[governance] Possible CS text on forum

[Jeanette Hofmann]

Vittorio,

>>I also would like to express my doubts about the executive group. I 
>>don't understand its function.
> 
> 
> I'm not sure whether that's the best possible idea, however I am much
> more afraid of a process that does *not* have a clearly defined
> executive group, with guarantees of inclusiveness and
> "multistakeholderness". 

You mean, it would be the job of the executive group to guarantee such 
things as inclusiveness? Please, Vittorio, this sounds like ALAC's ideas 
in its formative stages. We don't need to repeat that, do we?
> 
> Without that, there are only two possibilities:
> - everyone talks and then the Secretariat decides what the consensus is;

Your executive body wouldn't have the authority either to "decide what 
consensus is". In my view, the forum is not primarily a decision making 
body. If we really want to make it open and inclusive, the focus will be
rather on coordination than decision making.

> - everyone talks and then, as there is no mechanism to call consensus,
> nothing happens.

The forum cannot make binding decisions anyway.

> I don't like any of the two. Even here, in this very informal group that
> only needs to get to consensus on principle declarations, we need to
> have coordinators to make things happen. 

Its nice of you to imply that Adam and I make things happen. But its 
actually more a collective thing. We have rarely done things without 
closely cooperating with others on this list. An executive committee 
would fundamentally change the dynamics of this list space. It would 
push people on a backseat who actively contribute when they feel they 
have something to say.

Just imagine if you have to
> come to consensus on (even if non-binding) policy recommendations.

There is no "have to" with the forum I am afraid. Hopefully, there will 
be groups or coalitions feeling responsible enough to push for some 
practical outcomes. An executive committee cannot replace such 
initiatives, on the contrary.

jeanette
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