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    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On Monday 18 May 2015 09:10 AM, Ang
      Peng Hwa (Prof) wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote cite="mid:D17F7FEE.40874%25tphang@ntu.edu.sg"
      type="cite">
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          <div>Parminder,</div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>There is no agreement that public interest is a
            problematic concept.</div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
    I am sure everyone can read for themselves the emails that you wrote
    since yesterday and in the earlier discussion we had on these lists
    2nd and 3rd April on exactly this point. It is difficult for me to
    sustain a discussion if you first strongly push an argument that
    then say that is not the argument. <br>
    <blockquote cite="mid:D17F7FEE.40874%25tphang@ntu.edu.sg"
      type="cite">
      <div>
        <div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>It’s your interpretation of the term not being featured
            in at APrIGF that is curious.</div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
    My interpretation!! I objected to the manner the term was used in
    the AprIGF call forwarded by Anja. Anja never responded, neither did
    other people associated with APrIGF many of them being on this list.
    You responded by saying that 'public interest is not a clear term'
    but it is easy to understand and arrive at what is multistakeholder
    perspective. And now you are calling it my interpretation. I am
    really confounded.<br>
    <br>
    parminder <br>
    <blockquote cite="mid:D17F7FEE.40874%25tphang@ntu.edu.sg"
      type="cite">
      <div>
        <div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div>Regards, </div>
            <div>Peng Hwa</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div><br>
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          <span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>Parminder Singh
          <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:parminder@ITforChange.net">parminder@ITforChange.net</a>><br>
          <span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Monday, 18 May
          2015 11:07 am<br>
          <span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>"<a
            moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>"
          <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>>,
          Ang Peng Hwa <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:tphang@ntu.edu.sg">tphang@ntu.edu.sg</a>>,
          BestBitsList <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net">bestbits@lists.bestbits.net</a>>,
          <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:Forum@Justnetcoalition.Org">"Forum@Justnetcoalition. Org"</a> <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="mailto:forum@justnetcoalition.org">forum@justnetcoalition.org</a>><br>
          <span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>Re:
          [governance] Call for Participation: Global Congress on
          Intellectual Property and the Public Interest, 2015<br>
        </div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>
          <div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"><br>
            <br>
            <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On Sunday 17 May 2015 08:43 PM,
              Ang Peng Hwa (Prof) wrote:<br>
            </div>
            <blockquote cite="mid:D17ECFBB.401F8%25tphang@ntu.edu.sg"
              type="cite">
              <div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div><span style="font-family:Calibri; font-size:medium;
                    background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">>So, in fact,
                    indeed the dominant groups involved with the IGF
                    process do seem to think that 'public interest' is a
                    problematic concept, and the idea of
                    'multistakeholder perspective' or interest is a
                    positive political evolution over it!</span></div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>What a curious (mis)reading.</div>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <br>
            Rather more curious, Dear Peng Hwa, is that after you call
            my reading curious you repeat exactly what I have read.<br>
            <br>
            Direct quotes from your below email:   "public interest is a
            problematic concept" AND "Everyone knows what
            multistakeholder is".<br>
            <br>
            Whereby, I understand you justify why the APrIGF call uses
            'multistakeholder perspective' and did not agree to use
            'public interest'. I dont see what or where I mis-read..<br>
            <br>
            parminder <br>
            <blockquote cite="mid:D17ECFBB.401F8%25tphang@ntu.edu.sg"
              type="cite">
              <div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>First of all, I do not see how the APrIGF can be
                  representative of “dominant groups”. We are, at
                  best/worst an n of 1. Nah, I would not want to be one
                  of the MASTERS of the UNIVERSE.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>Second, it is precisely because public interest is
                  a problematic concept that the APrIGF is not using
                  that notion. We have no time to discuss it before we
                  roll out the meeting. Everyone knows what
                  multistakeholder is. That’s easy. But public
                  interest—we could discuss it as a panel if you wish.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>It would of course have to be next year.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>But if I say that it is next year, it is because of
                  the deadline. Not because, once again, that public
                  interest is not a problematic conception.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>
                  <div>Regards, </div>
                  <div>Peng Hwa</div>
                </div>
              </div>
              <div><br>
              </div>
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                  none; padding-top:3pt">
                  <span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>Parminder
                  Singh <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:parminder@ITforChange.net">parminder@ITforChange.net</a>><br>
                  <span style="font-weight:bold">Reply-To: </span>"<a
                    moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>"
                  <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>>,

                  Parminder Singh <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:parminder@ITforChange.net">parminder@ITforChange.net</a>><br>
                  <span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Sunday,
                  17 May 2015 9:46 pm<br>
                  <span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>"<a
                    moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>"
                  <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>>,
                  BestBitsList <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net">bestbits@lists.bestbits.net</a>>,
                  <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                    href="mailto:Forum@Justnetcoalition.Org">"Forum@Justnetcoalition.
