[governance] Re: [IGP-ANNOUNCE] IGP Alert: Reforming ICANN

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kleinwächter, Wolfgang 
> 
> My understanding of "bottom up" is that there is no 
> sub-ordination, there is no "master on the top" who tells, 
> oversees, controls etc. It is a qualitative new relationship 
> among different groups who has to sit togetbner and to figure 
> out both within their own groups and among themselves how to 
> manage concrete problems on an issue by issue basis. The 
> traditional "triangel" where we had governments on the top, 
> private sector was lobbying (or buying) governments and civil 
> society was protesting in the streets (peacefully or with 

Wolfgang:
this is all very well and good, but somewhat orthogonal to the discussion about IG Forum-based "oversight" of icann. What seems to have happened here is that you and Avri (and now, Roney Koven) have interpreted the words "soft oversight" to mean "hierarchy", contrary to the meaning of English words and the actual facts about what was proposed, and now use your self-imposed equation as an occasion to rail against hierarchy. But it is clear, it is undeniable, that IGF has no hierarchical authority over ICANN (or anything else). Manifestly, IGF holds no political or contractual authority to tell it what to do or enforce any "orders". So what, exactly, are you talking about?

Indeed, the proposal we are making is an attempt to actually implement and facilitate some of the network governance ideas that you are trying to articulate. So to take your words, we are proposing that the "different groups" "sit together and figure out both within their own groups and among themselves" how to manage the concrete problem of ICANN's accountability.  

Similarly, others have advocated using the Forum to scrutinize other international organizations involved in IG, such as the ITU, for their conformance to WSIS principles. Oddly, we get no protests about a looming imposition of hierarchy when the ITU is brought up (we usually get a well-deserved yawn). I'll leave it to others to speculate on the causes of that disparity.  

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