Carlos Raúl GUTIERREZ Apartado 1571-1000 San José COSTA RICA ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Renata Aquino Ribeiro" <raquino@gmail.com> Date: Jul 21, 2017 12:23 Subject: Statement - Amazonians speak about .amazon To: <NCSG-DISCUSS@listserv.syr.edu> Cc: This statement is open now to sign up endorsements https://bestbits.net/amazon/ Amazonians speak about .amazon We, the people in the Amazon, would like you to stop talking about us without hearing us first ***** This is a response about the latest decision in the delegation process of the .amazon new gTLD domain by the Independent Review Panel at ICANN to Amazon https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/irp-amazon- final-declaration-11jul17-en.pdf The context of this dispute is summarised in this article http://domainnamewire.com/2017/07/18/amazon-com-gets- big-win-domain-battle-may-yet-get-amazon-domain/ **** In light of the twists in the process of the new gTLD .amazon, many parties have come forward speaking "for the benefit of the people of the Amazon" and staking their claim that they were doing what is best for the region development. Not once, during all this time, anyone cared to ask what our thoughts are or what we think the best for our region is. Well, we would like to ask all parties to stop talking about us as if we can't speak for ourselves. It must not be forgotten that the Amazon region involves the population of nine South American nation-states. For us, this is a time of challenges over the Amazon such as illegal mining, deforestation, water pollution among others. Any policy decision about the region or its name (in any language) is a matter of great interest for all of us, and we cannot be left aside. Let's start with the view of .amazon being a brand as well as a region and a river. We were never asked, again, when the name was used in the first place. The consequences of this can be seen now, when we are mistaken as a faceless, plain, uncharacteristic area in a world map without content or people, an exoticly empty part of the world to be conquered and debated abstractly by trademark lobbyists, private companies and governments. We have faces, names, content, history. Using our name to tell another story, a company's history, would de-characterize us? Likely not. We will not disappear. Instead the Amazon is a vibrant region, which bets on sustainable development and becomes increasingly more involved with internet governance, alongside with Northeast Brazil, which hosted IGF2015. However, using our name without acknowledging our importance is certainly a mistake. Using our name refers directly to a vast land of rich diversity, with much to uncover and with many cultural gems already discovered. So if using our name, at least acknowledge us, respect us. Give back to the "lung of the Earth," to a river which hosts hundreds of communities by its riverbanks. Invest on us. We want the same you do, more education, a thriving internet market and respect to sustainable development for a better future. It is also important to note that ICANN's Independent Review Panel comes at a moment when the discussion about the use of geographical names is very controversial, as it was seen in meetings in Johannesburg. And it is surprising, given there is no consensus yet about this theme in the community. Governments of nine nations also speak our name. With such ownership and familiarity that you could sometimes forget that we do not belong only to one of them. The Wikipedia, which also does not belong to only one company or government, can enlighten that: "This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. States or departments in four nations contain "Amazonas" in their names. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests, and comprises the largest and most biodiverse tract of tropical rainforest in the world, with an estimated 390 billion individual trees divided into 16,000 species." This means that even if you agree with nine governments on whatever decision they take on the Amazon, you could still be in disagreement to half of the planet, and their thoughts on the importance of our region. Governments representational crisis is real and does not belong to one country or another. Governments should listen to their citizens. Yet, none of our major political powers are located in the Amazon and have not spoken to us about any aspect of the recent process. This becomes much more complicated when the Amazon is referred to as an area of indigenous population. Our indigenous population was not asked when colonized, the majority did not elect the government of the nine nation-states which comprise the Amazon. Likely, the majority of our indigenous population suffers from abandonment, land conflicts, health crisis and lack of an education system. More importantly, our indigenous population wants, just as companies or governments, an