There has been some discussion about the possibility of creating a non-geographic RALO -- see http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/pipermail/alac_atlarge-lists.icann.org/2007q2... With the ALAC Review soon to commence, I find it necessary to ask the question: "In the last four and a half years has any regionally-specific issue emerged that would actually justify the creation of the Regional At-Large organizations (RALOs)?" I haven't seen any such issue, have you? Every other constituent body within ICANN's GNSO works on a global basis. Not one is divided into regional subsets. I continue to have problems with the concept of following a bad model for the At-Large just because a bunch of ICANN insiders put it together and gave us no other options. An even worse idea is trying to finalize arrangements for a North American RALO at a time when many are questioning whether the ALAC itself has a continuing purpose. In my view, we should be pressing instead for the establishment of a Supporting Organization for the At-Large community that seats its members onto the ICANN Board. This was a plan originally proposed by ICANN's own Blue-Ribbon ALSC panel that found an ICANN-wide consensus for the establishment of an At-Large Supporting Organization (ALSO). Anything less than this distracts from the goal of achieving representation. All of us have a large number of ways by which we may "participate" already such as having our organizations write directly to the ICANN Board, or having our organizations join the Non Commercial Users Constituency, or by signing up to the Gneneral Assembly Discussion list, or by functioning as observers on GNSO Task Forces, or by sending in comments to the public forums. We really don't need a regional construct just to achieve participation. Let's focus on what's right for us (a model that puts our representatives on the ICANN Board) rather than on models that continue to deny us the representation that is our right. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545367