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<DIV><SPAN class=894034508-11032008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Thanks
very much Parminder for your very thoughtful and useful contribution here...
I've taken much of what you've written and adapted it to be included in the
Introduction to Chapter 1 (as per the Wiki).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=894034508-11032008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=894034508-11032008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>MG</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
coalition-admin@mailman.thepublicvoice.org
[mailto:coalition-admin@mailman.thepublicvoice.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Parminder<BR><B>Sent:</B> March 6, 2008 10:47 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
governance@lists.cpsr.org; 'Michael Gurstein'; plenary@wsis-cs.org;
coalition@mailman.thepublicvoice.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Public_Voice] RE:
[governance] Some Help Needed in Developing CS Statement for OECD
Ministerial<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Michael<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks for taking up
this initiative. I agree to go with the statement as it stands, and I think it
is very comprehensive. However I am offering some comments which you may use
if and as found appropriate. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> I am replying
publicly because I thought some the comments offered here may draw some
responses here which themselves may be of some use to you.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I think the statement
is very good, and covers most areas of ‘specific’ exclusions in the IS (or
info economy, IE) very well. I would though like to have some overall text
prefacing what you have put down, which points to the ‘systemic exclusions’
arising from the way dominant version of IS or IE is conceived and practiced
at present. Oftentimes, speaking only of ‘marginal’ exclusions, which can be
corrected by patchwork here and there, serves to draw attention away from the
issue of systemic exclusions which are more fundamental, and severely limit
any real possibility of participation and inclusion. I therefore think that
the statement should engage at both these levels.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Classically, every
(political) economy recognizes the distinction between those aspects that are
of a ‘public infrastructural’ nature and those that need to be an exclusive
preserve of the markets. Public infrastructural aspects requires large scale
public investments in areas which support a huge amount of supra-structural
economic activity, and these infrastructural areas may by themselves, for
various structural reasons, be not attractive enough to private investment.
Even if private investment does go into these critical infrastructures it may
tend to skew the opportunity structures in a manner inimical to both the
overall economy, and the concerns of equity within it. The emerging IS or IE
has new key infrastructural elements at many levels whose ‘public nature’
needs to be recognized, and the financing and regulation of these elements has
to proceed from this recognition. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Beyond this
distinction, every (political) economy or society also recognizes areas where
direct public investments are needed not only as per economic logic stated
above, but as a matter of social policy, to account for various basic needs
and rights of the people, and to address various social inclusions. Policy
makers need to see the Internet not only as a new market infrastructure, but
also as a critical social infrastructure, bringing in the issues of rights and
entitlements that are important aspects of today’s welfare state.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">At present
Information economy (or society) is often recognized as one exclusively
market-mediated monolith where public sector is mostly only given a regulatory
role. The traditional socio-economic distinctions of areas of an economy where
markets dominate –personal automobiles for instance, and areas where public
sector dominates – basic essential infrastructure, and specific domains like
education and health, are obliterated. This is done in the fictional belief
that somehow ICTs have completely perfected the markets, and that public
sector interventions were in any case only needed for correcting market
imperfections. This is a dangerous political economy assumption, which is not
proven, and would certainly lead to massive exclusions and discriminations in
the emerging information society (economy). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">When speaking about
guiding principles of the future Information economy, which I understand the
OECD ministerial seeks to do, it is important to recognize the elements of the
IS – and of its paradigmatic infrastructure, the Internet – that are
essentially of the nature of public infrastructure and public services.
Discriminations and exclusions are systemically and structurally related to
this issue of the adequate policy distinction between the private or
market-mediated, on one hand, and the ‘public’, on the other, in the IS, while
it is still important to deal specifically with each kind of exclusion that
your statement elaborates on so well.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> In this context
it may also be useful to refer the inputs of the European Council to the IGF
which emphasizes the ‘public service value’ of the Internet, and links the
issue of access to the Internet with democratic citizenship. To
quote.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial color=navy
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“Consequently, it is
proposed that everyone should be entitled to expect the delivery of a
minimum level of Internet services (for example effective and affordable
access, a suitable environment for businesses to operate, etc.) irrespective
of both the architecture of the World Wide Web (infrastructure, accessibility,
interconnectivity) and the arrangements concerning its construction and
development, with regard to the rules or principles that apply – or ought to
apply – to the Internet’s use (such as freedom of speech and of association,
right to private life and correspondence, consumer protection, security,
crime-prevention).”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial color=navy
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> (<A
href="http://www.intgovforum.org/Substantive_1st_IGF/CoE%20submission%20to%20the%20IGF.pdf">http://www.intgovforum.org/Substantive_1st_IGF/CoE%20submission%20to%20the%20IGF.pdf</A>
) <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Parminder
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: blue 1.5pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">
<DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Michael
Gurstein [mailto:gurstein@gmail.com] <BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:40
PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> plenary@wsis-cs.org;
governance@lists.cpsr.org; coalition@mailman.thepublicvoice.org<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [governance] Some Help Needed in
Developing CS Statement for OECD
Ministerial</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hello
colleagues:</SPAN></FONT><SPAN lang=EN-CA> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I've agreed to pull together a
section on "Discrimination in the Information Economy" for the CS statement to
the OECD Ministerial in Seoul in June.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I've done up several very general
statements as placeholders but I know that there are individuals on this list
with specific expertise in these areas and I would very much appreciate if
they could redo what I've done and as well add appropriate referencing to
