@All:

The ICANN Global Indigenous Ambassador Program (GIAP) did not get any money under the recently approved ICANN FY 2019-2020 budget which came into effect 1^stof July 2018. As a result of this budget cut, the one year old IGIAP is currently defunct.

As some of you may know, NARALO was key in focusing efforts outside and within ICANN to outreach to underrepresented indigenous communities in our region. These efforts were initially focused to US and Canada. In July 14, 2017, ICANN announced the creation and adoption of a formally structured program to outreach to these communities all over the world and named the program the “Global Indigenous Ambassador Program” (GIAP). During the last year we saw fellows participating in ICANN meetings from US, Canada, Columbia and Bolivia indigenous communities.

NARALO member Judith Hellerstein started to promote the program at an international level during the RightsCon 2018 event with good results.

Having said that, there is a community consultation process to review the current ICANN Fellowship Program (IFP) which is different in scope to the GIAP. The comment period will be open until July 27, 2018 (see HERE). We have an opportunity to raise our voice and suggest ideas on how we can enhance the IFP with parts of the currently defunct GIAP.

I proposed that NARALO puts forward the following comment directly into the IFP consultation process:

“NARALO encourage the existing ICANN Fellowship Program (IFP) to actively outreach to global indigenous communities and designate two fellowships to these communities from their IFP total allocation until such time as the original Global Indigenous Ambassador Program (GIAP) program is reinstated. These communities exist throughout the world. We believe that this abides to the wishes of ICANN to be inclusive and demonstrative that they include this sector of our society as part of the ICANN multi-stakeholder community.”

I have received preliminary feedback about this proposal indicating that what is being asked is for a quota for two IFP slots. This might seem like such but it is not permanent since we are asking for these slots “… until such time as the original Global Indigenous Ambassador Program (GIAP) program is reinstated“ to address this issue.

ALAC will be submitting, as part of a long list of suggestions, the following comment to the IFP:“There should be consideration given to applicants from global indigenous communities to apply as first time Fellows. Subsequently, they would have to meet the criteria for returning fellowships, along with other second/third-time Fellows.”

The comment that I am proposing supports and enhances the ALAC comment by suggesting “…to actively outreach to global indigenous communities, designate two fellowships to these communities from their IFP total allocation and until such time as the original Global Indigenous Ambassador Program (GIAP) program is reinstated. After all, the GIAP was up and running for a year before it got trashed.

Please let me know if you have any objections to my proposal. If I do not receive more than three objections, I will proceed to submit the comment as proposed. Otherwise, I will submit the comment directly from me as a member of NARALO.

This consensus call will be open until Thursday, October 26, 2018 @ UTC: 16:00.

-ed

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