[governance] Inputs for synthesis paper
Michael Gurstein
gurstein at gmail.com
Sun Aug 31 02:54:48 EDT 2008
Ian and all,
I've done an edit for clarity etc. of Parminder's original as attached.
I haven't included your changes.
(I think that we should be working with a wiki here...
MG
-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Peter [mailto:ian.peter at ianpeter.com]
Sent: August 30, 2008 11:39 PM
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
Subject: RE: [governance] Inputs for synthesis paper
Just some quick feedback here as it is important to keep this moving.
I think it is too long and takes too long to get to the point. I would drop
the four paragraphs after the first one and get straight into the proposal.
My amended text then would be as follows.
>
> Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) is a civil society
> organization that seeks to "promote global public interest objectives
> in Internet governance policy making", towards "realization of
> internationally agreed human rights, social equity and
> interdependence, cultural concerns, and both social and economic
> development". The mission of the IGC "is to provide a forum for
> discussion, advocacy, action, and for representation of civil society
> contributions in Internet governance processes".
>
>
> STUFF DELETED HERE RESUMES BELOW>
>
>
>
> IGF will make an important contribution to global Internet policy
> making if it picks up and drives a rights-based discourse regarding
> the Internet and the information society. The ideas and principles
> emerging from such a discourse can then inform institutions that
> actually make Internet policies, and the shaping of new institutional
> frameworks, that may be required, the possible need of which was
> identified by the Tunis Agenda.
>
>
>
> The Internet Governance Caucus therefore strongly recommends that
> 'Rights and the Internet' be made as the overarching theme for IGF-4
> in Egypt, and the IGF-4's program be dominated by the need for
> developing a rights-based discourse in the area of Internet
> Governance. The Caucus has already expressed support to the letter on
> this subject which was sent by the Dynamic Coalition on Internet Bill
> of Rights to the MAG.
>
>
>
> IGC offers IGF all assistance in helping shape such a
people-centered
> 'rights-based discourse' at the IGF meetings, and specifically to help
> operationalise the proposal of making 'rights and the Internet' as the
> overarching theme for IGF-4 in Egypt.
>
>
>
> A complex new emerging ecology of 'rights and the Internet'
>
>
>
> Freedom of expression and openness of the Internet are underpinned
by
> recognized basic human rights. Privacy in the digital space is
> increasingly understood as a very important Internet right.
> Conceptions of 'rights and the Internet' extend to the area of
> positive rights - for instance in the area of access, where a 'right
> to the Internet' is being articulated by some groups, and to
> collective rights like cultural rights, which can underpin the
> important IGF thematic area of cultural diversity.
>
>
>
> Many important Internet policy areas, like network neutrality, are
> being framed in terms of rights, like a right to know, access
> information[2] and share information, including perhaps freedom of
> expression itself. Right to public information takes a wholly new
> context in a digital environment, where digital public information is
> publicly sharable at little or no extra cost. One project looks at any
> 'positive acts' of withholding digital public information from
> citizens as a form of censorship. All these rights-based conception
> covers the IGF theme area of 'openness'.
>
>
>
> Many other rights like the right of association and the right of
> political participation have important new implications in the
> Internet age, including in terms of the kind of Internet policies that
> best serve public interest.
>
>
>
> It is a widely held fear that while the Internet gives unprecedented
> new economic, social and political opportunities in many new areas, it
> may further widen economic, social and political divides. It is for
> this reason that 'development' has always been a central theme for all
> IGF meetings. In this context, it may be useful to explore what does
> the 'right to development' mean in this new, much more globalized,
> context.
>
>
>
> Consumers of digital products face new challenges and consumer's
> right[3] to know and completely 'own' the products and services they
> pay for is another important emerging area of rights. This has great
> relevance in a context where corporates are able to extend their
> digital arms of control inside people's houses and personal devices,
> in a manner largely unsuspected by the ordinary consumers.
>
>
>
> Right to property normally has been considered as an important
right.
> However its applicability and (remarkably quick and far-reaching)
> mutations in the digital space, in form of IP rights is greatly
> contested. In fact, this contestation is the primary political economy
> contestation of the emerging information society. Is IP right a 'real'
> right? Are corporate entities entitled to 'rights' as we understand
> the term 'rights'? What public interest principles much underpin any
> conception of IPR? In the new context, what is the significance of
> further developing the concept of a right to access knowledge, in the
> digital space?
