[governance] Statement - Amazonians speak about .amazon

[Arsène Tungali]

Thanks Renata and all for this great statement. I believe this is a big step ahead and i hope many people will join you in this fight.

-----------------
Arsène Tungali,
about.me/ArseneTungali
+243 993810967
GPG: 523644A0
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo

Sent from my iPhone (excuse typos)

> On Jul 21, 2017, at 8:21 PM, Renata Aquino Ribeiro <raquino at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> This statement is open now for endorsements
> 
> https://bestbits.net/amazon/
> 
> 
> Amazonians speak about .amazon
> 
> 
> We, the people in the Amazon, would like you to stop talking about us
> without hearing us first
> 
> 
> *****
> This is a response about the latest decision in the delegation process
> of the .amazon new gTLD domain by the Independent Review Panel at
> ICANN to Amazon
> 
> https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/irp-amazon-final-declaration-11jul17-en.pdf
> 
> The context of this dispute is summarised in this article
> 
> http://domainnamewire.com/2017/07/18/amazon-com-gets-big-win-domain-battle-may-yet-get-amazon-domain/
> ****
> 
> In light of the twists in the process of the new gTLD .amazon, many
> parties have come forward speaking "for the benefit of the people of
> the Amazon" and staking their claim that they were doing what is best
> for the region development.
> 
> 
> Not once, during all this time, anyone cared to ask what our thoughts
> are or what we think the best for our region is.
> 
> 
> Well, we would like to ask all parties to stop talking about us as if
> we can't speak for ourselves. It must not be forgotten that the Amazon
> region involves the population of nine South American nation-states.
> For us, this is a time of challenges over the Amazon such as illegal
> mining, deforestation, water pollution among others. Any policy
> decision about the region or its name (in any language) is a matter of
> great interest for all of us, and we cannot be left aside.
> 
> 
> Let's start with the view of .amazon being a brand as well as a region
> and a river. We were never asked, again, when the name was used in the
> first place. The consequences of this can be seen now, when we are
> mistaken as a faceless, plain, uncharacteristic area in a world map
> without content or people, an exoticly empty part of the world to be
> conquered and debated abstractly by trademark lobbyists, private
> companies and governments.
> 
> 
> We have faces, names, content, history. Using our name to tell another
> story, a company's history, would de-characterize us? Likely not. We
> will not disappear. Instead the Amazon is a vibrant region, which bets
> on sustainable development and becomes increasingly more involved with
> internet governance, alongside with Northeast Brazil, which hosted
> IGF2015.
> 
> 
> However, using our name without acknowledging our importance is
> certainly a mistake. Using our name refers directly to a vast land of
> rich diversity, with much to uncover and with many cultural gems
> already discovered. So if using our name, at least acknowledge us,
> respect us. Give back to the "lung of the Earth," to a river which
> hosts hundreds of communities by its riverbanks. Invest on us. We want
> the same you do, more education, a thriving internet market and
> respect to sustainable development for a better future.
> 
> 
> It is also important to note that ICANN's Independent Review Panel
> comes at a moment when the discussion about the use of geographical
> names is very controversial, as it was seen in meetings in
> Johannesburg. And it is surprising, given there is no consensus yet
> about this theme in the community.
> 
> 
> Governments of nine nations also speak our name. With such ownership
> and familiarity that you could sometimes forget that we do not belong
> only to one of them. The Wikipedia, which also does not belong to only
> one company or government, can enlighten that:
> 
> 
> "This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The
> majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the
> rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with
> minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and
> French Guiana. States or departments in four nations contain
> "Amazonas" in their names. The Amazon represents over half of the
> planet's remaining rainforests, and comprises the largest and most
> biodiverse tract of tropical rainforest in the world, with an
> estimated 390 billion individual trees divided into 16,000 species."
> 
> 
> This means that even if you agree with nine governments on whatever
> decision they take on the Amazon, you could still be in disagreement
> to half of the planet, and their thoughts on the importance of our
> region. Governments representational crisis is real and does not
> belong to one country or another. Governments should listen to their
> citizens. Yet, none of our major political powers are located in the
> Amazon and have not spoken to us about any aspect of the recent
> process.
> 
> 
> This becomes much more complicated when the Amazon is referred to as
> an area of indigenous population. Our indigenous population was not
> asked when colonized, the majority did not elect the government of the
> nine nation-states which comprise the Amazon. Likely, the majority of
> our indigenous population suffers from abandonment, land conflicts,