internet market which provides jobs and enables development. Indigenous population may not speak only Portuguese or Spanish but they can speak too. So why does everyone insists on talking about us without listening to us? The rainforest is disappearing fast. This process is not going to slow down unless there is responsibility from all stakeholders in a dialogue about our region and how to respect it. When referring to the new gTLDs or any issue of public policy, public and private sector need to address us, we are all part of a cross border region and an strategic navigation channel and this dialogue has to take this unique situation in account. It must not be forgotten that, after all, the multistakeholder model that we all support to have a free and open Internet, involves multiple parties. This is not only an issue of the private sector and governments, the population is a key participant, that in this particular matter was never consulted. So please, consult us. Don't take our name without talking to us. Stop talking about us as if we can't speak. Renata Aquino Ribeiro - Brasil Worked with Amazon region researchers and maintains an independent research group with collaborators in the region. Mixed ethnicity with relatives and friends in the region. Lives in NE Brazil. NCUC ICANN LAC representative. IGF MAG Civil Society 2016-2017. Lilian Ivete Deluque Bruges - Colombia Lives in Barranquilla, Colombia. Works in local government with indigenous population and vulnerable groups. Mixed ethnicity. Alumni from the South School of Internet Governance 2016. LACNIC27 fellow. Bertnell Auclene Malisa Richards - Guyana Lives in Georgetown, Guyana. Works with education and technology. Plans on creating IGF Guyana. ICANN58 fellow. NCUC ICANN member. LACRALO ICANN Member, ISOC Guyana. Patricia Vargas - Peru Researcher, PhD Candidate, School of Information Studies, Syracuse University. . Lia Solis - Bolivia LACNOG Program Committee member, LACNIC member, ICANN Fellow, LACRALO ICANN participant, ISOC Bolivia Board. Maureen Hernandez - Venezuela. ISOC Venezuela board of directors. Systems Engineer working with community networks in Central and Latin America. Born and raised in Venezuela and has been meeting indigenous communities for connectivity development for the last 2 years. Jessica Botelho - Brazil Journalist. Researcher at the Federal University of Amazonas / CNPq. Member of the ISOC Youth Observatory and the Center for Studies and Practices in Cyberculture (Manaus, Amazonas, Northern Brazil). Student of the Brazil Internet Governance School 2016 and the InternetLab School 2017. Maurília Gomes - Brazil Public Relations. Master in Communication Sciences. Researcher of cyberculture and social activism. Member of ISOC Brazil. Lives in Manaus, Amazon. Member of the Popular Audiovisual Center (CPA), an organization that works on human rights, indigenous population, land conflicts and climate change. Is also a member of the Center for Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (NepCiber). Mixed ethnicity with indigenous descent. Alumni from the Brazilian School of Internet Governance 2015. Hemanuel Veras - Brazil Journalist. Master in Communication Sciences. Researcher of cyberculture and democracy. Lives in Manaus, Amazon. Member of the Popular Audiovisual Center and the Center for Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (CPA/NepCiber). Alumni from the Brazilian School of Internet Governance 2016. Allan Gomes - Brazil Journalist. Researcher of cyberculture. Lives in Manaus, Amazon. Coordinator of the Popular Audiovisual Center (CPA) and member of the Center for Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (NepCiber). Approved to the Brazilian School of Internet Governance 2017. Sebastian Roa - Brazil Currently lives in the state of Amazonas. Journalism student and researcher of the study group of urban anthropology. Also research adolescents indigenous in the urban context and TICS. Currently work with UN with the Venezuelan emergency. Member of the Center for Studies and Practices in Ciberculture (NepCiber). Approved to the Brazilian School of Internet Governance 2017. Sinuhe Nascimento e Cruz - Brasil Born and raised in the State of Acre, the most werstern state in the brazilian amazon. Currently lives in São Paulo, where is developing a bachelor’s degree in Law at the University of São Paulo. Founder member of the Nucleum of Studies on Technology and Society of the University of São Paulo and also a member of the Environmental Law Clinic Paulo Nogueira Neto at the Law School of the University of São Paulo. Paola Perez - Venezuela Vice - president ISOC Venezuela and co- Chair LACNIC Public Policy Forum, OEA Cybersecurity Bootcamp fellow 2017, South School internet Governance 2016 alumni, ICANN LACRALO and NCUC member. Luã Fergus Researcher, born and raised in the Amazon region, Master's degree student in Sao Paulo, Brazil.