[Community-Discuss] Accountability assessment - bylaws changes

[Boubakar Barry]

On Sun, Sep 18, 2016 at 9:05 PM, Jackson Muthili <jacksonmuthi at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Sun, Sep 18, 2016 at 12:40 PM, Douglas Onyango <ondouglas at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Hi Alan,
> > Thanks for sharing this document. It will form a solid basis for
> continued
> > deliberation on amendments of the bylaws.
> >
> > Regarding #1, specifically the Associate Members' right to (or not)
> vote, I
> > was, and still I am opposed to the idea of rescinding the Associate
> Members
> > rights to vote.
> >
> > Rationale: when an Associate Member is stripped of  the right to vote,
> > he/she is in reality as empowered -- or un-empowered -- as the rest of
> the
> > AFRINIC community. AFRINIC would effectively be asking Associate members
> and
> > prospects to fork out Associate Membership fees, but offering nothing
> over
> > and above "AFRINIC community" status, which poses at least two problems:
> > First, NO ONE of sound mind, with full understanding of these facts,
> would
> > want to be an Associate members, and  secondly, AFRINIC would be
> out-rightly
> > fleecing its members by charging membership fees and providing no value
> in
> > return, neither one of which is desirable.
> >
> > Therefore, the Associate Membership category should be imbued with voting
> > rights -- or some other value add that is codified in the bylaws, barring
> > which the category should effectively be expunged from the bylaws.
>
> +1
>
> If any tier is named "member", such as "associate member"; such tier
> MUST be given voting rights. Absent of this - it would be a useless
> membership status. Why be a member of an establishment that cannot let
> one exercise a simple right like a vote to enable effect change?
>
> Let associate members vote or get rid of this membership tier. Simple.
>
>
Not sure it's as simple as that.

Do we want to encourage people/organisations to be be associate members
just because of granted voting rights that have the potential of affecting
resource members only?

I know of organisations in which members are happy to be non-voting
associate members because it gives them opportunities to contribute
financially to the sustainability of these organisations, without
benefiting from core services. Just because they share values of these
organisations and want to support them.

We can of course think of advantages we can give to associate members  to
acknowledge their commitment and support. But I would not support giving
voting rights to associate members. I would rather be for removing this
membership category instead.

B.


>
>
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > On 16 September 2016 at 17:17, Alan Barrett <alan.barrett at afrinic.net>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> On 10 June, I posted a document describing potential areas for
> improvement
> >> in the Bylaws as a result of an accountability assessment.  I invited
> the
> >> community and membership to comment on these issues.
> >>
> >> I have considered the discussion, and I have asked the legal adviser to
> >> draft appropriate changes to the bylaws.  In some cases, I have edited
> the
> >> legal adviser’s text.  In some cases, more drafting work is needed and
> >> proposed text of bylaws changes is not yet available.
> >>
> >> I attach a document with the proposed bylaws changes.
> >>
> >> Alan Barrett
> >> CEO, AFRINIC
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Community-Discuss mailing list
> >> Community-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/community-discuss
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Douglas Onyango, PRINCE 2, ITILv3
> > UG: +256 776 716 138
> >
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> > Community-Discuss at afrinic.net
> > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/community-discuss
> >
>
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