Hello Michael Gurstein,<br><br>I happen to be one of those who participated at the OECD Ministerial meeting.<br><br>I do not find much of information about the so called CSISAC to be known as CSAC, except this at <a href="http://icommons.org/blogs/the-public-voice-coalition-conference-call">http://icommons.org/blogs/the-public-voice-coalition-conference-call</a> and it would help if you or any one could post more information about what is happening.<br>
<br>Though OECD is a regional organization, its initiatives and programs related to the "Future of Internet" is bound to have an influence on how Internet Governance takes shape due to its visibility and its position as body formed by a coalition of the economically most powerful nations. So it becomes important for the Civil Society to observe and react to the OECD initiatives related to Internet Governance.<br>
<br>The issues you have raised related to representation by the disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Actually the concerns are much broader. On Internet Governance debates it is indicated that a multi-stakeholder approach would prevail, but to implement this approach some thing very basic needs to be done: Those present representing a certain stakeholder group needs to a) truly belong to that stakeholder group b) truly represent the interests of that stakeholder group and c) be present and participate in a strength sufficient enough to represent the various interests within that stakeholder group, sufficient enough to be an equal to the other stakeholder groups.<br>
<br>CSISAC to be known as CSAC is intended to be an "Advisory Group" that is bound to have a role in ensuring what organizations get acknowledged as Civil Society and in determining the 'quality' or Civil Society participation at the OECD deliberations and possibly in related forums. <br>
<br>It is necessary that responsible Civil Society bodies including the IGC takes note of this OECD initiative and ensure fair and equitable representation of the Civil Society for a participatory role.<br><br>Sivasubramanian Muthusamy<br>
ISOC India Chennai.<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 10:29 AM, Michael Gurstein <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gurstein@gmail.com">gurstein@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span>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" face="Arial" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span>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" face="Arial" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span>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" face="Arial" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span>Michael Gurstein</span></font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<blockquote style="margin-right: 0px;">
<div></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left" lang="en-us"><font face="Tahoma" size="2">-----Original Message-----<br><b>From:</b>
<a href="mailto:coalition-bounces@mailman.thepublicvoice.org" target="_blank">coalition-bounces@mailman.thepublicvoice.org</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:coalition-bounces@mailman.thepublicvoice.org" target="_blank">coalition-bounces@mailman.thepublicvoice.org</a>] <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></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasubramanianmuthusamy">http://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasubramanianmuthusamy</a><br>