                    Org"</a> <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                    href="mailto:forum@justnetcoalition.org">forum@justnetcoalition.org</a>><br>
                  <span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>Re:
                  [governance] Call for Participation: Global Congress
                  on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest, 2015<br>
                </div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>
                  <div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">Interesting theme of this
                    series of global congresses: 'Intellectual Property
                    and the Public Interest' !<br>
                    <br>
                    Wonder if you ever thought of calling it "IP and the
                    multistakeholder Interest' ?<br>
                    <br>
                    You all have have seen the discussion I recently had
                    with Peng Hwa, head of the AP regional IGF process
                    for many years, who strongly argued that public
                    interest perspective is a very unclear concept but
                    multistakeholder perspective or interest is much
                    easier to establish.<br>
                    <br>
                    The discussion started when I objected to the call
                    for workshops for the AP regional IGF which was
                    categorical that every workshop proposal must
                    incorporate a 'multistakeholder perspective'. I
                    suggested that it be replaced by 'public interest'.
                    This suggestion was not accepted.  So, in fact,
                    indeed the dominant groups involved with the IGF
                    process do seem to think that 'public interest' is a
                    problematic concept, and the idea of
                    'multistakeholder perspective' or interest is a
                    positive political evolution over it!<br>
                    <br>
                    Friends, these are serious post-democratic
                    developments to which, it is my duty of observe,
                    most of the civil society involved in IG area are
                    either a silent or active accomplices.
                    <br>
                    <br>
                    Meanwhile, of course, I wait for arguments that
                    Internet ( unlike intellectual property!?) is a
                    bottom up , private, etc etc, thing, and therefore
                    its governance has to be different....  Well, lets
                    admit it, such an arugment really does not hold
                    unless we are intent to be misled by it - the social
                    artefact of the Internet is no more bottom up,
                    private, etc that the social relationships of trade
                    and property, whose governance continue to be done
                    in democratic fashions... Time we claimed democratic
                    governance for the Internet as well, and rubbish the
                    post-democratic multistakeholderist ideas that are
                    so solidly taking root in this space, for which the
                    IG civil society will have to answer to history.
                    <br>
                    <br>
                    Would anyone agree that the proposed global congress
                    on IP and public interest to be held in a
                    'multistakeholder' way, with equal space for the big
                    IP holders, as one always insists for an IG
                    meeting... What really is the difference, other than
                    that the discourse in the IG space has been captured
                    by powerful forces before public interest actors
                    could assert themselves. Civil society in this area
                    must help in re-democraticing this area, and
                    reclaiming 'public interest'.<br>
                    <br>
                    Meanwhile, my best wishes to the the organisers of
                    this very importanr congress.<br>
                    <br>
                    In fact some of us have been talking about holding a
                    global congress on 'Internet governance and public
                    interest'. Happy to talk to those who may be
                    interested.<br>
                    <br>
                    parminder <br>
                    <br>
                    On Friday 15 May 2015 03:21 PM, Geetha Hariharan
                    wrote:<br>
                    <blockquote type="cite">PFA the call for
                      participation for the Global Congress on
                      Intellectual<br>
                      Property and Public Interest.<br>
                      <br>
                      Apologies for cross-posting. Please do circulate
                      to anyone you think<br>
                      might be interested.<br>
                      <br>
                      Best,<br>
                      Geetha.<br>
                      <br>
                      ---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>
                      From: Swaraj Barooah<br>
                      Date: Wed, May 13, 2015 at 1:05 PM<br>
                      Subject: Call for Participation: Global Congress
                      on Intellectual<br>
                      Property and the Public Interest, 2015<br>
                      <br>
                      Dear all,<br>
                      <br>
                      We are pleased to announce the call for
                      participation for the fourth<br>
                      edition of the Global Congress on Intellectual
                      Property and the Public<br>
                      Interest (“Global Congress”). The theme for this
                      year’s Congress will be<br>
                      “Three Decades of Openness; Two Decades of TRIPS.”
