreements. We ask that this sale be called off. </span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">Principally, we are concerned that the sale of PIR to a private entity investment firm would significantly alter the Domain Name System and weaken ISOC. PIR played an important role, as the only remaining non-commercial top-level domain registry operator, in serving as a counterbalance against commercial exploitation. PIR ran .ORG, .NGO, and .ONG for the benefit of its users, whereas other top-level domains are run by private companies with purely financial objectives. While the interests of companies and users do at times overlap, they can also conflict, and when this occurs there are significant human rights implications. PIR, as a subsidiary of ISOC, could be relied upon to do what was best for domain name registrants, and has a proud history of doing just that. However, PIR also gave ISOC greater legitimacy and wider influence. It allowed ISOC to take an even more active role in shaping Internet infrastructure. In relinquishing its control over PIR, ISOC would lose some of its ability to directly impact how millions of people around the world positively experience the Internet every day, and we think that is a great pity.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">We understand that Ethos Capital approached ISOC with an offer in September 2019 and that an agreement had been reached to sell PIR by November 2019. This secret process caught us, and everyone, unaware, not just of the transaction but of the urgency to divest of PIR. </span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">We join ICANN in its 9 December 2019 letter calling for ISOC to be more transparent about the proposed sale of PIR. </span></span></i></span></span></span></p></blockquote></div></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">“<i>...the proposed sale of PIR<b>, and we call for more inclusiveness in addition.</b></i>”</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Thanks.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Shalom,</div><div dir="auto">--sb.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">We ask that ISOC commit to publishing on its website all correspondence and documents exchanged with ICANN in relation to the proposed change in control of PIR. In addition, we ask that ISOC commit to publishing on its website any filings (including motions and petitions) in the Pennsylvania Orphans' Court relating to the change in status of the PIR.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">We expect an organization that operates in the public interest, and who promotes the values of openness, trust, and transparency, to be coherent with those values when making major decisions. </span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">This is a major decision that would result in a significant change, for ISOC and for the Internet community, and it has been proposed a) without a human rights impact assessment being conducted, b) without consultation with impacted stakeholders, and c) without appropriate safeguards in place to protect the interests of .ORG, .NGO, and .ONG registrants and the people who visit their websites every day. </span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">ISOC has successfully stewarded .ORG via PIR for 17 years, gaining a reputation as a careful manager of a resource that truly is the global home for nonprofits and the noncommercial community. Given this background, and ISOC’s stated commitments to transparency and openness, we are unable to reconcile the path that ISOC has taken with the values we thought ISOC espoused. Accordingly, we call upon ISOC to withdraw from its negotiations with Ethos Capital, and to withdraw from selling PIR, so to honor its charter.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">About the Internet Governance Caucus</span></span></i></b></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">The members of the Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) are individuals, acting in their personal capacity, who subscribe to IGC's charter. The IGC is guided by its vision and mission, included below.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u>Vision</u></span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">The policies that shape the Internet impact not only the development of the technologies themselves, but also the realization of internationally agreed human rights, social equity and interdependence, cultural concerns, and both social and economic development. Our vision is that Internet governance should be inclusive, people centered and development oriented. Our contributions to the various forums relevant to Internet governance, will strive to ensure an information society which better enables equal opportunity and freedom for all.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u>Mission</u></span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:transparent"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt">The mission of the Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) is to provide a forum for discussion, advocacy, action, and for representation of civil society contributions in Internet governance processes. The caucus intends to provide an open and effective forum for civil society to share opinion, policy options and expertise on Internet governance issues, and to provide a mechanism for coordination of advocacy to enhance the utilization and influence of Civil Society (CS) and the IGC in relevant policy processes.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br></p><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div></div><div><br></div><div>‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐<br></div><div> [...]</div>
</blockquote></div></div></div>
</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><br><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:12.8px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#073763"><b></b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:12.8px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#073763"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:12.8px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#073763"><b>Sheetal Kumar</b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:12.8px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#073763">Senior Programme Lead | GLOBAL PARTNERS DIGITAL</font><div><div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)"><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">Second Home, 68-80 Hanbury Street, London, E1 5JL</font></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)"><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">T: +44 (0)20 3 818 3258</font><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">| M: +44 (0)7739569514 | <br></font><span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font size="1">PGP ID: E592EFBBEAB1CF31 </font></span></span><span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font size="1"><span><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">| </font></span>PGP Fingerprint: F5D5 114D 173B E9E2 0603 DD7F E592 EFBB EAB1 CF31</font></span></span><span><span><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">| </font></span><br></span></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)"><span><br></span></span></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
---<br>
To unsubscribe: <mailto:<a href="mailto:igc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net" target="_blank">igc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net</a>><br>
List help: <<a href="https://riseup.net/lists" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://riseup.net/lists</a>><br>
</blockquote></div>