previous CS documents, standards, appropriate websites
etc.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">If people could send their
comments to me individually indicating which numbered section they are
referring to, I'll compile them and recirculate them. I've agreed to do
a final by Monday at the latest so speed is of the essence. (This is a bit of
a last minute job so I'm not sure how much debate on wording will actually be
possible so please if comments could be made as "generic" from a CS
perspective as possible that would be great.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Among the barriers to equitable
participation are: </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1.<U>physical disability</U> which
interferes with the opportunity to make use of the input/output devices
through which the digital platform is access. Such disabilities might include
visual disabilities (the inability to read or interpret messages on a screen)
as for example arising from blindness, colour blindness or other forms of
visual impairment. There are a variety of well recognized standards for the
design of web interfaces which enable utilization of these sites by those with
visual disabilities but these standards are for the most part voluntary and
frequently are ignored or overlooked. The enforcement of these standards
particularly in government sites or site which are supportive of public
participation, provide public services, or are overall in the realm of “public
activities” should become mandatory and means for their enforcement should be
developed. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">2.levels of</SPAN></FONT><U><SPAN
lang=EN-CA> </SPAN></U><U><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">literacy</SPAN></FONT></U><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> may be required by certain
digitally enabled activities which act as discriminants for those with lower
levels of education, cognitive abilities or limited facility with the language
being used on the site. Similarly as with visual disabilities standards exist
for determining the level of literacy required for utilization of specific
sites and these should be formally adopted and means developed for their
enforcement particularly in those sites necessary for social, political and
economic functioning in the Information Society </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">3.differential access to the use
of the Internet because of<U> barriers of cost of
access</U></SPAN></FONT><SPAN lang=EN-CA> </SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
lang=EN-CA style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(Internet access costs
or costs of the input/output devices themselves (personal computers for
example). Many of those currently not using the Internet (as understood by
means of the concept of the “Digital Divide”) are not doing so because of the
cost of this service. Ensuring that publicly accessible services at no or
nominal cost is a minimum basis for ensuring equitable participation in the
Information Society.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT><SPAN
lang=EN-CA> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">4.related to the financial barrier
of access may be the</SPAN></FONT><U><SPAN lang=EN-CA> </SPAN></U><U><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">barriers of physical disability in
limiting access</SPAN></FONT></U><SPAN lang=EN-CA> </SPAN><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">to places
where no or minimal cost Internet access may be available. Many of those with
physical disabilities also have very low incomes so the opportunity to use the
Internet (or other ICTs) may only come through public Internet access points
(PIAPs). If these PIAPs are themselves not accessible because of physical
barriers (as for example not being wheel chair accessible), then the
opportunity to participate is doubly restricted. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">5.further, many of those also who
do not make use of the Internet may not be doing so because of
a</SPAN></FONT><U><SPAN lang=EN-CA> </SPAN></U><U><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">lack of
knowledge or personal confidence</SPAN></FONT></U><SPAN lang=EN-CA>
</SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">with respect to the means for
making such use. This would be particularly the case for the elderly and those
with lower levels of education. The barrier of confidence or skill with
respect to Internet use may be overcome through the availability of training
or support services in the context of the PIAPs and thus publicly supported
means for providing this training (it is frequently done through support of
volunteers or student interns) is a further means for ensuring that
discriminatory barriers do not exist for Internet participation.
</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">6.</SPAN></FONT><U><SPAN
lang=EN-CA> </SPAN></U><U><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Equitable gender
access</SPAN></FONT></U><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> to ICT has been linked to an
increase in overall social equality for women; however, within numerous global
contexts—including those of Developed Countries—gender disparities in access
to ICT persist, and women predominate the lower-wage sectors of the
information economy. Women also are under-represented in ICT decision-making
capacities. Gender is one of many factors that determine the impact of ICT on
women’s lives. Ethnicity, religion, age, physical ability, and socio-economic
status also figure into the degrees of inclusion and exclusion that
differentiate regions and communities. Key to overcoming the barriers,
shortcomings and misconceptions that exacerbate gender inequalities in ICT are
the comprehensive education of all persons regardless of gender, the promotion
of equal access for women to scientific and technological arenas, the
provision of opportunities for lifelong learning in ICT, and the augmentation
of women’s roles in ICT decision-making. Governments should enable equal
access and opportunity for all via policies and programs as well as
collaborate more broadly with the private sector and civil society to change
social attitudes, cultural ideologies, and stereotypes that limit women’s
participation in the digital economy. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">7. in many circumstances there are
additional difficulties (and costs) in obtaining access to the means for
participation in the digital economy by those living in</SPAN></FONT><U><SPAN
lang=EN-CA> </SPAN></U><U><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">remote, rural, or low-income
areas</SPAN></FONT></U><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. The cost of the provision of
enhanced (broadband for example) infrastructures in such areas may lead to
gaps in access in these areas if the service provision is only left to market
considerations. In order to ensure that there is no discrimination or
additional barriers to participation on the part of rural and remote residents
it may be necessary for public authorities to intervene to find means to
balance costs as between locales. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">8.</SPAN></FONT><U><SPAN
lang=EN-CA> </SPAN></U><U><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Individuals' relationship with
access providers or their business partners</SPAN></FONT></U><SPAN lang=EN-CA>
</SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-CA
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">may also be a source for
discrimination against particular users. Vertical integration of access
provision with other products, content, and services may lead access providers
to engage in tying behaviors, such as blocking or degrading competitors'
services. Competition and communications authorities should act to prevent
such
behavior.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>