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3. Board Report of Activities:
Some Highlights:
- First European Dialogue on Internet Governance – its organization many EURALO members took part.
- First regional Dialogue on Internet Governance in Germany (exchange of informations and experiences might be useful for other countries activities)
- ICANN Studienkreis in Helsinki
- Meißen: Summerschool on Internet Governance - including outreach activities for At-Large (with a fellowship programme)
- Meeting in Athens ENISA, discussing DNS
- Coopeation with East-African IGF
Future:
- There will be a second EuroDIG in September 2009 in Geneva (opportunity for outreach activities), updates and information how to participate will be posted on EURALO list
- There will be an ICANN Studienkreis in Barcelona 15/16 October 2009. One morning is a room free for a possible EURALO meeting)
In a whole there has been considerable improvement of coordination, communication, organization of different EURLAO meetings. EURALO became a group and overcame the former difficulties of the year before. Special thanks to Wolf, who strongly helped the EURALO making work.
We are pleased that we got political position papers done. But there are still problems to organize fast reaction to ICANN/ALAC deadlines in time.
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Special thanks were expressed to staff and especially to Heidi, who worked with enthusiasm on supporting the user`s summit. We are sorry that Nick cannot be here today, as he has been sick, we wish him all the very best.
Comments:
- Recognition of the ALSes’ efforts, to work within a the difficult At-Large RALO structure.
- And it is good that staff also acknowledged it, sharing a lot of time with us.
- By new ALS members, expectation that ALAC has a good standing in the ICANN structure, it has been realized that it needs more strengthening.
- Directly meeting different ALSes, networking was very positive
- The first session was a little too top down (introduction Saturday morning like lecture hall) and staff did not focus on internet users issues. In future meetings, staff and board should focus on internet users issues – this also helps activating internet users to take part in the At-Large work.
- Request for a motion to repeat the summit – there should be continuation of the summit
- Panels and working groups were great and engaging
- The get together of all ALSes/RALOs should have taken place at the beginning and not at the end of the summit
- Strong appreciation that we will have a final declaration
- Being able to participate face to face with other ALS members was very useful – also for future (online) work. It will allow a better outcome for all ALSes
- The preparation work by ALSes and staff was very important
- A real hassle though, was that the staff rescheduled workshops at short notice, some even without noticing the moderator/speakers of a panel
- It was extremely hard to offer workshops and coordinate with staff on this matter
- Also criticism that ALSes could have done more in preparing the summit
- Criticism that background papers have not been translated
- For whole editing of final document a working computer with a printer should be available and should be supported by staff
- Huge step in the right direction after we went so far backwards after the year 2000. Continuation of this should be organized, as a general summit every 3 years or so, but in between there could be regional user meetings connected to an ICANN meeting.
- Summit helped restoring the belief that the whole At-Large structure could make sense
- In preparing the summit (we would not have needed a second survey, but rather focus on setting up workshops in time and do not put so much pressure on speakers who got the confirmation of their workshop just a few days before the summit.
Statement: We need to explore how to make another ALAC summit like the one in Mexico possible. These face-to-face meetings are extremely useful and essential in building the relationships and trust to start meaningfull (online) work.
EURALO supports a continuation of internet users interest focused summits. We need more information in more digestable formats for ALSes.
But it also needs a well organized information flow from the ALSes to the internet users also explaining how they can get involved – in a transparent and accountable way.
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