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Thanks for this useful input Anja, which i also agree with.<br>
and just to say that I am also very comfortable with spaces created
for discussions to initiate or develop in this way esp in relation
to your point about power dynamics and transparency as a means to an
end: I am very familiar with this as a human rights defender where
discussions often happen in spaces that are created or designed for
this similar kind of purpose eg among women's rights activitists or
disabled or indigenous people and other groups: in that context such
spaces are generally respected by others, and even at times there
are groups within these groups. <br>
in the best bits context i am also comfortable with the fluid
working groups methods that are evolving around those who want to
work on specific issues together doing so and reporting back: as
somone who cannot work on all issues, i actually find it very
helpful.<br>
Joy <br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/11/2013 6:29 a.m., Carolina
Rossini wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAK-FJAfXzgoU8CTAfeve2H2QTpuUBCKW0vxamSN8Y1TVdRKZrw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">+1</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 31, 2013 at 11:44 AM, Anja
Kovacs <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:anja@internetdemocracy.in" target="_blank">anja@internetdemocracy.in</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Dear all,<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>I have been in favour of keeping some discussions
closed, at least in the early stages, for quite a while,
and have been so for the reasons John and Kivuva point
out: other stakeholder groups do so all the time, and a
strategic argument to keep parts of a conversation
limited to a smaller group does not mean that
conversation cannot be reported back on to a larger
group. As long as the latter happens, need more closed
conversations really be a problem?<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>As again confirmed during the Best Bits meeting, two
specific characteristics of Best Bits as a network are
that it is action-oriented and that it seeks to bridge
the differences and disagreements between the Global
South and North. <br>
<br>
</div>
<div>To my mind, the strategy of being transparent at all
times is one of the main reasons why action is often
inhibited and civil society is often less effective than
it could be. This is not only because we put all our
cards on the table all the time - something which puts
other stakeholders at an advantage. It is also because
fully open lists do not encourage sharing certain kinds
of information and ideas that could actually help to
massively improve effectiveness of civil society action
(and as is the case so often, perhaps Global South civil
society is perhaps more vulnerable here than Global
North civil society). <br>
<br>
In fact, if Best Bits has been working, it is because so
much is actually done by small groups of people who want
to do something, trust each other, start coordinating,
and then bring their ideas, once crystallised, to the
main list (what are now called "fluid working groups" in
BB lingo ;)<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>If we ignore this reality, this will only be at our
own peril. <br>
<br>
I don't see transparency as an end in itself, but is a
means to an end, which is the creation of a level
playing field. Because of power differentials, different
stakeholder groups are differently placed in this field,
and whatever strategies we decide on should keep this in
mind. The redistribution of power should drive our
actions, not transparency as such. <br>
<br>
</div>
<div>Thanks and best regards,<br>
</div>
<div>Anja <br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
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