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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Forwarding this because it got blocked because of to many mail recipients.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Please note: the majority of these email addresses are open to direct emails and do not require subscription – so those who choose to do so can email their support to the recipients<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Andrew<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">From: </span></b><span style="color:black">Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston@liquidtelecom.com><br>
<b>Date: </b>Saturday, 21 April 2018 at 21:49<br>
<b>To: </b>"eb@ripe.net" <eb@ripe.net><br>
<b>Cc: </b>AFRINIC Board of Directors' List <board@afrinic.net>, "paul@arin.net" <paul@arin.net>, "gaurab@lahai.com" <gaurab@lahai.com>, "exec-secretary@nro.net" <exec-secretary@nro.net>, "jcurran@arin.net" <jcurran@arin.net>, "comunicaciones@lacnic.net" <comunicaciones@lacnic.net>,
Discussions of AFRINIC <community-discuss@afrinic.net>, "members-discuss@afrinic.net" <members-discuss@afrinic.net>, "board@arin.net" <board@arin.net>, "aaron@arin.net" <aaron@arin.net>, "german@nro.net" <german@nro.net><br>
<b>Subject: </b>For attention of the NRO and the boards of the respective RIR's</span><span style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">Attention:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The RIPE Board,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The ARIN Board,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The APNIC Board,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The LACNIC Board,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The Number Resource Organisation</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">CC: The AFRINIC Board of Directors</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The AFRINIC Community Discussion list</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">The AFRINIC Members Discussion list
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">Dear RIR Members and the Number Resource Organisation,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">I am writing this as an open letter to you – and I am copying the membership base and the community discussion list for AFRINIC so that they can choose to add their voices of support to what follows
should they choose to do so. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">In recent times, a full member of AFRINIC chose to table a vote of no confidence in the board of AFRINIC, to be heard at the upcoming AGMM meeting. Now, irrespective of the reasons for the vote,
it is my belief that any elected body should submit themselves to the will of the members and should a member choose to table such a vote, the board of an RIR should be willing to allow the vote to proceed – and to honor the outcome. Failure to do this is
a direct violation of the bottom up approach agreed to when an RIR is formed and agrees to the contents of ICP-2.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">It needs to also be stated – that the resolution of no confidence was not only acknowledged by the board of AFRINIC and in an email to the members on the 27<sup>th</sup> of March the board of
AFRINIC had actually agreed to table said resolution. The board then chose on the 18<sup>th</sup> of April to withdraw this and state without any reason that the vote would not be tabled. In light of this, I feel this email is now more than justified.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">For many years the RIR system has had the bottom up approach as fundamental to its existence, in the belief that the ISP’s and users of address space should be the ones that are in control of
the resources that are critical to their functioning. For an RIR board to refuse to table a vote from a member wishing to test if the board still maintains the confidence of the community that elected it, makes a mockery of the entire system, and it goes
to prove that at least in the African scenario, the members truly are without say and without any power in their own destiny.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">I write this now to appeal to the NRO and the boards of the RIRs – to examine this situation and then – if possible – to find a way to show the AFRINIC board the error of its ways, and to stand
for the openness, transparency and inclusivity that exemplifies our global community. To stand for the bottom up approach which for so many years has been the cornerstone of the RIR system, and indeed the internet itself.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">It is not without reservation that I write this appeal, and it is a sad day, when myself, as a proud African, am turning to the rest of the world in such an appeal for help, but once we reach
a situation where our elected representatives refuse to honor the precepts of the system, I see little recourse beyond this path.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">It is also well known that many of you will be in attendance at the AGMM where this vote was meant to be tabled – and as has been acknowledged there is even a meeting between the AFRINIC board
and the board of RIPE NCC scheduled to occur during the course of this event. I would say to the board of RIPE, and to the board members of the other RIR’s – please – be wary of lending legitimacy to a board that refuses to submit to a vote of no confidence
by it’s members, because it is my opinion that by such a refusal, they themselves indicate they are not sure that they still hold the confidence of the member base. I appeal to the boards of the other RIR’s to engage with the AFRINIC board only on the issue
of preserving the bottom up approach and allowing the AFRINIC members to have a free and fair say.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">I believe in the bottom up approach, I believe in the right of members of an RIR to be heard, and to control their own destiny, and I believe that a violation of the bottom up approach threatens
not just AFRINIC but the entire RIR system – and as such, I appeal to you once more – please – if there is anything that can be done to assist in this matter, help is now required – for the good of the Internet as a whole.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">Yours Sincerely</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt">Andrew Alston</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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