> health crisis and lack of an education system. More importantly, our
> indigenous population wants, just as companies or governments, an
> internet market which provides jobs and enables development.
> Indigenous population may not speak only Portuguese or Spanish but
> they can speak too.
> 
> 
> So why does everyone insists on talking about us without listening to us?
> 
> 
> The rainforest is disappearing fast. This process is not going to slow
> down unless there is responsibility from all stakeholders in a
> dialogue about our region and how to respect it. When referring to the
> new gTLDs or any issue of public policy, public and private sector
> need to address us, we are all part of a cross border region and an
> strategic navigation channel and this dialogue has to take this unique
> situation in account. It must not be forgotten that, after all, the
> multistakeholder model that we all support to have a free and open
> Internet, involves multiple parties. This is not only an issue of the
> private sector and governments, the population is a key participant,
> that in this particular matter was never consulted.
> 
> 
> So please, consult us.
> 
> Don't take our name without talking to us.
> 
> Stop talking about us as if we can't speak.
> 
> 
> 
> Renata Aquino Ribeiro - Brasil
> 
> Worked with Amazon region researchers and maintains an independent
> research group with collaborators in the region. Mixed ethnicity with
> relatives and friends in the region. Lives in NE Brazil. NCUC ICANN
> LAC representative. IGF MAG Civil Society 2016-2017.
> 
> Lilian Ivete Deluque Bruges - Colombia
> 
> Lives in Barranquilla, Colombia. Works in local government with
> indigenous population and vulnerable groups. Mixed ethnicity. Alumni
> from the South School of Internet Governance 2016. LACNIC27 fellow.
> 
> 
> Bertnell Auclene Malisa Richards - Guyana
> 
> Lives in Georgetown, Guyana. Works with education and technology.
> Plans on creating IGF Guyana. ICANN58 fellow. NCUC ICANN member.
> LACRALO ICANN Member, ISOC Guyana.
> 
> Patricia Vargas - Peru
> 
> Researcher, PhD Candidate, School of Information Studies, Syracuse University. .
> 
> 
> Lia Solis - Bolivia
> 
> LACNOG Program Committee member, LACNIC member, ICANN Fellow, LACRALO
> ICANN participant, ISOC Bolivia Board.
> 
> 
> Maureen Hernandez - Venezuela.
> 
> ISOC Venezuela board of directors. Systems Engineer working with
> community networks in Central and Latin America. Born and raised in
> Venezuela and has been meeting indigenous communities for connectivity
> development for the last 2 years.
> 
> 
> Jessica Botelho - Brazil
> 
> Journalist. Researcher at the Federal University of Amazonas / CNPq.
> Member of the ISOC Youth Observatory and the Center for Studies and
> Practices in Cyberculture (Manaus, Amazonas, Northern Brazil). Student
> of the Brazil Internet Governance School 2016 and the InternetLab
> School 2017.
> 
> 
> Maurília Gomes - Brazil
> 
> Public Relations. Master in Communication Sciences. Researcher of
> cyberculture and social activism. Member of ISOC Brazil. Lives in
> Manaus, Amazon. Member of the Popular Audiovisual Center (CPA), an
> organization that works on human rights, indigenous population, land
> conflicts and climate change. Is also a member of the Center for
> Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (NepCiber). Mixed ethnicity with
> indigenous descent. Alumni from the Brazilian School of Internet
> Governance 2015.
> 
> 
> Hemanuel Veras - Brazil
> 
> Journalist. Master in Communication Sciences. Researcher of
> cyberculture and democracy. Lives in Manaus, Amazon. Member of the
> Popular Audiovisual Center and the Center for Studies and Practices in
> Ciberculture (CPA/NepCiber). Alumni from the Brazilian School of
> Internet Governance 2016.
> 
> 
> Allan Gomes - Brazil
> Journalist. Researcher of cyberculture. Lives in Manaus, Amazon.
> Coordinator of the Popular Audiovisual Center (CPA) and member of the
> Center for Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (NepCiber). Approved
> to the Brazilian School of Internet Governance 2017.
> 
> 
> Sebastian Roa - Brazil
> 
> Currently lives in the state of Amazonas. Journalism student and
> researcher of the study group of urban anthropology. Also research
> adolescents indigenous in the urban context and TICS. Currently work
> with UN with the Venezuelan emergency. Member of the Center for
> Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (NepCiber). Approved to the
> Brazilian School of Internet Governance 2017.
> 
> 
> Sinuhe Nascimento e Cruz - Brasil
> 
> Born and raised in the State of Acre, the most werstern state in the
> brazilian amazon. Currently lives in São Paulo, where is developing a
> bachelor’s degree in Law at the University of São Paulo. Founder
> member of the Nucleum of Studies on Technology and Society of the
> University of São Paulo and also a member of the Environmental Law
> Clinic Paulo Nogueira Neto at the Law School of the University of São
> Paulo.
> 
> 
> Paola Perez - Venezuela
> 
> Vice - president ISOC Venezuela and co- Chair LACNIC Public Policy
> Forum, OEA Cybersecurity Bootcamp fellow 2017, South School internet
> Governance 2016 alumni, ICANN LACRALO and NCUC member.
> 
> 
> Luã Fergus
> 
> Researcher, born and raised in the Amazon region, Master's degree
> student in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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