With reference to the FY19 draft ICANN budget (https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/proposed-total-budget-fy19-19jan18-en.pdf), I would like respond to section 2.5.2: Reductions to Engagement and Community Support, specifically the item on Fellows/NextGen. I would like to add my voice and request that the numbers of Fellows and NextGen to be maintained at 60 and 20 respectively.

Reference is made to a 4 part blog series to celebrate 10 years of the ICANN Fellowship Program, authored by Janice Douma Lange, where she highlighted over 35 fellows who since their first fellowship experience have joined the ICANN Board, Staff, have Leadership Positions or are active in the Community. Some NextGen participants have also joined the Community and continue to be active.

• Part 1: https://www.icann.org/news/blog/the-fellowship-spirit-part-one-of-a-four-part-blog-series
• Part 2: https://www.icann.org/news/blog/the-fellowship-spirit
• Part 3: https://www.icann.org/news/blog/the-fellowship-spirit-en
• Part 4: https://www.icann.org/news/blog/the-fellowship-spirit-0edb9f60-6898-4121-a0e3-5865c9a4106d
  

Reference is also made to the ICANN Fellowship survey conducted in 2017 (https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/icann-fellowship-program-10-year-survey-dprd-28jun17-en.pdf) which indicated that 198 out of the total fellowship recipients were engaged in Communities like At-Large, GNSO (CSG & NCSG), RSSAC,etc, while others are active in their local/regional I* activities. From the survey, 61% of those who are not involved sighted lack of funding as a reason for their lack of participation while 31% said they were not clear on how to engage. These can be mentored to become valuable members of the community. Reducing these numbers would further reduce the number of newcomers to each meeting.

In addition, Sally Costerton's blog (https://www.icann.org/news/blog/icann-fellowship-program-taking-stock-of-the-past-and-looking-towards-the-future) highlights some of the benefits of the fellowship program thus far.

I signed a petition (https://www.change.org/p/icann-stop-the-icann-budget-cuts-and-save-the-fellowship-program) to save the ICANN fellowship program and shared the link with other colleagues. The discussion that followed was interesting and it gave each one of us a moment of self-reflection. Like other programs, the fellowship program is not without fault. Instead, I request that a review be done to assess how the program has evolved from when it started in 2007 and how it is performing currently.  A decision can be made after such a review has been conducted.

Kind regards,

Sarah Kiden