>
>
>
> Internet governance till today has largely been based, initially, on
> technical principles of 'neutrality' and, increasingly, on Internet's
> nature as a giant global marketplace. With Internet becoming much more
> that just a technical platform or a marketplace, and central to many
> or most social and political institutions, an alternative basis and
> conceptual framework for IG needs to be explored. In the view of the
> Caucus a right-based framework will be most appropriate to be so
> explored and used. It is the also Caucus's view that the IGF is the
> institution best placed to take up this task. This process should
> start in IGF, Hyderabad, where some workshops on 'rights issues' are
> being planned, and these issues will also hopefully figure prominently
> in the main sessions. These discussions will help IGF work towards
> developing 'rights and the Internet' as the over-arching theme of
> IGF-4 in Egypt.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Parminder [mailto:parminder at itforchange.net]
> Sent: August 27, 2008 8:15 PM
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
> Subject: [governance] Inputs for synthesis paper
>
> Dear All
>
>
>
> We had proposed IGC inputs to the synthesis paper for IGF Hyderabad
> on two topics - 'rights and the Internet' and 'review of the IGF'.
>
>
>
> Since no comments have come in, a draft is being proposed. We can
> build in comments and suggestions into it. However if a very different
> starting draft is found necessary we can do it through a working
> group.
>
>
>
> The synthesis paper is a place to put in substantive ideas and
> positions that we may want to present. Somewhat like putting forth
> such ideas/ positions at the IGF meeting itself. The paper is a good
> 'space' through which we can try to reach the IGF participants. The
> draft is done with this context in mind.
>
>
>
> The enclosed draft is on the issue of 'rights and the internet', and
> we acknowledge the work done, and being done, by the Dynamic Coalition
> of Internet Bill of Rights in this regard. I will try another,
> shorter, draft on the issue of 'review of the IGF' too.
>
>
>
> It is a very rough initial draft to trigger discussion and inputs.
> There must be a lot of gaps/ inconsistencies especially in capturing
> the rights ecology in relation to the Internet.
>
>
>
> The deadline for sending these in is 12th September. And if do agree
> on sending a contribution it has to be put through consensus process
> after finalizing the text.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Parminder
>
>
>
> IGC's input -1 to the synthesis paper for IGF, Hyderabad.
>
>
>
> 'Rights and the Internet' as the over-arching theme for IGF-4, at
> Cairo
>
>
>
> Global internet policy making and Rights - Role of the IGF and its
> constituent civil society
>
>
>
> Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) is a civil society
> organization that seeks to "promote global public interest objectives
> in Internet governance policy making", towards "realization of
> internationally agreed human rights, social equity and
> interdependence, cultural concerns, and both social and economic
> development". The mission of the IGC "is to provide a forum for
> discussion, advocacy, action, and for representation of civil society
> contributions in Internet governance processes".
>
>
>
> IGF has the principal mandate and challenge of contributing to
global
> Internet policy making, which is beset with a formidable problem. On
> one hand, it is an important emerging policy area, with a strong
> global mooring, as the Internet becomes central to more and more
> social institutions, and on the other hand, global political
> structures are, very often, either too weak or otherwise unsuitable to
> be up to the challenge of effectively making democratic and
> public-interest centered Internet policies.
>
>
>
> In times when there is uncertainly about appropriate institutions
for
> policy making, as in case of global Internet policies, it may help to
> first focus on 'constitutional' principles that must underpin these
> polices, and inform the activities of the institutions that are
> engaged in this activity - both extant, and emerging.
>
>
>
> Some of such 'constitutional' principles are related to process.
> Council of Europe and Association of Progressive Communications have
> been doing some important work in this regard on the issue of "a code
> of conduct for public participation in IG". There are also some other
> initiatives seeking to examine how (process related) 'WSIS principles'
> of mulitistakeholderism, transparency, participation and democratic
> governance can be applied in the extant IG institutions.
>
>
>
> It is however equally important to evolve some substantive
> 'constitutional' principles[1] that should inform global Internet
> policies, and the concerned institutional framework. WSIS called for a
> 'people-centric' information society, and the way to construct such an
> information society is to proceed from placing people's rights at the
> centre, in a manner that includes all people of the world in their
> specific social contexts. Framing of such 'peoples rights in the
> information society' will consist in contextualizing existing human
> rights to the Internet age, as well identifying new rights-based
> conceptualizations that are relevant to the new and emerging
> situations.
>
>
>
> It is relevant to note here that much of the existing global polity,
> to the extend it does exist, is based on globally agreed human rights.
