Date: 27 June 2007 16:13:09 GMT-04:00
Subject: Liaison
Dear members of the ALAC
as you know I originally accepted the nomination to be a candidate for the position of ALACs liaison to the board. When I accepted the nomination I was not aware that such a nomination could be in conflict with my present position within the NomCom. I was elected by ALAC to serve in the NomCom for two years. My term comes to an end in two weeks from now after the final NomCom meeting in Toronto. To avoid any confusion or mistrust I decided to step down from my candidacy and to concentrate my efforts on the NomCom. When ALAC elected me into the NomCom they had high expectations. I want to fulfill this expectations until the very end. That is why I decided te step down from the candidacy and not to step down from the NomCom. You can be assured that I will do my very best in the forthocming NomCom meeting to represent the interests of the At Large movement as best as I can.
With regard to the position of ALACs liaison to the board I want to refer to my statement I made in yesterdays joint meeting of ALAC with the Board where I said, that I see the ALAC movement now on the eve of a new beginning. The first phase from 1999 to 2002 was dominated by the discussion on elections and cyberdemocracy. The second phase, as part of the reform process, was mainly about procedural and structural issues, building ALS and RALOs. This has reached not an end and we are entering a new phase where substantial issues has to come into the forefront of ALACs activtiies.
Fore this new phase, new faces are needed. Insofar I would encourage the members of ALAC to look for fresh blood if it elects the liaison and to nominate a candidate which can represent at the best the interests of individual Internet users, talking into account the growing importance of consumer/user protection in dealing with the technical management of the Internet core ressources. And because I am always in favour of gender balance, I also encourage you to consider under this specific point the candidacy of Wendy Seltzer. I know Wendy for about ten years and I share a lot of her values and visions.
I will continue to be part of ALAC family also after the end of my term in the NomCom. And I am looking forward working with you during forthcoming events like the EURALO Outreach meeting in October in Warsaw, the next ICANN meeting in LA and the IGF in Rio.
Best regards
Wolfgang