There have been a number of recent comments on who is eligible to apply for the ICANN Fellowship Program and specifically that some US territories are not eligible. I wanted to make sure that the program is understood. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/fellowships-2012-02-25-en describes the Fellowship Program. ICANN does not want to be in a position for making value judgements on which communities are disadvantaged. Because ICANN found no single external definition that it felt addressed the needs of the Fellowship Program, two distinct external definitions are used. 1. The <http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20421402%7EpagePK:64133150%7EpiPK:64133175%7EtheSitePK:239419,00.html>World Bank classification as low, lower-middle, and upper-middle economies. 2. The <https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1520>UN Listing of SIDS of the three (3) UN groupings of developing and least developed nations: the AIMS, Pacific and Caribbean Someone from a territory listed in ANY of the lists is eligible. Period. I believe that most of the specific territories identified are in either the WB lists or the SIDS lists and therefore their residents ARE eligible for the ICANN Fellowship program. As an example, American Samoa is a UN Upper-Middle Income territory; and The Marshal Marshall Islands are in the SIDS Pacific list and the WB list. Their residents are eligible for the Fellowship Program. Some territories such as Guam, with a Gross National Per Capita Income greater than US$12,736 and not in the SIDS list are not eligible. There is no doubt that there are inequities in that there are often very disadvantaged communities within otherwise prosperous territories. And in some cases, the external measurements move territories in ways that may result in sudden inequities. ICANN is reviewing all of these issues and hopefully, at least some of them will be suitably addressed as we move forward. Alan
Hi all, Yes these are the current rules, but ICANN, according to Nora Abusitta, is in the process of revising the criteria for the fellowship. So now is the time to make suggestions for changes to the criteria. Glenn, i have given Nora our suggestions for changes that would enable people in the us and canada who are disadvantaged, such as the indigenous or first nations people to take advantage of this opportunity as well as other recognized disadvantage people. Best, Judith Sent from my iPad Judith@jhellerstein.com Skype ID: judithhellerstein
On Nov 10, 2015, at 4:25 PM, Alan Greenberg <alan.greenberg@mcgill.ca> wrote:
There have been a number of recent comments on who is eligible to apply for the ICANN Fellowship Program and specifically that some US territories are not eligible. I wanted to make sure that the program is understood.
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/fellowships-2012-02-25-en describes the Fellowship Program. ICANN does not want to be in a position for making value judgements on which communities are disadvantaged. Because ICANN found no single external definition that it felt addressed the needs of the Fellowship Program, two distinct external definitions are used.
1. The World Bank classification as low, lower-middle, and upper-middle economies.
2. The UN Listing of SIDS of the three (3) UN groupings of developing and least developed nations: the AIMS, Pacific and Caribbean
Someone from a territory listed in ANY of the lists is eligible. Period.
I believe that most of the specific territories identified are in either the WB lists or the SIDS lists and therefore their residents ARE eligible for the ICANN Fellowship program. As an example, American Samoa is a UN Upper-Middle Income territory; and The Marshal Marshall Islands are in the SIDS Pacific list and the WB list. Their residents are eligible for the Fellowship Program. Some territories such as Guam, with a Gross National Per Capita Income greater than US$12,736 and not in the SIDS list are not eligible.
There is no doubt that there are inequities in that there are often very disadvantaged communities within otherwise prosperous territories. And in some cases, the external measurements move territories in ways that may result in sudden inequities. ICANN is reviewing all of these issues and hopefully, at least some of them will be suitably addressed as we move forward.
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Alan stated ICANN's stance on this subject, so this is not a criticism of Alan or his personal views: An advantaged person from a developed oligarchy would not, or very rarely, apply for an ICANN Fellowship in the first place. There is no reason to believe that advantaged people would choose to leave or complicate their advantaged lifestyles to instead go overseas and learn about ICANN, therefore the restrictions on participation are not preventing advantaged people from participating. The restrictions on participation are purposefully designed to prevent disadvantaged people originating from western oligarchies, who would readily leave their disadvantaged, exploited lifestyles, from participating. ICANN's argument that "UN and World Bank metrics help prevent ICANN from making value judgements" is a perfect example of the tendency of corporations to adhere to the false realities created and promoted by an Oligarchy, false realities created and promoted in this case for the sole purpose of keeping as many middle and lower class Americans out of the national and global internet power structure as possible, and across all industries and occupations, so that the Oligarchy can maintain its global monopoly on influence and decision making. I would propose that ICANN ahould allow everyone to apply for fellowships, and I will fully expect the Oligarchy of the United States to not allow that for the reasons cited above. Ron
participants (3)
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Alan Greenberg -
Judith Hellerstein -
Ron Baione