[atlarge-discuss] Re: Jonathan Robin

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

I was rather suprised to note a "blank" or "zero" score for Jonathan Robin at 
the Verification Committee's webpage.  Jon recently was a candidate in the 
ISOC elections and the link that he provided led to the following URL 
(endorsement) which outlines his credentials (hence I fail to understand the notation 
"This page can be found, but the purpose of the link provided cannot be 
discerned"):

http://www.isoc.org/members/vote/2003election/profiles/c-robin.shtml

2003 Internet Society (ISOC) Elections 


Candidate Profile: Jonathan Robin
jonathanrobin@messagerie.net
http://www.jonathanrobin.net

Jonathan would encourage greater BoT recognition of the role of Chapters, and 
an explicit link between Chapters' representatives and their constituency - 
which is not the case at present. We need good faith in dealing with Chapter 
related affairs, clarification of the roles of both Chapter and Global 
membership, and proactive Chapter support - perceived by many to be insufficient, to 
retain ISOC's credibility. 

Jonathan's experience and activities in favour of ISOC's Mission Statement, 
and the lead role taken in ensuring UNESCO recognition of ISOC as an NGO was 
explicitly commended in a "Thank You" letter to him and to the BoT by the 
previous Chair of ISOC.

Given the international focus on Disabilities this year it seems appropriate 
to mention that Jonathan serves on the Advisory Board of the International 
Center for Disability Resources on the Internet http://www.icdri.org and was 
Co-Author ISTF Special Needs WG Jonathan would work through the Board of Trustees 
to raise awareness among Chapter and Global membership of the importance of 
this.
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=
5444&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1038592146

As rapporteur of the WSIS UNESCO NGO Forum Emerging Technologies Theme and of 
its final Geneva PrepCom II Report this year, Jonathan obtained explicit 
support for archive integrity and for IPv6. For Bucarest PrepCom Jonathan WSIS 
Jonathan organized the funding of a dozen East European ISOC representatives. As 
Trustee, Jonathan would seek to widen the relationships with other NGOs and 
international organisations, rather than these relationships decline - which is 
the perception that many at present have of ISOC.

Over 3 years growing awareness of IPv6, and as a member of the European 
Commission IPv6 Task Force http://www.ipv6tf.org and Vice President of the French 
IPv6 TF Jonathan has initiated explicit endorsement from the WSIS Executive 
Secretariat, from the French Prime Minister following the September IPv6 Task 
Force French Senate launch, and at the Intergovernmental Conference during the 
English E-Envoy Summit http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/e-summit where Jonathan was the 
only international Civil Society representative invited. Awareness of the 
interface between the technical, legal, and societal implications of IPv6 needs 
reinforcing

Jonathan would seek to grow Chapter awareness of PIR funding possibilities - 
and of the need to avoid all conflicts of interest between projects put 
forward through members of the Board of Trustees and those elsewhere in ISOC. 
Regional Chapter Councils could be empowered to evaluate projects for PIR Funding.

In respect of relationships between Chapters and ISOC Organization Members 
there is at present no exchange platform. This could reinforce all parties. 
Should ISOC's financial situation improve, one would hope that 10% of Organization 
Members' subscriptions could be remitted to the national Chapter of their 
Head Office, if they are not also members of that Chapter. That would also 
encourage Chapters to seek new ISOC Organization members.

Jonathan would seek a BoT ruling that no more than 30% of Vice Presidents 
could be drawn from one country - many perceive the current figure to be 
unrepresentative, untransparent and US Centric. There are aspects of the "new 
governance plan" , notably in respect of BoT Election participation, which Jonathan 
would urge the BoT to reconsider in the interests of ISOC's credibility and 
democratic transparency.

Jonathan would work towards a more transparent definition of the roles and 
responsibilities of all parties especially in respect of the societal impacts of 
emerging technologies. This does not mean that Standards should be ignored, 
but that they should be determined with an appropriate understanding of human 
factors and of the legal implications of Internet architectural modifications 
which seem insufficiently integrated by many actors at present. The human 
factor is too often ignored in the initial stages of standards implementation - 
leaving lawyers to pick up the pieces.

