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    apologies for cross posting<br>
    <div class="moz-forward-container">regards<br>
      Guru<br>
      for those inclined to participate in the NMI (and according
      legitimacy to a power group, and perhaps as Ian points as a
      possible danger '<font style="size:+0;"><font
          style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;"> a corporate takeover of internet
          governance '</font></font>), I would point to
      <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/11/17/sordid-tales-selfishness-super-rich">http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/11/17/sordid-tales-selfishness-super-rich</a>
      and many similar articles on that site...<br>
      <br>
      -------- Forwarded Message --------
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            <th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject:
            </th>
            <td>Re: [bestbits] Whether to participate in NETmundial
              Initiative - RFC</td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
            <td>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 12:59:51 +0530</td>
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            <th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
            <td>Guru <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:Guru@ITforChange.net"><Guru@ITforChange.net></a></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Reply-To:
            </th>
            <td>Guru <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:Guru@ITforChange.net"><Guru@ITforChange.net></a></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
            <td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net">bestbits@lists.bestbits.net</a></td>
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      <div class="moz-cite-prefix">Often we seem to be saying that
        participation is sufficient end in itself<br>
        <br>
        for what purpose<br>
        for whose gain<br>
        who do we represent in our participation<br>
        who will lose by the participation<br>
        who holds the power in the participation forum/ makes the rules
        of the game<br>
        how much can we fool ourselves about the power we have in the
        forum <br>
        <br>
        These questions are extremely important to engage with.  <br>
        On the other hand, we can only wake up those who are sleeping
        (and hopefully there are many who may wake up at this point - of
        a neo-liberal attempt to capture of global governance), not
        those who pretend to be.... <br>
        <br>
        regards<br>
        Guru<br>
        <br>
        On Wednesday 19 November 2014 02:50 AM, Grace Githaiga wrote:<br>
      </div>
      <blockquote cite="mid:DUB111-W9973827089711FED9B9258B4880@phx.gbl"
        type="cite">
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        <div dir="ltr">I would go for CS to participate if the request
          to conduct own nominations for representation is accepted. It
          is easier to shape/influence processes if we are part of them.
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>Rgds</div>
          <div>Grace<br>
            <br>
            <div>
              <hr id="stopSpelling">From: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
                href="mailto:ian.peter@ianpeter.com">ian.peter@ianpeter.com</a><br>
              To: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
                href="mailto:jmalcolm@eff.org">jmalcolm@eff.org</a>; <a
                moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
                href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net">bestbits@lists.bestbits.net</a><br>
              Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 21:31:17 +1100<br>
              Subject: Re: [bestbits] Whether to participate in
              NETmundial Initiative - RFC<br>
              <br>
              <div dir="ltr">
                <div
                  style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri';COLOR:#000000;">
                  <div>At this point of time discussions are going on in
                    a number of forums as regards participation, not
                    just here; and it would be helpful if the debate was
                    about whether to participate or not, not about who
                    said what when. </div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <div>As an aid to this, and perhaps to focus
                    discussion a little, here is a brief summary of some
                    of the arguments for and against that I have seen
                    advanced. Not a complete list, but perhaps this
                    might help some people to understand that other
                    people have perspectives that differ from their own.
