[Membership] A Model for Community & Global Internet Governance

[toml@communisphere.com]

         A Model for Community and Global Internet Governance

The following is offered as a model for local and global Internet
governance. While the many details required for the model's
implementation make it impractical for the immediate needs of ICANN and
its Membership Advisory Committee, it is hoped that the structure
outlined represents a paradigm we may achieve as a basis for the second
election of the Board of Governors.

BACKGROUND

While the Internet community has been struggling to create new
mechanisms for the administration and governance of the global Internet,
my neighbors and I have been focused on creating a communication system
that will help meliorate the many problems of my geographic community.
That community is Community District 3Q - the smallest administrative
and planning division of New York City, comprising three distinct
neighborhoods with a population of 125,000.

The District is governed locally by a Community Board, of which I am
currently vice-chair. As a government official with 20 years experience
working with online technologies I find myself facile with multiple
issues related to Internet governance.

In certain instances this has included prudent preparation for the
potentially damaging arising features like geographic ignorance and
distance insensitivity.

The solution I've developed is embodied in The Communisphere Project.
Its goal is to use the Internet's features for community good.

It was while developing the governance structure for Communisphere that
I became aware of the

While
Community Certification

In our case the Community Board will decide on certification. To receive
certification the ISP will need to offer the following:

        Universal Access to a Community Service Tier - The CST
        Email

At a later date we might include a individual web site. (I might
interject here

The ideal goal is universal access
Email Addess
Individual web space,

 with
Ans while my local effort has been moving ahead, ICANN has been seeking
a means for governing the Internet.

And then the spark - what if…

Our Needs

For reasons of economics,
For reasons of social equity,
For reasons of governance,
we need universal access to online communication.

We need a means for governing the Internet.

This access should include an individual email address, a web site, with
portable addresses, and access to loca, city,state, federal, and
internationl. (This is the American model, others may vary based on the


Universal Access
Community Standards



Our Offer:

The lowest level of government selects the local provider(s) and
certifies that it meets the Communisphere Standards
    it.

For example.

I live in Jackson HeightsIn my community, Jackson Heights

Some of the problems this solves.

Some questions raised.

I hope this model is helpful in future deliberations.

Sincerely,

Tom Lowenhaupt
February 13, 1999

Some might see this structure as challenging the stability provided by
the Peace of Westphalia, I see it as an addendum to that settlement.


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