<div>Hello Parminder and All,</div>
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<div>Yes, the IGC has done consideable work on preparing the proposal on the Rights based approach as the theme for the next IGF, it has become a part of the Synthesis paper and there are other coalitions endorsing this as the theme for the next IGF, but could we still go ahead and explore various themes? In the process participants of this caucus would find an opportunity to offer further comments on this proposed theme as also propose alternate themes.</div>
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<div>So much work has been done on the Rights theme but should we stop because we have all spent a lot of time on this theme? I feel that we can continue discussing and propose alternate themes in addition to what has already been proposed, and out of the various themes that the Caucus proposes we can choose one theme to focus on to push for.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Sivasubramanian Muthusamy</div>
<div>India.<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 12/13/08, <b class="gmail_sendername">Parminder</b> <<a href="mailto:parminder@itforchange.net">parminder@itforchange.net</a>> wrote:</span>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Hi All</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Thanks Jeanette for starting a discussion on the next year's themes. The caucus has never been so pro-active before :- ) .</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">To give a background to those who may not have kept track, some civil society actors including the IGC had started to propose 'rights based approach to IG' as 2009 IGF's main themes a couple of months back. These actors also made 'official' contributions to the IGF process on this issue. IGC's contributions to the September consultations and to the IGF 2008 synthesis paper ( see </span></font><font color="black"><span style="COLOR: black"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/sec_papers_08/IGF.SynthesisPaper.Final.30.10.2008.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/sec_papers_08/IGF.SynthesisPaper.Final.30.10.2008.pdf</a></span></font><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> ) speaks of this issue. Some other contributions to the synthesis paper also raise this issue. Consequently, a 'rights based approach to IG' figures prominently in the IGF 2008's synthesis paper, which is supposed to be the official conference paper. Unfortunately, neither do the organizers give much prominence to the paper, nor, it appears, most participants take real note of it. However, it remains a fact that this paper is an important part of official proceedings of the IGF. </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Many civil society actors spoke about a 'rights based approach to IG' during the 2008 IGF, a few of them specifically calling it to be made as the theme for IGF 2009. One of the two opening session statement by civil society participant mentions this issue, as does the sole civil society statement at the closing session. </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The dynamic coalition on gender read out a statement asking for the main theme of the next IGF to be 'a rights based approach to IG'. This issue was also raised by many interventions in the main sessions and at a couple of dynamic coalition meetings and other workshops. As you would have noticed from an email sent out before the IGC @ IGF meeting, and as pointed out by Jeanette and Ralf, the IGC members meeting at the IGF also discussed this issue and there was wide support for this to be the central theme for the IGF 2009. </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In this context, I will like to draw the members attention to Council of Europe's submission to the IGF Hyderabad – 'Internet - a critical resource for all' ( see <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/contributions" target="_blank">http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/contributions</a> and also enclosed ) which I quote:</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"The Council of Europe provides state and non-state actors with co-operation platforms, legal standards and public policy and practical tools which fit well the current transition towards a more definite rights and people-centred Internet governance approach."</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">So, we have other actors speaking about a 'rights centered approach to IG'. </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">As Natasha says, supported by Valeria, we must now take a strategic approach to pushing for this theme to be adopted for IGF 2009. A strategic approach, in my view, will perhaps require both a tactical campaign like approach mixed with tactical caution on some aspects, with a view of maximizing the chance of getting the proposed as the main theme for IGF 2009 . Most importantly, it will require building connections with some key actors who could be brought over to support this proposal. As per the above CoE document some European governments may do so. But we will need to broaden support to include some key Southern actors as well.</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Parminder </span></font></p>
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<br><br clear="all"></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Sivasubramanian Muthusamy<br><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasubramanianmuthusamy">http://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasubramanianmuthusamy</a><br><a href="http://www.circleid.com/members/3601/">http://www.circleid.com/members/3601/</a><br>
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