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European Region Nominee

Jeanette Hofmann

Email	jeanette@medea.wz-berlin.de
Region	Europe

PROFESSIONAL
Employer(s)
Nexus Institute for Cooperation Management and Interdisziplinary Research/ Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) Head of the "Internet and Policy" Project
QUALIFICATIONS
Statement addressing the candidates qualifications and experience specifically relevant to (a) ICANN's technical and administrative responsibilities, and (b) your leadership and policy-level roles.
(a) As a political scientist with a focus on technology studies I've been involved in Internet-related research since the early 90s. Part of my empirical work has been an extensive study of the development of IPv6 (the new Internet Protocol) and the consensus-building process of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It is the interplay of technical and social conventions in technology development that forms my research interest and qualifications. In the same vein, I've been closely following the founding process of ICANN and its policies. (b) In addition to the project on Internet Governance which I am currently heading, I was a founding member of the "Kulturraum Internet" project group, whose focus on the architectural and cultural constitution of the Net gained recognition as pioneering European research into the Internet. I've long been politically active in various areas, which is why I am now seeking to become involved in Internet Governance. I belong to the UIS (Unit of Internet Studies); most recently, I've been a founding member of the European Chapter of CPSR (Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility).
ICANN RELATED INTERESTS
ICANN-related interests, including: (a) Employment and consulting relationships (b) Ownership or investment interests in any ICANN-related businesses (c) Official positions in any ICANN-related businesses or organizations
I have no material interests related to ICANN, but my research projects focus on decision-making processes in Internet Governance.
BACKGROUND
Background information, personal statement, URL, or other information you would like posted in connection with your name on the ICANN website.
I am convinced that the international legitimation of ICANN depends on its ability to become a democratic body that represents all users who are, directly or indirectly, affected by ICANN's decisions. The Net's name and number spaces are a public resource that is shared by all users. This is why ICANN's tasks, however limited they may be, should be of general public concern. Balancing the diverse interests of Internet users may turn out to be the most difficult task to be taken on by ICANN. The history of the IETF, for example, has shown that it is both possible and necessary to keep decision-making processes open to interested participants in order to achieve legitimate solutions. I would make this one of my key issues. More specifically, I'd like to focus on the future role of the at-large membership, which still requires clarification. In line with the bottom-up tradition of the Net, the at-large members should come up with an independent proposal themselves. However, the considerable confusion surrounding the current self-nomination process shows the need for better coordination within and perhaps across ICANN's geographic regions. I would work towards the initiation of such self-organization among the members. For details please see my homepage http://duplox.wz-berlin.de/people/jeanette/ and the archive of the ICANN-Europe mailing list. http://www.fitug.de/icann-europe/ ICANN Europe has been set up for discussions with European candidates. One of the topics under debate concerns the future of the At Large Membership. Please feel encouraged to subscribe.
OFFICIAL STATUS
Status as an official of a national government or a multinational entity established by treaty or other agreement between national governments, such as an elected official or employee of a government or multinational entity.
No.

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