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<font face="Arial">Dear Adam and Wolfgang (and those who responded
offlist)<br>
<br>
First, clarification.<br>
<br>
'Focus' session is just another term of saying 'main session'. It
means a session in a big room that focuses on one of the IGF's
subthemes or something like 'taking stock'.<br>
<br>
The idea of flash sessions is already on the table. Actually the
MAG is talking about the IGF including different and newer
formats. Veronica Cretu has done quite a lot of work on this.
Translating it into practice is not always so easy, but we are trying.<br>
<br>
Some people who were at RightsCon which took place recently also
wrote to me saying they would like the IGF to learn from other
large events when it comes to formats.<br>
<br>
And someone else wrote saying we should - as the MAG - be
prescriptive with formats and just let session organisers decide
what format they want to use. <br>
<br>
I will share feedback on the overarching theme - which Adam said
was vague, and someone else wrote to me to say it sounded like we
were going to focus on intercontinental submarine cables :)<br>
<br>
Do remember that the IGF main theme is generally the outcome of
consensus among MAG members and is usually vague.<br>
<br>
One proposal I am thinking of is to have an opening session where
we have a panel that does very brief scene setting on the sub
theme of this year's IGF. This could be 3 hour main session on the
first day. The panel would give 10 minute inputs on the sub
themes followed by discussion and questions. Workshop/session
organisers can talk about what they are dealing with in their
events related to these themes.<br>
</font><br>
<pre wrap=""> * Policies enabling Access
* Content Creation, Dissemination and Use
* Internet as engine for growth & development
* IGF & The Future of the Internet ecosystem
* Enhancing Digital Trust
* Internet and Human Rights
* Critical Internet Resources
I am leaving out emerging issues as it has a different role.
</pre>
<font face="Arial"><br>
On the last day we can have round tables for each of these
subthemes that gather together workshop/session organisers as well
as dynamic coalitions. These round tables should be tasked with
identifying what intersessional work is needed, and by whom and in
which space, to take discussions at the IGF forward.<br>
<br>
To build on Adam's proposal we should have a main session on Net
Mundial outcomes. We might even want to have two separate main
sessions, depending on what happens at the NetMundial. I like
Wolfgang's idea that we should keep things open at this point, and
see what happens later on in the year before we finalise what main
or focus sessions to organised - or MAG organised sessions as we
refer to them to distinguish from all the community organised
sessions like workshops. At least until the May MAG meeting as by
then we will have a clearer idea of what the IGF can most usefully
focus on.<br>
<br>
I also like the idea of having flash session topics be finalised
later. This would be possible I think.<br>
<br>
Anriette<br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 18/03/2014 12:24, "Kleinwächter,
Wolfgang" wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:2DA93620FC07494C926D60C8E3C2F1A8016420B1@server1.medienkomm.uni-halle.de"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">I agree here with Adam. Kepp the issues open as long as possible so that we can meet all the questions which are coming out from the procceses in April, May (inter aia the Ilves Report) and June (inter aliathe ICANN meeting in London with the high level GAC meeting and the ATLAS II).
One idea which worked well in recent EURODIGs are "flash sessions". 30 or 45 minutes presentations by one or two presenters (speaker has no more than 10 (or 2x5) minutes followed by q&a). The subjects of the flash sessions can be defined at a later stage shortly before the meeting.
wolfgang
________________________________
Von: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org">governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org</a> im Auftrag von Adam Peake
Gesendet: Di 18.03.2014 11:08
An: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>; Anriette Esterhuysen
Cc: <,<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net>">bestbits@lists.bestbits.net></a>,
Betreff: Re: [governance] Input on IGF 2014 format and main sessions
Hi Anriette,
Thanks for asking.
To be honest, I'm not very clear what the difference is between main sessions and focus sessions -- what was the actual difference in Bali?
Perhaps the Secretariat and MAG needs to do a better job of bringing the organizers of the various workshops into planning of the focus sessions. That didn't work well last, mainly I think because we hadn't thought through a new process (and to be honest I don't think 'feeder workshops' have ever worked and are unlikely to, a conference schedule can't permit.)
I think we saw in Bali that topics on current interests work well. Development, tried yet again, and not satisfactory yet again (if going to do such sessions it must include a majority of developing country participants, and contributors who are development experts rather than well meaning policy geeks.)
Did ypu find the policy questions helpful? Were they addressed in the sessions and did they add anything? I'm not sure they were widely used in most sessions. They seemed to be used as a bit of an after thought.
Of the themes, suggest it would be helpful to leave a large block of time (50%) to address NETmundial outcomes and what we are learning from other processes. By mid-summer we'll have an idea of what's going into ITU plenipot, WSIS etc. React to what's happening rather than more on the same old themes.
What does the overarching theme mean? Too many vague sub-themes, they provide little or no guidance to those submitting workshop proposals, and no help to MAG when assessing what's relevant/not.
Adam
On Mar 18, 2014, at 3:24 AM, Anriette Esterhuysen wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Dear all
There is a MAG meeting tomorrow and I would like your input on session formats.
Should there be 'main sessions' or focus sessions? How many? One a day or only on the first day and the last day?
What should the format be of these sessions?
Should there be feeder workshops? Or Round Tables on a theme?
Should the MAG make an open call for policy questions around which these focus/main sessions can be built?
Looking at the main and sub themes for this year's IGF, on which topics do you feel main sessions/focus sessions are needed?
Proposed Overaching Theme and Sub Themes for IGF 2014
Proposed Overarching Theme: Connecting Continents for Enhanced Multistakeholder Internet Governance
Proposed Sub Themes:
* Policies enabling Access
* Content Creation, Dissemination and Use
* Internet as engine for growth & development
* IGF & The Future of the Internet ecosystem
* Enhancing Digital Trust
* Internet and Human Rights
* Critical Internet Resources
* Emerging Issues
Thanks
Anriette
--
------------------------------------------------------
anriette esterhuysen
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:anriette@apc.org">anriette@apc.org</a>
executive director, association for progressive communications
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.apc.org">www.apc.org</a>
po box 29755, melville 2109
south africa
tel/fax +27 11 726 1692
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</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
------------------------------------------------------
anriette esterhuysen <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:anriette@apc.org">anriette@apc.org</a>
executive director, association for progressive communications
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.apc.org">www.apc.org</a>
po box 29755, melville 2109
south africa
tel/fax +27 11 726 1692</pre>
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