[rpd] RPD Digest, Vol 118, Issue 6

Sun Jul 17 09:38:43 UTC 2016

Dear Community Members,
I salute everyone's brave and honest opinion. I share some concerns of
members as well, while I also give credit to the last post by Andrew.
While some of us are young in the community and also tap from the wealth of
experience from folks through the posts and comments made on this mailing
list,  I want to humbly suggest  that we consider some interesting opinion
shared by Andrew. (Even when I don't agree with some of his opinion shared
during some other debates).
I also feel that since the Board Chair has commented on the issue at hand
with a documented resolve to do the job we elected them to do,  we might as
well wish to give them a timeline to get back to the community so as to lay
the matter to rest.
Let us not forget that constructive and diverse debates help us to be
strong as a community and as a  region.
The younger folks in the community like myself are looking up to concerned
quick resolution of pending issues while we welcome more constructive
debates, proposals and consensus.
I also pray God give the board wisdom to take the best decision that the
whole community will accept and support.
Caleb Ogundele
University of Ibadan,
Distance Learning Centre.

On Jul 16, 2016 1:00 PM, <rpd-request at afrinic.net> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Thoughts and introspection (Andrew Alston)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2016 22:49:32 +0000
> From: Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com>
> To: rpd List <rpd at afrinic.net>, "members-discuss at afrinic.net"
>         <members-discuss at afrinic.net>, General Discussions of AFRINIC
>         <community-discuss at afrinic.net>
> Subject: [rpd] Thoughts and introspection
> Message-ID:
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>
> Hi All,
>
> Let me start by saying, I send what follows wearing no hats, other than to
> say, I have thought long and hard about what follows, and I send it as
> myself,  and with only my own reflections guiding what I write below.
>
> Over the last few days and months, I have thought deeply about what we
> have seen within AfriNIC over the last few years, and I have some
> observations I would like to share.
>
> Firstly, we may not all like each other, we may never see eye to eye as a
> community, as members, or anything else.  But in the end, our like, or
> dislike of each other, is immaterial, as is even our respect for each
> other.  What we do have to respect , and attempt to strive for, is the best
> interests of AfriNIC as an organisation, as a community, and as a critical
> part of the Internet on both the African continent and within the global
> context.  We have to strive to apply our own individual minds to the
> problems faced, and the solutions required.  Then, as part of this
> community, we have to attempt to voice our thoughts and our opinions, and
> in some cases those thoughts and opinions will be accepted, in others they
> will be rejected.  I don't believe any of us have a perfect track record of
> perfect proposals, because we are all human, and humans are prone to
> error.  The ideas and thoughts and views that are proposed then need to be
> weighed by the community, not based on position, not based on the age of
> the speaker, not based on the linguistic background of the speaker, not
> based on the geographic location of the speaker, but entirely based on the
> merits of the arguments put forward.  Sadly, this is not what I am seeing
> in the last few years, and let me state clearly, that I am as guilty of the
> issue I describe here as anyone else.  What I am seeing is a community that
> is no longer attacking the issues, but attacking either the person, or a
> subset of the community.  I see us divided along so many different lines,
> and sadly, those divides are not leading to the spirited debate that will
> end in solutions, instead they are slowly tearing us apart.  As I said, I
> am not placing blame on any person or collective here, I believe this is a
> far wider problem than that, and I also state again, I am as guilty as any
> other here.
>
> We use procedures to divert from argument, we fight from a point of view
> of "I'm right, and you're wrong, so everything else you say must
> automatically be wrong."  We have gotten to the point where so often at
> meetings and on these lists, instead of listening to one another based on
> the merits of the ideas, views and suggestions put forward, we divert from
> the content of the proposals and ideas and views, and instead attack, for
> the sake of attacking a person, or a collective.  This makes no sense, it
> is deeply harmful to growth on the continent, and it is dangerous, because
> it creates a snowball effect that amplifiers and propagates.
>
> Having worked in academic environments, one of the things that is valued
> in academia and in research, is open mindedness.  Academia welcomes debate,
> and it is through debate that we grow, mature and learn.  It is through
> spirited, and sometimes even heated exchanges, that our ideas grow and
> blossom.  That being said, there are many forms of debate.  If I examine
> the work by Don Lindsay, I can see many forms of debate that he describes
> as fallacious arguments creeping into the community exchanges across these
> lists.  If you read
> http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html I am sure you
> will see some of the forms of argument listed there as echoes of what we
> have seen of late.
>
> As I say, use of these forms is not unique to any person, and I to fall
> back to many of these types of arguments, but it is something we need to
> work repairing.  We need to work towards a point where our arguments, our
> thoughts, our ideas, our views are spoken to build rather than destroy.
> Every time we resort to the behaviours described above, it simply
> amplifiers, propagates and spreads, and the damage it causes may one day
> reach a point where it creates terminal injury.
>
> What I would like to ask of everyone one of us, is that we, myself
> included, started to look at each other's thoughts and ideas based entirely
> on the merits of the arguments.  Let us follow academic principles and
> research the positions we are taking, carefully, holistically,
> understanding all the facts surrounding our positions.  Then let us debate
> these views from a point of view of knowledge, and from a point of view
> that we are debating in order to find the best possible path for AfriNIC as
> a community and as an organisation.  I strongly believe that if we, and
> again, I include myself, can approach things in this manner, we can all
> have our perspectives changed, and all ideas can contribute to a better
> future for this community.  Please do not misunderstand my position here, I
> am not suggesting for one second that we cease debate, I am simply
> suggesting that all of us attempt to focus more on the issues at hand,
> rather than attacking the proposer, the collective, or anyone else.
>
> I truly believe that the members of this community all want what is best
> for AfriNIC, I just am of the opinion that we have very different ways of
> approaching it.  Ways that are born based on the experiences we have all
> had as we have moved through life.  This is not to say that any one way is
> better than another, it is just to say they are different, and sometimes
> entirely unique in nature.  However, when you combine this diversity and
> this uniqueness you end up with a stronger whole.  Let us respect each
> other, and as Africans, as members of this community, as interested
> parties, attempt to move past our prejudices, whatever they are, and work
> together for what is in the best interests of the organisation and
> community.  Let us leave the personal behind, and focus on the issues and
> what builds, rather than what tears down.
>
> With all of this now said and done, I personally would like to extend a
> hand to anyone who is willing.  I am prepared to sit and engage one on one
> with anyone who wishes to do so, to explore their point of view, and for
> them to see my point of view.  In the spirit of seeking common ground, so
> that where people feel that my actions are the cause of any discord, let us
> attempt to mend the issues, and go back to academic principles where we are
> debating the issues in an attempt to build a better, brighter future for us
> all.  I am available on Skype, via email, or face to face if anyone wishes
> to engage in that manner and finds themselves in close geographic proximity
> to me.  I believe that healing has to start somewhere, and I believe in
> life, that if you desire change for a better tomorrow, that change has to
> start somewhere.  So, if it must, let that change start with me, and my
> actions, and my words.
>
> I look forward to engaging with all of you, and I hope that together, as a
> community we can move beyond the divides and come to a point where we are
> mutually seeking the best for AfriNIC, with respect for each other, and
> each other's views.
>
> I am sending this to all three lists, RPD, Members, and the Community,
> because I believe that the same issues that plague our debates in one
> forum, spread across all three, from the policy side, through the member
> base, and into the wider community.  I personally would welcome engagement
> from any member of any of those lists.
>
> Yours Sincerely
>
> Andrew Alston
> AfriNIC community member
>
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