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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=507413404-30102008>I
haven't participated in this recent discussion due to other distractions and
responsibilities.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=507413404-30102008>But
I've now read the draft proposal that Mark Costa circulated which I
believe, except in some details, is the broad consensus position being
promoted.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=507413404-30102008>I'd
like to start my remarks by saying that my read of the Seoul conference was
rather different from what seems to be reflected in the proposal. My
overall impression was not that the OECD endorsed the participation of
Civil Society "organizations" as advisors to the OECD but rather that they
endorsed the participation of Civil Society in that role.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=507413404-30102008>And
even further my reading was that the OECD Ministers with a few and predictable
exceptions (the US being the most notable) were much less concerned with how
"civil society" reacted to their initiatives and the emergence of the
Information Society/Economy than they were with how citizens and
particularly those most at risk and disadvantaged in the overall Information
Society/Economy development) were responding and being
impacted.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008>What I see in this proposal is a, dare I say,
impertinent and even arrogant conflation/confusion of (the usual suspect)
Civil Society organizations as listed in the proposal, with "Civil Society"
as a whole, and further with "civil society" understood as not simply those with
the means and skills to organize themselves for participation in august chambers
such as those of the OECD but civil society as understood as being those at the
grassroots impacted by Information Society developments.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008>Looking through the list of usual suspect organizations
and through the forwarded proposal I neither see organizations with any
significant links into those at the grassroots who have the most to lose (and to
gain) from ICTs nor do I see any interest or attention in linking the activities
of the CSISAC into any of those self same folks or their concerns and
initiatives.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=507413404-30102008>Where
in this proposal are the voices of disadvantaged and marginalized communities,
the disabled, the unemployed and homeless, indigenous peoples and how will their
concerns be introduced as "advice" to the OECD? </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=507413404-30102008>Michael Gurstein</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
coalition-bounces@mailman.thepublicvoice.org
[mailto:coalition-bounces@mailman.thepublicvoice.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Mark
Costa<BR><B>Sent:</B> October-29-08 10:42 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Public
Voice<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Coalition] Draft
Proposal<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>All,<BR><BR>Attached is a draft proposal for the
CSISAC charter that builds upon the proposal submitted by EPIC, while
simultaneously addressing the main concerns expressed by Karen and others in
the Geneva group. All of the changes are located in sections 3 & 4. I
apologize for adding to the confusion, but work started on this document
before the recent flurry of activity on the wiki.<BR clear=all><BR>-- <BR>Mark
R. Costa<BR>Internet Governance Project<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>