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<font face="sans-serif">As many of you may know that France, in its
role as chair of G8, plans a G8 meeting on the Internet later this
month.<br>
<br>
The French rep at the recent CoE meeting indicated that France is
interested in some kind of a treaty or something. BTW, the US rep
present also declared that President Obama plans to come up with
some kind of framework on cyberspace....<br>
<br>
Anyway, please read the only available information on the proposed
G8 Internet meeting which seems to be in the public domain. Gives
a good indication where multistakeholderism is headed, and how is
it conveniently used , especially the civil society actors, to
legitimize processes that are grossly undemocratic, and are clear
movements towards much larger political role of big business in
our political affairs then one could evne think just a few years
ago. especially see the parts of the quote below that is in bold.<br>
<br>
from
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.telecompaper.com/news/internet-g8-to-be-held-in-paris-on-24-25-may">http://www.telecompaper.com/news/internet-g8-to-be-held-in-paris-on-24-25-may</a>
<br>
<br>
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<div class="hasLinksInner"><i><b>Internet G8 to be held in Paris on
24-25 May <span class="source">Tuesday 19 April 2011 | 19:43
CET </span></b></i>
<div class="dividerInlineSocial"> </div>
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<div id="ctl00_MainPlaceHolder_divAbstract" class="hasLinksInner"> <span
id="ctl00_MainPlaceHolder_txtAbstract" class="bold"></span>
<div class="content"> The "Internet G8", a conference to be held
in Paris on 24-25 May before the official G8 summit in
Deauville, has been conceived to generate debate and ultimately
a set of proposals from private sector stakeholders for the
consideration of the eight heads of government, Maurice Levy,
the chairman of advertising group Publicis, told Les Echos.
Levy, who was tasked with organising the event by French
president Nicolas Sarkozy, describes its overall objectives as
fomenting economic growth and international collaboration. Talks
will address the internet, digital technology and mobile
communications. The first theme will be "internet and economic
growth" and then "internet and people power" ("Pouvoir du
citoyen"). Sessions will cover innovation, cloud computing, new
financing, research efforts, stimulating entrepreneurship,
protecting intellectual property, developing the mobile
internet, medias and social networks. Attendees will also be
urged to focus on the protection of rights and freedoms,
personal data and minors, as well as the value chain and how to
share it equitably. <b><big>Invitations have already been sent
and a list of attendees will be published in one or two
weeks, Levy said. He wants major actors such as Microsoft,
Google, Facebook, Intel, Cisco, Apple, Nokia, Samsung and
Alcatel to be represented, as well as major telecom
operators such as Orange and ATT, emerging market
representatives, smaller players and content producers,
media companies, studios, music labels, publishing houses...
The Internet G8 will be entirely funded by the private
sector and will be open to the press. </big></b></div>
</div>
<br>
Quote ends.<br>
<br>
So this is the multistakeholderism that developed country reps were
so valiantly defending at various IGF meetings, including the Dec
CSTD inter-sessional??? Can we, of the civil society, at least now
wake up to what we are being co-opted into, and rethink our
orientations and strategies to more specifically centre on global
pulbic interest (Milton, if you have a better term, pl do suggest),
and to representing the interests of those who are otherwise
marginalized, rather then allow ourselves to be a convenient
vehicle for facilitating further entrenchment in power of those
already most powerful. <br>
<br>
First it was Verizon and Google who practically wrote the network
neutrality law for the US, which because of the centrality of the US
in global digital space and structure will likely seep into every
country's systems. Now the global biggies will propose the ways and
means of international cooperation regarding the Internet. This kind
of thing was unthinkable a few years back. The digital is indeed the
Trojan horse for We indeed are shaping a new world, a most dreadful
one for anyone who has any belief in democracy and justice. <br>
<br>
We wrote to the UN asking for more spaces for civil society for the
Dec consultations on enhanced cooperation. What about this G8
Internet meeting? <br>
<br>
Parminder <br>
<br>
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