[governance] IGC Workshop Proposal

Wed Jun 27 22:28:49 EDT 2007

Yes,

Jeremy

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Jeremy Shtern


Researcher: the media at McGill unit for critical communication studies

&

PhD candidate (ABD): Université de Montréal, département de communication


jeremy.shtern at umontreal.ca

----------------------------------------------------


wcurrie at apc.org wrote:
> yes
>
> willie
>
> Quoting Parminder <parminder at itforchange.net>:
>
>> Hi All
>>
>> Find below the proposal for an IGF workshop for which a consensus is 
>> sought.
>> The call for consensus will be closed in 48 hours from this posting.
>>
>> However, I will like to mention here that we won't consider the 
>> consensus
>> call as carried unless there are at least a few ayes. I know many 
>> members
>> are quite busy with different things, but in my opinion an implied 
>> consensus
>> can only be built over at least a few express endorsements, whereby the
>> silence of others may be considered as implicit endorsement. This is
>> especially so in such an important matter as the IGC holding a 
>> workshop at
>> the IGF as the primary organizer.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Parminder
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> IGC's Proposed Workshop for IGF, Rio - June, 27, 2007
>>
>>
>> Workshop Title: Fulfilling the mandate of IGF
>>
>>
>> The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society mandates the IGF to 
>> perform the
>> following functions:
>>
>> a)    Discuss public policy issues related to key elements of Internet
>> Governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security,
>> stability and development of the Internet;
>> b)    Facilitate discourse between bodies dealing with different
>> cross-cutting international public policies regarding the Internet and
>> discuss issues that do not fall within the scope of any existing body;
>> c)    Interface with appropriate inter-governmental organisations and 
>> other
>> institutions on matters under their purview;
>> d)    Facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, and 
>> in this
>> regard make full use of the expertise of the academic, scientific and
>> technical communities;
>> e)    Advise all stakeholders in proposing ways and means to 
>> accelerate the
>> availability and affordability of the Internet in the developing world;
>> f)    Strengthen and enhance the engagement of stakeholders in existing
>> and/or future Internet Governance mechanisms, particularly those from
>> developing countries;
>> g)    Identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the 
>> relevant
>> bodies and the general public, and, where appropriate, make 
>> recommendations;
>> h)    Contribute to capacity-building for Internet Governance in 
>> developing
>> countries, drawing fully on local sources of knowledge and expertise;
>> i)    Promote and assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS
>> principles in Internet Governance processes;
>> j)    Discuss, inter alia, issues relating to critical Internet 
>> resources;
>> k)    Help to find solutions to the issues arising from the use and 
>> misuse
>> of the Internet, of particular concern to everyday users;
>> l)    Publish its proceedings.
>>
>> Based on the experience of the Athens conference and the draft program
>> outline for the Rio conference, it could be argued that the IGF is
>> contributing to the realization of some of these objectives.  
>> However, other
>> items in the list are more difficult to promote solely through annual
>> conferences comprising main sessions with panels of speakers and an
>> assortment of workshops.  Accordingly, it would be useful to have an 
>> open,
>> inclusive, positive and constructive dialogue about what additional 
>> steps,
>> if any, could be taken on a consensual, multistakeholder basis to 
>> help the
>> IGF community achieve the mandate.  To that end, the workshop would 
>> consider
>> such matters as:
>>
>> A. The thinking behind the formulation of the mandate, which derives 
>> from
>> the WGIG Report and the discussions held during Prep-Com 3 of the 
>> WSIS Tunis
>> phase;
>>
>> B. Whether some or all of the functions enumerated in the mandate are
>> important, value-adding, activities that are not being performed 
>> elsewhere,
>> would benefit the global community, and are uniquely suited to the IGF;
>>
>> C. Operationally practical steps that could be pursued on a consensual,
>> multistakeholder basis by the IGF community in order to perform those
>> functions identified in B, above.
>>
>>
>> 2. Provide the Name of the Organizer(s) of the workshop and their
>> Affiliation to various stakeholder groups. Describe how you will take
>> steps to adhere to the multi-stakeholder principle, including 
>> geographical
>> diversity.
>>
>> The Internet Governance Caucus comprises a diverse range of 
>> individual and
>> organizational civil society actors who are committed to the 
>> promotion of
>> global public interest objectives in Internet governance 
>> decision-making.
>> The caucus was created in early 2003 and played a leading role on 
>> Internet
>> governance issues for the broad civil society coalition that 
>> participated in
>> the WSIS process.  Some of its members were early proponents of an 
>> IGF and
>> active participants in the WGIG, and in the current IGF Advisory 
>> Group. The
>> caucus strongly supported the WGIG's proposal of an IGF, as well as the
>> mandate given to it by the Tunis Agenda.
>>
>> The caucus has many connections to all relevant stakeholder groups. For
>> example, a number of caucus members are employed in the private 
>> sector; and
>> many members, and indeed the caucus itself, have had productive
>> collaborative relationships with international organization, 
>> government, and
>> business representatives in the course of the WSIS and IGF processes, as
>> well as in other Internet governance-related contexts.
>>
>> The caucus has every intention of organizing a multistakeholder panel of
>> speakers representing all groupings involved in the IGF and diverse 
>> range of
>> views on the subject matter.
>>
>> The caucus would warmly welcome the co-sponsorship of any stakeholder 
>> entity
>> that would like to participate.
>>
>>
>> 3. Why do you think the proposed theme is important?
>>
>> The theme concerns the purpose and possibilities of the IGF.
>>
>>
>> 4. Describe the workshop's conformity with the Tunis Agenda in terms of
>> substance and the mandate of the IGF.
>>
>> The proposed workshop is about the Tunis Agenda's mandate for the IGF.
>>
>>
>> 5. Provide the Name and Affiliation of the panelists you are planning to
>> invite.
>>
>> We are soliciting panelists, and a list will be submitted in the next 
>> 2-3
>> weeks.
>>  The panel would comprise known representatives from the international
>> organization, government, business, technical and administrative, and 
>> civil
>> society communities who are well informed about the mandate, have a
>> diversity of perspectives on the issues, and can engage in a 
>> constructive
>> and collegial dialogue.
>>
>>
>> 6. Describe the main actors in the field. Have you approached them 
>> and asked
>> whether they would be willing to participate in proposed workshop?
>>
>> See # 5, above.
>>
>>
>> 7.  List similar events you have organized in the past.
>>
>> Caucus members have organized many related panel discussions during 
>> the WSIS
>> process (including workshops on the nature and mandate of the then 
>> proposed
>> IGF), at the Athens conference, and elsewhere, and are involved in 
>> various
>> proposals for the Rio conference as well.
>>
>> ________________________________________________
>> Parminder Jeet Singh
>> IT for Change, Bangalore
>> Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
>> Tel: (+91-80) 2665 4134, 2653 6890
>> Fax: (+91-80) 4146 1055
>> www.ITforChange.net
>>
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>
>
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