Jonathan's long term commitment to ISOC's Mission Statement that the Internet 
is for Everyone has as its corollary a desire to create a win/win situation 
for ISOC's membership and extended constituency both for Organisation and for 
individual membership. This ethical independance, attested by Jonathan's work 
as Election Chair of the former ISTF, may not make some people happy, it may be 
perceived by some to be "divisive" but it has the merit both of making people 
think, and of avoiding double-think.

This candidacy platform aims at offering Chapter Chairs a viable choice, 
which if refused, will at least stand for the record in future. ISOC's principles 
reinforce its historical legitimacy with the perception of added value. If we 
lose our principles then we will have only ourselves to blame - and there is 
"In My Humble Opinion" a need to clear the air of the perception of "new 
governance" disinformation to allow the Board of Trustees of the Internet Society to 
be respected everywhere.

BIOGRAPHY
Born in London in 1947, Jonathan has lived in Paris since 1973
Since 1972: Fellow, Japan Society of London,
http://www.japansociety.org.uk/main.html
Zoological Society, http://www.zsl.org/ioz/index.html
1994: member, France's IT Think Tank, Club de l'Arche.
1996: Organizer Internet Forum 50th Anniversary MENSA International.
1997: Festive Committee Internet Fiesta http://www.internet-fiesta.org
1998 IBM e-business trophy: best website France category Innovation
1999: Vice-President French Teleworking Association http://www.aftt.net
Nominated to initial ISTF Steering Group by Vint CERF, Jonathan initiated
ISTF online election procedure with http://www.election.com
Author, Chair Internet Societal Task Force Privacy Security WG.
http://www.istf.org/wg/privsec/index.shtml

Scientific Committee UNESCO/UNITAR.

Jonathan has since early 2000 taken a lead role in growing awareness on IPv6 
societal issues http://www.fr.ipv6tf.org

Initiaton of ISOC participation in several European and International 
conferences and meetings.
AFRICA ISOC Cameroon partnership http://www.yaoundenet.com
ISOC Uganda invitation European Parliamentary Education Conference 
ISOC Morocco http://www.misoc.org.ma 
2002 Moroccan Governmental Conference on Human Rights 
May 2003 MISOC conference 
1989 Newropeans Congress http://www.newropeans.org
2000 ISOC presence UK Government Balkans Conferences 
Former ISTF Speaker: French and European Parliamentrary Conferences
As former Secretary General ISOC European Chapters' Coordination, 
http://www.isoc-ecc.org Jonathan enhanced intrachapter communication and international 
recognition of ISOC ECC including to UNESCO and WSIS meetings preparing for 
PrepCom

Other initiatives include :

Swedish Government Conferences
http://itvisions.amb-suede.fr/index.php3?lang=fr&page=3
2001 ISOC OECD Forum participation http://www1.oecd.org/forum2001/index1.htm
Paris July 2002 & 2003 Organisation European Domain Name Summit 
http://www.eurocio.org/domainname/index.php?lng=1&chp=0&rub=
Paris September 2002 Technological Rapporteur for the 9th European 
Teleworking Assembly in Paris http://www.ework-in-europe.com/page.cgi?page=conf&lg=en
UNESCO February 2003 http://www.dirigeantes.com/maillage/index.htm
London April 2003 Global Womens Inventors & Innovators Network 
http://www.gwiin.com

There is much more that could be said, and more examples of Jonathan's work 
for ISOC, notably in the context of the French Chapter and of the European 
Chapters Coordination Council. He is available for any questions that Chapter 
Chairs or their membership would like to ask and regrets that no "Ask the 
Candidates" facility is anticipated this year which would allow all those entrusted to 
represent their Chapters in this election a wider basis on which to base 
their decision.
Thank you for your attention and support.

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