Re: [atlarge-discuss] méthodes de travail normales

[Sotiris Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

Gilbert Estillore Lumantao wrote:

> <snip>
>
> to say that english has been the language of discussions in icann is incorrect. i have been to two icann sessions and i quite clearly remember that spanish speaking directors many a times opted to speak in spanish during the meetings and the rest of the people in attendance did not quite mind. even if the claim is correct, we all know that should not be. Of all organizations related with icann, @large should be the most concerned in correcting that.
Gilbert,

I am not saying that people who do not speak English ought not to be 
represented.  I think they ought to be represented by people who do 
speak their language, but also speak, write, and understand English at a 
high proficiency level.  Your English, for example, is much better than 
Maur's and I had no problem understanding your message.  As for ICANN, 
may I ask you to go to http://www.icann.org/general/jobs.htm and look at 
the second job opportunity with ICANN, the position of :
------------------------
Manager of Public Participation

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has an 
immediate job opening for a Manager of Public Participation at its 
office in Marina del Rey, California USA. ICANN is the non-profit 
organization formed by the Internet community to assume responsibility 
for significant Internet technology-management issues, such as 
coordination of the domain-name system, assignment of protocol 
parameters, and IP address space management.

The primary responsibilities of the position are to coordinate the 
various aspects of public participation in ICANN, including the Website 
and various other means of communicating with and receiving input from 
the general community of Internet users. This position reports to the 
President.

Job duties include:

   * Develop mechanisms for and otherwise provide support to other
     ICANN units to foster informed participation in ICANN by the
     global Internet community.
   * Design and implement methodologies to facilitate public comment on
     policies as appropriate with established policy-development
     procedures.
   * Coordinate presentation of public commentary in user-friendly,
     accessible fashions through web pages, public forums, and other
     mechanisms.
   * Evaluate effectiveness of public-participation and outreach
     programs and prepare reports on their status and effectiveness.
   * Evaluate and prepare reports on the usability of ICANN's web
     resources and the status of any policy-development-process
     tracking mechanisms.
   * In support of other ICANN units, coordinate the development,
     implementation, and maintenance of web-accessible docket systems
     for policies in development to enable public tracking.
   * Supervise overall ICANN website structure and design and staff
     members responsible for such.
   * Supervise ALAC Coordinator.

Qualifications:

   * College or university degree equivalent to a baccalaureate.
   * Demonstrated ability to establish a public-participation program
     consistent with the job duties described above. Multi-cultural
     experience is a plus.
   * Fluency in the English language is required; proficiency in one or
     more additional languages is very desirable.
   * Excellent writing, self-organization, communication, and
     negotiating skills.
   * Attention to detail. Must be able to handle multiple tasks. Must
     be self-directed.
   * Two years experience supervising personnel.
   * Working knowledge of e-mail and the basic desktop computing
     applications--

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

Please note that in the Qulaifications it is clearly stated: 
"Fluency in the English language is required; proficiency in one or more additional languages is very desirable."

also:

"Excellent writing, self-organization, communication, and negotiating skills."

As this position is for supervising the ALAC, it is obvious that ICANN believes that English is indeed the primary language for its AtLarge purposes, while other languages are nice to have but not required.

I have nothing personal against Mauro, it's just that his English is not very good, certainly not for the purposes of drafting English documents and deliberating adequately in English.  You, on the other hand, I understand perfectly well.

Best Regards,

Sotiris Sotiropoulos

-----------

"The science of jurisprudence regards the state and power as the
ancients regarded fire- namely, as something existing absolutely.
But for history, the state and power are merely phenomena, just as for
modern physics fire is not an element but a phenomenon.

> From this fundamental difference between the view held by history
and that held by jurisprudence, it follows that jurisprudence can tell
minutely how in its opinion power should be constituted and what
power- existing immutably outside time- is, but to history's questions
about the meaning of the mutations of power in time it can answer
nothing."
				     --Leo Tolstoy, "War and Peace"