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<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>I'm
not exactly sure what Bertrand means by "civil society" actors but it seems to
me that there is already significant focus on "individuals" as participants in
IG processes by for example Diplo and the IGF. What seems to me to be
lacking and something that should be of concern to the IGC both in the context
of the IGF and elsewhere is lack of significant participation (or even
organizational development) on the part of a wider range of Internet related
civil society organizations particularly those with a more grassroots and
practitioner base and orientation although this seem to be starting to
develop through the regional IGFs.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>We
need go no further than our television screens or online news services to see
the significance of grassroots civil society currently in Copenhagen.
There were similar manifestations around the Beijing Women's conference and very
significant grassroots civil society coaltions in areas such as the
International Land Coaliton <A
href="http://www.landcoaliton.org">www.landcoaliton.org</A> </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Focussing rather less on identifying individuals to bring into this
rather rarefied fold and rather more on linking with and enabling groups
with a broader range of practical on the ground Internet related concerns might
be a useful exercise all round.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>Mike
Gurstein</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Bertrand de La Chapelle
[mailto:bdelachapelle@gmail.com] <SPAN class=558273417-13122009><FONT
color=#0000ff face=Arial> </FONT></SPAN><BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday,
December 13, 2009 6:26 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
governance@lists.cpsr.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [governance] On Funding and
Incorporation<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>Dear all,<BR><BR>just two cents on the
topics in the title recently raised on the list. <BR><BR><B>1) on funding
</B><BR><BR>Irrespective of possible sources, amounts, structures, procedures,
etc... there is a function that the IGC has some legitimacy to undertake
(whether it is called a "project" or not) : <B>facilitating the participation
of civil society actors from developing countries in Internet Governance
Processes</B>. It can take the form of supporting/organizing remote hubs
and participatory tools, supporting the emergence of local (national and
regional) IGFs, or even selecting and funding the physical participation of
individuals in the global IGF. All this is already done to a certain level.
Soliciting funding from Foundations to develop such activities (provided there
is clear procedures, transparency, etc...) would be very valuable. <BR><BR>In
addition, this would require defining selection criteria and procedures that
would be fair, transparent, as well as geographically and gender balanced,
which is not an easy task. But any solution that the IGC would come up with
could be an important contribution. Everybody is trying to find a proper
answer to this question, including well intentioned governments : apart from
elections and NomComs, what are the possible modalities to form
multi-stakeholder groups (like the MAG or any thematic working group) ? The
IGC has been instrumental in dreaming the Forum; can it now contribute to
developing some of its working methods ?<BR><BR><B>2) On
incorporation</B><BR><BR>As I think I have mentioned a few years ago on this
list when the same discussion had emerged, the challenge is : what are the
possibilities to create a structure directly at the international level ?
Today, any association must be based in one country and then develop its
activities in other countries by setting up subsidiaries, etc... <B>Could
there be a way to establish something directly at the global level ?</B>
<BR><BR>We have heard that Switzerland has created a new status for
international non-for profit organizations that would do just that, ie :
allowing the creation of an international organization that is not
inter-governmental. I do not need to highlight on this list that efficient
exploration of this question is of a certain value in the discussion on the
future legal status of ICANN. <BR><BR>As long as no solution is available to
create non-profit organizations directly at the global level, we are all stuck
with the alternative of either an entity based in one country (and then why
this one rather than another one ?) or an international organization in the
traditional sense (that requires a treaty between states).
<BR><BR>---------------------------<BR><BR>For all the reasons above, and even
if for a large part the debate is a rehashed one, those two issues have an
importance that goes beyond the IGC itself. Do not hesitate to address them,
the contribution can be greater than you think.<BR><BR>Best<BR><BR>Bertrand
(in a personal capacity of course)<BR><BR><BR><BR clear=all><BR>--
<BR>____________________<BR>Bertrand de La Chapelle<BR><BR>Tel : +33 (0)6 11
88 33 32<BR><BR>"Le plus beau métier des hommes, c'est d'unir les hommes"
Antoine de Saint Exupéry<BR>("there is no greater mission for humans than
uniting humans")<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>