Do I have a "Conflict of Interest?" I am both the publisher of the
Oz Report and starting on August 7th, the 2007 Flexwing World Meet Director (as well as
the "unofficial" liaison to CIVL for
the Worlds Organizer). Is this a "Conflict of Interest," as far as FAI/CIVL is
concerned? Well, let's look at the FAI documents.


Here is what I believe to be the relevant section in the FAI Code of Ethics (http://www.fai.org/documents/otherdocs/code_ethics):

All members of FAI staff and elected or appointed FAI officials
with decision-making power shall observe the following principles regarding
conflicts of interest :

Am I an "appointed FAI official" in my position as 2007 Worlds meet director
(I'm pretty certain I'm not in my "unofficial" role at liaison to CIVL)? Well, I
looked that up in the FAI Sporting Code General Section.


Here is what the FAI Sporting Code General Section says:

4. 3.4 OPERATIONAL OFFICIALS. The NAC organising a First Category
International Sporting Event shall appoint an Event Director, Deputy Director,
Stewards, Public Relations Officer (PRO), and other functionaries as required.

I take this to mean that I am a NAC appointed official, and not an
"appointed FAI official." And not an "FAI official" at all. FAI/CIVL has
approved my appointment as the meet director, but they did not appoint me. They
had nothing to do with my "unofficial" appoint as liaison to CIVL.


Therefore, I take it as I am not bound by that particular part of the FAI Code of Ethics that applies
(and should apply) to
actual FAI officials. I have previously reported on this Code of Ethics and how FAI/CIVL
thinks it applies to you (and me) as a competition pilot or helper (perhaps only
while we are performing those roles).


Flip Koetsier, ,
has written:

As a member of the organisational team for the 2007 World Hang
Gliding Championship and therefore a representative of your NAC I hope you will
understand that it is inappropriate for you to publicise an event in such a way.

That is Flip is stating that it is inappropriate for me report on
the fact that there is an upcoming hang gliding competition called the "Flytec
World Championship" in the Oz Report. What causes it to be inappropriate is
unclear to me just because I am the "unofficial" liaison to CIVL person for the
Worlds organizer or the upcoming Worlds meet director (as meet director I am not
part of the Worlds "organizational team.")

Flip has also written:

If your duty as a journalist conflicts with your duty as World
Championship director, you should refrain from controversial journalism.

"Controversial journalism?" I wonder how Flip defines that? Simply
reporting on an upcoming meet using the name that the organizers gave it? Am I
not supposed to report things that might possibly be controversial (and how am I
to know that?). Or am I not to "create" controversy by writing articles that
might be controversial in themselves, like, say, this article? Or am I not
supposed to report on controversies? Or only controversies that
involve CIVL?


Sometimes my duties as "unofficial" CIVL liaison for the Worlds organizer
conflict with my duties as journalist (I'm afraid I haven't experienced any
conflict between my role as meet director which I don't start exercising until
August 7th and my role as journalist), but does this automatically mean that I
should refrain from "controversial journalism?" We all have lots of conflicts in
our lives and it isn't clear to me that Flip's suggestion is appropriate.


As I pointed out to Flip I refrain from reporting on certain confidential items
that I am privy to because of my position as "unofficial" liaison to CIVL. I am
sensitive to the need to maintain a separation between my roles and to not take
advantage of special information that I have because I am the liaison to CIVL
and use it in the Oz Report.


Over the years I have received many confidential documents and emails which I
have not been able to report about in the Oz Report. I hold those confidences
and deal with the conflicts.

Flip wrote:

Whether you like it or not, you will have to accept that
functions, where you represent the USHPA and NAA like in your former function as
USHPA Competition Committee Chairman or in your present function in the Hang
Gliding World Championships, will ask from you to follow the rules and policy of
the USHPA and NAA, also where it concerns for example accepting the democratic
approved rules of the FAI and CIVL.

Seems to me that I am following all the rules just fine (certainly
Lisa Tate never raised any problems with me breaking any USHPA rules), and that
is really not the problem that the CIVL president has with me. His problem is
that I do things that I'm perfectly allowed to do by the rules, but apparently he just
doesn't like it that I do those things.


The next question is what is Flip prepared to do about it? Will he somehow get
me dismissed at the Worlds meet director? Will he undermine the Worlds
organizer? Will he realize the error of his ways?
We'll see over the next few months and at the CIVL Plenary in February.


At Flip's suggestion (or was it a plea?) I have contacted Max
Bishop, head of the FAI, regarding these "Conflict of Interest" questions. We
will have to wait a bit as Max won't be back in
the office until January 2nd (according to the email that I received back when I
wrote to him).