I commend the hard work and commitment of ICANN staff and the Community who continue to take on more responsibilities to fulfil ICANN commitments, working with a low budget funding. I also believe that fellows are volunteers (some) or potential volunteers (most) in the ICANN community. My observation is, on one hand there is heavy workload on ICANN staff and Community members and on the other is a pool of potential volunteers not fully engaging. Volunteering with ICANN means participating in policy development processes, delivering work group proposals, work plans and reports among others. Most will agree with me that when one joins a discussion where members have over 5 years’ experience on subject matter and with an understanding of ICANN processes, a newcomer must possess close to similar experience on the subject to make useful contribution , else the option is to listen, read and learn before they can engage. The latter has worked for some fellows according to testimonies given at the fellowship new comer sessions. My appeal to the ICANN Board and Community is, please reconsider the proposed reduction of fellowship seats; otherwise how will awareness of ICANN’s mission, its multistakeholder model and its work get to the rest of the world especially the underrepresented communities? https://www.change.org/p/icann-stop-the-icann-budget-cuts-and-save-the-fello... -- “The distance is nothing when one has a motive.” ― Jane Austen <http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1265.Jane_Austen>