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    <br>
    While I have not followed discussions for more than two weeks now
    and may have missed important emails, I am not sure I understand the
    reason for not taking a decision now.... Any decision of this kind
    wouldnt take more than 3-4 days among a group or 4. So whatever be
    the decision, justice demands that it be taken and conveyed. That is
    the group's political responsibility. You may also tell us which the
    other other organisations with "equal and perhaps better cases' are
    there, whom you have to consider. You may have listed them somewhere
    and I missed the list. The group taking this decision  is of course
    aware that the decision has a conflict of interest element  - even
    if perhaps unavoidable - in that addition of new members affects the
    power/ role of the existing ones... This makes the need of making a
    decision even more urgent. Therefore a half hearted decision to just
    stick to the staus quo without good reason or justification about
    any information or circumstance that would make the decision easier
    or more just at a latter time than now, does not sound quite right
    to me...<br>
    <br>
    parminder<br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On Monday 23 December 2013 02:48 PM,
      Ian Peter wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote cite="mid:7505F27A38D7439898FD22A79131BD8E@Toshiba"
      type="cite">
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          #000000">
          <div>FYI below is a copy of a letter just sent to Michael
            Gurstein as regards his recent request to join this group.</div>
          <div> </div>
          <div>Ian Peter</div>
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              <div> </div>
              <div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
                <div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a
                    moz-do-not-send="true"
                    title="ian.peter@ianpeter.com"
                    href="mailto:ian.peter@ianpeter.com">Ian Peter</a> </div>
                <div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, December 23, 2013 8:12 PM</div>
                <div><b>To:</b> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    title="gurstein@gmail.com"
                    href="mailto:gurstein@gmail.com">Michael Gurstein</a>
                </div>
                <div><b>Subject:</b> civil society coordination group
                  membership</div>
              </div>
            </div>
            <div> </div>
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          <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri';
            FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal;
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                COLOR: #000000">
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Dear Michael,</font></font></span><span
                    style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ;
                    mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"> </font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ;
                    COLOR: ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">I am replying
                        to your request to the civil society
                        coordination group to make you a member of the
                        group, representing Community Informatics. You
                        have suggested that no reply from us affirming
                        you as a member in a time frame of about 30
                        hours would be considered by you as a “no”, <span
                          style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and that you
                        would be informing others and taking various
                        actions.</font></font></span><span
                    style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ;
                    mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"> </font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ;
                    COLOR: ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">You have also
                        pointed out in correspondence that the “decision
                        that you folks make will have quite serious
                        ramifications both for yourselves, for civil
                        society in internet governance, and perhaps even
                        for internet governance itself”</font></font></span><span
                    style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ;
                    mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"> </font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ;
                    COLOR: ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">We also take
                        this decision seriously. We do not think it is
                        appropriate to make such a decision without due
                        consideration, including considering a number of
                        other organisations who would have equal and
                        perhaps better cases to make as regards joining
                        a co-ordination group which must be kept to a
                        manageable size.</font></font></span><span
                    style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ;
                    mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"> </font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ;
                    COLOR: ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Accordingly,
                        and because any decisions we make here can have
                        substantial ramifications, we have decided to
                        delay any decisions on expansion of membership
                        of the co ordination group until they can be
                        considered properly. In the current
                        circumstances of limited availability for many
                        people, that will be after we have completed the
                        Brazil committee nomination processes in mid
                        January. With the holiday season and other
                        commitments as well as the Brazil processes, we
                        simply do not have time to do this now with the
                        thoroughness it deserves.</font></font></span><span
                    style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ;
                    mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"> </font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ;
                    COLOR: ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman">We understand the sincerity of your desire
                      to have your groups viewpoints heard and
                      considered, which prompted your actions. I can
                      assure you that the members of the co-ordination
                      group take their roles seriously, and are
                      determined that their actions and the
                      representatives appointed through this process
                      will represent the diversity of viewpoints and
                      perspectives held within civil society, and not
                      just individual organisations.</font></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman"> </font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ;
                    COLOR: ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman">I will be copying this reply to the Best
                      Bits and IGC lists so that others are also aware
                      of this situation and our reasons for not making a
                      decision at this stage.</font></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span> </p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman">Sincerely,</font></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span> </p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"></span> </p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman">Ian Peter</font></span></p>
                <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt;
                  LINE-HEIGHT: 13pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR:
                    ; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';
                    mso-fareast-language: en-au"><font face="Times New
                      Roman">for Co-ordination Group - Virginia Paque
                      (Diplo), Robin Gross (NCSG), Chat Ramilo (APC),
                      Jeremy Malcolm (Best Bits) ; replacement member
                      for IGC still being determined.</font></span></p>
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    </blockquote>
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