> This provides a good precedent for basing a global Internet policy
> institutional framework on 'rights in relation to the Internet'. The
> WSIS Declaration of Principles also opens with a strong reaffirmation
> of human rights as the basis of shaping the emerging information
> society.
>
>
>
> IGF will make an important contribution to global Internet policy
> making if it picks up and drives a rights-based discourse regarding
> the Internet and the information society. The ideas and principles
> emerging from such a discourse can then inform institutions that
> actually make Internet policies, and the shaping of new institutional
> frameworks, that may be required, the possible need of which was
> identified by the Tunis Agenda.
>
>
>
> The Internet Governance Caucus therefore strongly recommends that
> 'Rights and the Internet' be made as the overarching theme for IGF-4
> in Egypt, and the IGF-4's program be dominated by the need for
> developing a rights-based discourse in the area of Internet
> Governance. The Caucus has already expressed support to the letter on
> this subject which was sent by the Dynamic Coalition on Internet Bill
> of Rights to the MAG.
>
>
>
> IGC offers IGF all assistance in helping shape such a
people-centered
> 'rights-based discourse' at the IGF meetings, and specifically to help
> operationalise the proposal of making 'rights and the Internet' as the
> overarching theme for IGF-4 in Egypt.
>
>
>
> A complex new emerging ecology of 'rights and the Internet'
>
>
>
> Freedom of expression and openness of the Internet are underpinned
by
> recognized basic human rights. Privacy in the digital space is
> increasingly understood as a very important Internet right.
> Conceptions of 'rights and the Internet' extend to the area of
> positive rights - for instance in the area of access, where a 'right
> to the Internet' is being articulated by some groups, and to
> collective rights like cultural rights, which can underpin the
> important IGF thematic area of cultural diversity.
>
>
>
> Many important Internet policy areas, like network neutrality, are
> being framed in terms of rights, like a right to know, access
> information[2] and share information, including perhaps freedom of
> expression itself. Right to public information takes a wholly new
> context in a digital environment, where digital public information is
> publicly sharable at little or no extra cost. One project looks at any
> 'positive acts' of withholding digital public information from
> citizens as a form of censorship. All these rights-based conception
> covers the IGF theme area of 'openness'.
>
>
>
> Many other rights like the right of association and the right of
> political participation have important new implications in the
> Internet age, including in terms of the kind of Internet policies that
> best serve public interest.
>
>
>
> It is a widely held fear that while the Internet gives unprecedented
> new economic, social and political opportunities in many new areas, it
> may further widen economic, social and political divides. It is for
> this reason that 'development' has always been a central theme for all
> IGF meetings. In this context, it may be useful to explore what does
> the 'right to development' mean in this new, much more globalized,
> context.
>
>
>
> Consumers of digital products face new challenges and consumer's
> right[3] to know and completely 'own' the products and services they
> pay for is another important emerging area of rights. This has great
> relevance in a context where corporates are able to extend their
> digital arms of control inside people's houses and personal devices,
> in a manner largely unsuspected by the ordinary consumers.
>
>
>
> Right to property normally has been considered as an important
right.
> However its applicability and (remarkably quick and far-reaching)
> mutations in the digital space, in form of IP rights is greatly
> contested. In fact, this contestation is the primary political economy
> contestation of the emerging information society. Is IP right a 'real'
> right? Are corporate entities entitled to 'rights' as we understand
> the term 'rights'? What public interest principles much underpin any
> conception of IPR? In the new context, what is the significance of
> further developing the concept of a right to access knowledge, in the
> digital space?
>
>
>
> Internet governance till today has largely been based, initially, on
> technical principles of 'neutrality' and, increasingly, on Internet's
> nature as a giant global marketplace. With Internet becoming much more
> that just a technical platform or a marketplace, and central to many
> or most social and political institutions, an alternative basis and
> conceptual framework for IG needs to be explored. In the view of the
> Caucus a right-based framework will be most appropriate to be so
> explored and used. It is the also Caucus's view that the IGF is the
> institution best placed to take up this task. This process should
> start in IGF, Hyderabad, where some workshops on 'rights issues' are
> being planned, and these issues will also hopefully figure prominently
> in the main sessions. These discussions will help IGF work towards
> developing 'rights and the Internet' as the over-arching theme of
> IGF-4 in Egypt.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> [1] To quote some existing initiatives here
>
> [2] Mentioned in TA
>
> [3] Mentioned in TA
>
>
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> Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.6.0/1602 - Release Date:
> 8/9/2008 1:22 PM
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