Question: In North America Q&A Forum, A.Bloch asked: International Volounteers to assist ICANN? (you can see the complete thread there). Your opinion, also in respect to build intermediate institutions?

Nominee Replies

Olivier Muron - posted on 2000-09-28 07:56:56 It is a very good idea. Some volunteers are already contributing to the meetings. A lot of volunteer s have also helped At large members to get information about the election. This should be encouraged and could be very helpful to ICANN (i.e. for internationalization). Winfried Schueller - posted on 2000-09-28 02:43:22 This is a great idea. ICANN doesn't have the man power and the budget to do all the jobs satisfactorily. I am sure that an intermediate institution that supports ICANN in its tasks would be a great help. I do not see any major problem why this couldn't work. Jeanette Hofmann - posted on 2000-09-27 16:42:56 Volunteering as such is a good thing. Yet, I think that ICANN can't solve its staff problems by means of internships or volunteers. Btw, to look after volunteers would be another task to be taken care of ;-) I am not sure what you mean by intermediate institutions. If you refer to the At Large Membership, this body should definitely be organized on a voluntarily basis. Alf Hansen - posted on 2000-09-27 14:37:39 The kernel of ICANN has to be staff. Yes, there may be some kind of exchange program allowing volunteers to visit ICANN at their own expenses and do some useful work for free, but the kernel must be staff. The organisation of the At Large membership and also the SOs can be done by volunteers. A good example is what I regard to be the first European At Large Forum, the icann-europe distribution list which is managed in an excellent way by some volunteers from Germany. But a European ICANN Branch office must be manned by employed staff.