                    i would urge people to add their own perspectives to
                    these so that an informed decision is made.</div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <div> </div>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">FOR INVOLVEMENT</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">With ITU a governments
                        only forum and no real will to change, and IGF
                        as a forum with no power to make recommendations
                        or take decisions and again no will to change,
                        there is no credible venue to initiate action on
                        non technical issues or issues not within the
                        remit of Istar organisations These would include
                        surveillance issues, human rights issues, net
                        neutrality issues, to name a few.</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">The solid commitment to
                        NetMundial principles promised, if carried out
                        in practice, would create a credible and open
                        initiative </font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">There is a need for<span
                          style=""> a representative </span>forum
                        capable of moving us forward on a range of
                        issues not covered by existing institutions</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">Participation is
                        strongly supported by some sections of civil
                        society</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"> </p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">AGAINST INVOLVEMENT</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">The last thing we need
                        is a corporate takeover of internet governance
                        and this could become that</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">ISOC has withdrawn </font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">Participation is
                        strongly opposed by some sections of civil
                        society</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"><font style="size:+0;"><font
                        style="FONT-SIZE:11pt;">This initiative has a
                        track record of poor communication</font></font></p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;"> </p>
                  <p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0cm 0cm
                    10pt;LINE-HEIGHT:13pt;">Ian Peter</p>
                  <div
style="FONT-SIZE:small;TEXT-DECORATION:none;FONT-FAMILY:"Calibri";FONT-WEIGHT:normal;COLOR:#000000;FONT-STYLE:normal;DISPLAY:inline;">
                    <div style="FONT:10pt tahoma;">
                      <div> </div>
                      <div style="BACKGROUND:#f5f5f5;">
                        <div style=""><b>From:</b> <a
                            moz-do-not-send="true"
                            title="jmalcolm@eff.org"
                            href="mailto:jmalcolm@eff.org">Jeremy
                            Malcolm</a> </div>
                        <div><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 18, 2014
                          2:53 PM</div>
                        <div><b>To:</b> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                            title="bestbits@lists.bestbits.net"
                            href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net">Best

                            Bits</a> </div>
                        <div><b>Subject:</b> [bestbits] Whether to
                          participate in NETmundial Initiative - RFC</div>
                      </div>
                    </div>
                    <div> </div>
                  </div>
                  <div
style="FONT-SIZE:small;TEXT-DECORATION:none;FONT-FAMILY:"Calibri";FONT-WEIGHT:normal;COLOR:#000000;FONT-STYLE:normal;DISPLAY:inline;">
                    <div>By now everyone will have read from previous
                      threads that ISOC and the Just Net Coalition (JNC)
                      have both decided not to participate in the
                      NETmundial Initiative, and you may have also have
                      read some false information that Best Bits and
                      other networks represented on the Civil Society
                      Coordination Group (CSCG) *have* decided to
                      participate.  As Ian Peter's clarifying message
                      setting out the truth of the matter should have
                      made clear, that is *not* the case.  All that has
                      happened is that the we have obtained as much
                      assurance as we can that *if* we decide to
                      participate, then the Secretariat (ICANN, WEF and
                      <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://CGI.br"
                        target="_blank">CGI.br</a>) will accept our
                      self-nomination process rather than choosing civil
                      society representatives independently.</div>
                    <div> </div>
                    <div>Now we turn to you, our communities, to provide
                      us with guidance about whether to proceed further
                      or not.  Some views have already been expressed
                      pro and con.  I have been (and remain) publicly
                      critical about the NETmundial Initiative, but on
                      the other hand the reasoning ISOC and JNC give for
                      boycotting it is rather specious, because they
                      characterise the initiative as being something
                      that it doesn't purport to be - ie. a single
                      central policy-making body for Internet
                      governance. This is an alarmist critique that
                      turns the NETmundial Initiative into an
                      exaggerated ITU-style bogeyman.</div>
                    <div> </div>
                    <div>So whilst there is certainly room for
                      disagreement about whether we should bestow the
                      benefit of our participation on the Initiative (I
                      remain deeply conflicted about this), let's decide
                      on the basis of factual pro and con arguments
                      rather than oversimplifications about the 1%
                      taking over the Internet.  Also note that a few
                      civil society representatives, including Human
                      Rights Watch, have endorsed it already and are
                      featured on the carousel message on the front page
                      of <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        href="http://netmundial.org" target="_blank">netmundial.org</a>.</div>
                    <div> </div>
                    <div>So what do people think?  If you haven't
                      already shared your views, please do so on this
                      thread, within the next few days if possible.</div>
                    <div> </div>
                    <div>
                      <div
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                        <div
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                          <div>-- </div>
                          <div>Jeremy Malcolm</div>
                          <div>Senior Global Policy Analyst</div>
                          <div>Electronic Frontier Foundation</div>
                          <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                            href="https://eff.org" target="_blank">https://eff.org</a><br>
                          <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                            class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
                            href="mailto:jmalcolm@eff.org">jmalcolm@eff.org</a>
                          <div> </div>
                          <div>Tel: 415.436.9333 ext 161</div>
                          <div> </div>
                          <div>:: Defending Your Rights in the Digital
                            World ::</div>
                        </div>
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