Whose Internet is it Anyway? - Note I'm a truth seeker spreading the word., page 1

Jean Hudon
Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator
www.cybernaute.com...

Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000
From: Jane Kennedy
Subject: FW: 26/7/2000: Whose Internet is it anyway?

Dear Jean

Warm greetings from Africa and blessing and appreciation to you for the
wonderful work that you do. You have become a link-light for our planet and,
personally, I cherish the role you play. Thank you for keeping us all
connected.

I felt the following information worth circulating and acting on and would
appreciate it if you could forward it to your lists. Again, an opportunity
for us to make a difference in our own lives and freedom.

Thanks Jean.

Lots of love to you

Jane Kennedy, Cape Town.

NOTE FROM JEAN: Thanks Jane for this important info. I received a much longer email on this topic and it is indeed a very preoccupying matter. The issue here is that big corporate interests have already moved to control the ICANN (see what it is below) and plan to make available for free to everyone *ONLY* commercial websites, while access to all other non commercial websites (the important ones about defending the environment, peace, human rights and those fostering the spiritual awakening, and so on) will be restricted and no longer accessible for free. This would spell the end of the Internet as we know it. Yet individuals like you and me can make a difference if we register before July 31 !! and vote for an alternative slate of pro-people candidates.

Whose Internet is it anyway?

Focus on ICANN

WHAT IS ICANN?

ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
is an NGO which was created after calls by the US government for
a body to be set up to administer policy for the Internet name and
address system (DNS).

WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT ICANN?

If we are not careful, ICANN will become a 'World Trade
Organization in cyberspace', defining policy and legislating
changes to the Internet which we will all be affected by,
behind closed doors.

According to ICANNWatch.org, "a number of recent actions that
ICANN has taken -- e.g., imposing a fee on all domain
name registrants, adopting procedures favoring corporate
trademarks in domain name disputes -- suggests that ICANN has
already moved far beyond the realm of "technical management" of
the DNS."

Nothing is of greater importance to the future of the Internet than
the way in which ICANN performs its role as manager of the Domain
Name System (DNS).

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

This summer five additional members will be elected to ICANN's
governing board. The current ten board members were appointed by
corporate and technical councils; the five new members will be
elected by a global "At Large Membership." We need to register to
vote in the At Large Elections, nominate pro-development/civil
society candidates for the Board, and get them elected. In this way
we can break the ring of secrecy that could surround a more
homogeneous ICANN.

Many civil society groups in North America are mobilized around
the ICANN issue, but only one Board member will be elected from
that region. Outside of North America 4 additional Board seats will
be elected: for Latin America, Europe, Africa/Middle East, and
East Asia. In Latin America and Africa, APC members and affiliates
would have an excellent chance to elect a civil society candidate.

FIRST STEPS

1. Go to: members.icann.org... and just sign up.
It will take you five minutes.

Anyone can sign up online to become a member at large and vote
for the ICANN Board. ICANN has set a tentative closing date of July
31.

So register to vote now! Remember, by participating we grasp the
chance to have a significant impact on ICANN for civil society.
BUT there is also the risk of legitimating a WTO-like organization.
Therefore, it is very important to WIN the elections by getting
enough people to vote for the candidates we support!

Here's the link www.earthrainbownetwork.com...

I have exceeded the 4000.