[Membership] My impression on MAC meeting - some lessons

[Izumi AIZU <izumi@anr.org>]

I cannot help, but share this, unfortunatelly.

izumi from Berlin, attending MAC meeting.

Here is what I sent to MAC mailing list.

With fully aware of the developing countries, Asian people
in mind, we need to be cery careful.

-----------------------------------------

Hi, 

Dear MAC members and others,

Many thanks for those who shared the precious time here in Berlin,
plus all the other times since we started last December.

But I must, unfortunately, say how shocked and sad I felt today.


Fact:

All agreed to reconvene MAC meeting at 2 PM, when we adjourned
the morning meeting.

When I came back to the meeting room at 3 minutes to 2 PM,
I met George, Greg and Pavan just outside the room. I was told 
that MAC will reconvene 5 PM instead of 2 PM and they are going
to join DNSO General Assembly.

I took it as a joke. (seriously), then I went into the meeting room
and found that it is not a joke, but on the butcher paper it was
written MAC changed to meet 5 PM. something like that.

I spotted Pavan outside the room, luckily, and confirmed that it
was not a joke, but a decision made by Greg and George (who just
came into Berlin). I said to Pavan that I could not accept this,
without having proper opinion of the other MAC members.
I went into the DNSO meeting room, found Greg and George,
said that I could not accept that and that they should come back
to the MAC meeting room and get, at least, feedbacks from other
MAC members if they all agree to differ it to 5 PM or not.

I also made an announcement at DNSO meeting that despite the
notice written inside MAC meeting room to differ, MAC will likely
to have meeting now and these MAC members are suggested
to come back, along with those who plan to join as it was an
open meeting, or they can stay with DNSO meeting if they
choose to do so.

There came back several MAC members who have no idea what
happened during lunch break, expecting to resume to the scheduled
meeting. I was giving my protest of the one-sided decision to Greg
and George.

After several round of discussion, Greg, to me, recognized that
he/they made the mistake. After that, MAC resumed back to
the work. In 2 hours plus, MAC came to the good closure of the
work (I hope) ready to report to the opening meeting for tomorrow.



My Opinion

I do not want to go into more details, but still want to put this that
HOW BAD REALLY I felt with the way the two of the co-chairs of
our MAC, who are also the initial Board members of ICANN.

I apologise, if my behavior was rude and impolite or too emotional,
but I could not contain the feelings, and found some emotional
reactions from them as well.

They were, at least at that time, very arrogant and careless by not taking the
members consent for the procedures of how MAC be operated. We were ignored,
simple put. Unless I pushed very strongly, it would have been just taken 
granted, 
I am afraid.

To me it is not just an coincidence, to be very honest. I felt similar
problem in Singapore when George, who did not join the MAC meeting
for the first day, did not pay enough attention to the contents of the
meeting we had one day earlier, and tried to conclude the meetings,
I really was impolite to George to say NO, you should not do the way
you are doing.

It's really a pity, honestly. I have similar sentiment if I could join
DNSO meeting today, I would have done that. But as being a MAC
member, invested some time since December, and feel responsible
to go all the way to the good closure, that's why I came to Berlin,
all the way from KL, this kind of 'treatment' was too casual and
too arrogant, not to me, but many others.

I see similar 'attitude' from some of the behaviors of the ICANN
board members that is causing unnecessary noises and hisses.  Thus
making some good (or bad!) people taking hostile positions against ICANN
as a whole... It is very unfortunate that this is happening.

I hope that even though the board are only 'initial', please not to
make same or similar mistakes again and again. I do not want
to be just a noisy guy, making too much troubles. I want to be
as cooperative and productive as many other members want to be.

But I cannot simply smile and accept some of the mistakes
and bad behaviors. Such as the Board made in Singapore,
several times, of ignoring the local protocols. Or the way GAC
is being handled. 

You should be really really careful to listen to and communicate
interactively, with the very constituencies you are based upon.

I think you have to fix this. I happen to be vocal when I see
things are not fair, nor balaced, in sensitivities and in making
decisions, minor or major.

Yet I hope this does not undermine the effort we collectively made,
not only we in the sense of MAC members, but to all who contributed
the process. The Staff, the people, all of you.

In conclusion, I would say we have much more to learn. Not by
making new mistales, only, but by trying not to make same mistakes
again and again.

many thanks,

izumi feel very very tired.


  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
              Izumi Aizu  <izumi@anr.org> 
  
   Principal, Asia Network Research (Malaysia)
                      www.anr.org
  
 Sec. General, Asia & Pacific Internet Association
                      www.apia.org
 
  >> WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE FUTURE <<
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