[governance] Final Message to the IGC as co-coordinator [Goodbye and Thanks]

Thu Feb 6 17:27:17 EST 2014

Dear Oksana, Anriette, Asif and others,

Many thanks for your kindness.

Best Wishes for 2014,
Sala

On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 3:32 AM, Anriette Esterhuysen <anriette at apc.org>wrote:

>  Dear Sala
>
> Thank you for your goodbye message (as coordinator). Under extremely
> difficult circumstances you have done exceptionally well. I know that at
> times this was really difficult and painful.. but you stuck it out!Â
>
> I hope that one day you will look back at this as valuable experience...
> not much fun, but useful :)
>
> Thank you for your effort and commitment, your patience, and for always
> doing your utmost to listen and read carefully, and to be fair when dealing
> with conflict.
>
> With much respect.
>
> Anriette
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>  On 4 February 2014 14:19, Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro <
>> salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>  Dear Colleagues,
>>>
>>>  Warm Greetings from Suva, Fiji,
>>>
>>>  It seems like only yesterday when several people asked me whether I
>>> would be interested in standing for co-coordinator. In fact, if I knew what
>>> I knew about what co-coordinators do, I most probably would not have stood.
>>> :) I had no clue of what was in store.Â
>>>
>>>  Suffice to say, my role was easy because my predecessor Jeremy Malcolm
>>> made it easier for me to transition into my role. He had migrated the list
>>> from the cpsr to where it is today. I was also fortunate to have Izumi who
>>> had been serving beside Jeremy for around a year before I came into serve.
>>> I would like to take this time to especially thank them for their
>>> collaboration and patience.Â
>>>
>>>  At the outset, one of the first things I had set to do in my new role
>>> was to communicate with all past coordinators and over time, I would seek
>>> their counsel and their collective wisdom. I would also like to thank all
>>> of them for their patience, wisdom and dedication. Special thank you also
>>> to Norbert Bollow my fellow co-coordinator who contributed immensely behind
>>> the scenes. It was a privilege to work alongside you. Chaitanya Dhareshwar
>>> has also been extremely helpful behind the scenes and my load was easier
>>> because I had people like Chaitanya who was generous in volunteering his
>>> time.
>>>
>>>  There are few aspects of civil society engagement that can be improved
>>> if people take the initiative to push forward statements, submissions etc.
>>> This is probably the only civil society group whose members and subscribers
>>> belong to other civil society organisations. As Nnenna once mentioned, the
>>> IGC is the oldest civil society organisation formed since the creation of
>>> the WSIS.
>>>
>>>  The last two years, we have encountered several challenges both
>>> internally and externally where levels of polarized debates affected our
>>> capacity to negotiate or be functional in our advocacy. As this was
>>> happening, there were changes happening in the dynamic landscape of
>>> internet governance such as the uncertainty of Internet Governance etc.
>>>
>>>  For each person that unsubscribed or left the IGC, six people would
>>> join. The average ratio of the unsubscriber is to subscriber is at an
>>> estimated 1:5
>>>
>>> When we were debating the WCIT and having all kinds of polarised
>>> debates, there were ITU policy staff subscribing to the IGC. The debates
>>> were usually between the pro ICANN camp and the anti ICANN camp or it was
>>> the pro ITU camp and the anti ITU camp and once pro single unified root
>>> versus multiple root camp or the pro US and anti US camp. I am seeing the
>>> discussions mature from the polarizations and whilst the differences still
>>> exist, they are not as threatening and as menacing as they once was. It is
>>> my hope that we can channel these diversities to show case the different
>>> perspectives in relation to the issues as we address global public interest
>>> concerned
>>>
>>>  Â I am continuously surprised that there are many governments
>>> particularly those in OECD countries who also subscribed to the IGC. I can
>>> say with confidence that the diversity of stakeholders that lurk on the IGC
>>> list are diverse and is not limited to civil society. Some see this as a
>>> threat, I see it as an opportunity to allow them to hear our dialogue,
>>> rationale. The list itself is mechanism for change. However, it is my hope
>>> that the IGC will be able to make relevant and targeted submissions to
>>> various entities and forums in productive ways. There are many pressing
>>> things ahead of us and whilst we are preparing for the Brazil meeting and
>>> the IGF that we also have a futuristic approach to the issues that demand
>>> our energy as we position ourselves to meet the coming challenges.
>>>
>>>  To do this it will require some level of decorum where we can agree
>>> and disagree professionally without personalizing matters. We have also had
>>> to resolve numerous matters complaints lodged to the coordinators and this
>>> was done discreetly. I am pleased that things have calmed down within the
>>> IGC.Â
>>>
>>>  One of the greatest thing I have had to learn was "restraint" and to
>>> be "measured" in my response in dealing with situations and this was not an
>>> easy thing but being in the IGC has helped me come to a greater
>>> understanding of the diversity of voices. Our diversity is our strength. It
>>> is my hope that we will use this shared understanding to reach out to other
>>> stakeholders and interface with them in a manner that encourages meaningful
>>> and productive interaction instead of alienation. Our success is dependent
>>> on some extent on our diplomacy.
>>>
>>>  Last but not least, a big thank you to all of you for making the
>>> journey worthwhile and memorable. I continue to learn daily from each of
>>> you, your insights, your wisdom and seeing the world through your eyes.
>>> Â In a few hours, when we close the Poll, we will be announcing the new
>>> coordinators and welcoming them.Â
>>>
>>>  Live and let live!
>>>
>>>  Many thanks everyone (Vinaka Vakalevu).
>>>
>>>  With every best wish for 2014,
>>>
>>>  Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  ____________________________________________________________
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>>
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>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------
> anriette esterhuysen anriette at apc.org
> executive director, association for progressive communicationswww.apc.org
> po box 29755, melville 2109
> south africa
> tel/fax +27 11 726 1692
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>      governance at lists.igcaucus.org
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>
> For all other list information and functions, see:
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