[governance] Proposed statement on .ORG sale

[Sylvain Baya (via governance Mailing List)]

Hi all,

Thanks dear Ayden.
Just one thing :-)

...add *inclusiveness* alongside with the recommendation for more
*transparency*.

Please see below (inline)...

Le ven. 13 déc. 2019 4:54 PM, Ayden Férdeline <ayden at ferdeline.com> a
écrit :

> 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!
>
> Best wishes, Ayden Férdeline
> ====
>
> *To:    Gonzalo Camarillo, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Internet
> Society*
>
> *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. *
>
> *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.*
>
> *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. *
>
> *We join ICANN in its 9 December 2019 letter calling for ISOC to be more
> transparent about the proposed sale of PIR. *
>

“*...the proposed sale of PIR, and we call for more inclusiveness in
addition.*”

Thanks.

Shalom,
--sb.

*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.*
>
> *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. *
>
> *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. *
>
> *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.*
>
> *About the Internet Governance Caucus*
>
> *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.*
>
> *Vision*
>
> *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.*
>
> *Mission*
>
> *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.*
>
>
>
>
> ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
> [...]
>
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