                      We are now inviting<br>
                      applications to participate in the Congress,
                      including session<br>
                      participation and presentations. We are also
                      welcoming proposals for<br>
                      panels and workshops.<br>
                      <br>
                      The application form is available now at<br>
                      [<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
                        href="http://form.jotformpro.com/form/50854976184973">http://form.jotformpro.com/form/50854976184973</a>?]
                      Please note that this<br>
                      form is for application purposes, and does not
                      amount to confirmation of<br>
                      participation. The registrations for the plenary
                      sessions, which are<br>
                      open to the public, will open closer to the date
                      of the Global Congress.<br>
                      <br>
                      Deadlines<br>
                      <br>
                      August 1st: Priority Deadline for Applications-
                      Applicants will be<br>
                      considered on a rolling basis, with applications
                      made by August 1st<br>
                      being given first consideration. Applications
                      after August 1st to<br>
                      receive travel assistance will be considered only
                      under exceptional<br>
                      circumstances (these details will be collected in
                      a subsequent form).<br>
                      <br>
                      November 1st: All applications for session
                      participation and paper<br>
                      submissions will close on November 1st.<br>
                      <br>
                      Application Information<br>
                      <br>
                      For applications to participate/host: Applications
                      to present or host<br>
                      workshops shall be considered based on the
                      proposals to be submitted in<br>
                      the form.<br>
                      <br>
                      For applications to attend sessions:Applications
                      to attend sessions as<br>
                      discussants will be considered based on the
                      statement of purpose and/or<br>
                      any other relevant information provided by the
                      applicant.<br>
                      <br>
                      Limited travel grants to cover accommodation
                      and/or travel to the<br>
                      Congress will be available, with priority to those
                      from developing<br>
                      countries.<br>
                      <br>
                      Background, Theme and Expected Outcomes<br>
                      <br>
                      The Global Congress on Intellectual Property and
                      the Public Interest is<br>
                      the most significant event on the calendar for
                      scholars and policy<br>
                      advocates working on intellectual property from a
                      public interest<br>
                      perspective. By sharing their research and
                      strategies, the network of<br>
                      experts and activists supported by the Global
                      Congress are empowered to<br>
                      put forward a positive agenda for policy reform.
                      The Global Congress<br>
                      began in Washington D.C. in 2011, moved to Rio de
                      Janeiro in 2012, and<br>
                      was held in Cape Town in 2013. The fourth Global
                      Congress will now be<br>
                      held in New Delhi, in December 2015. The event
                      would be the largest<br>
                      convening of public interest-oriented intellectual
                      property<br>
                      practitioners ever held in Asia, and would help
                      link in the world's most<br>
                      populous region to these global debates around how
                      intellectual property<br>
                      policy can best serve the public interest.<br>
                      <br>
                      The fourth edition of the Global Congress, which
                      brings research, civil<br>
                      society, industry and regulatory and policy-making
                      communities together<br>
                      for active, intense engagement on key
                      public-interest intellectual<br>
                      property issues. Opportunities for these groups to
                      interact are rare but<br>
                      valuable; and have been proven to lead to
                      successful policy outcomes.<br>
                      The 4thedition of the Congress, slated to be held
                      in December, 2015 in<br>
                      New Delhi seeks to be one such opportunity.<br>
                      <br>
                      The theme for the 2015 Congress is Three Decades
                      of Openness; Two<br>
                      Decades of TRIPS-coming at a pivotal time for
                      reflection, revision, and<br>
                      further strategizing. Specifically, the 2015
                      Congress seeks to produce<br>
                      three outcomes- first, the mobilization of
                      existing scholarly research<br>
                      directly into the hands of civil society
                      advocates, business leaders and<br>
                      policy makers, leading to evidence-based policies
                      and practices;<br>
                      second,the collaborative identification of urgent,
                      global and local<br>
                      research priorities and generation of a joint
                      research/advocacy agenda;<br>
                      and third, the solidification of an
                      inter-disciplinary, cross-sector and<br>
                      global networked community of experts focused on
                      public interest aspects<br>
                      of IP policy and practice.<br>
                      <br>
                      Participation Opportunities<br>
                      <br>
                      Discussions at the Global Congress will be carried
                      out in the form of<br>
                      plenary sessions, thematic tracks, cross-track
                      sessions, and the room of<br>
                      scholars. Participation is invited for the
                      thematic track sessions,<br>
                      cross-track sessions and the room of scholars.<br>
                      <br>
                      The thematic tracks at the Global Congress are: 1)
                      Openness, 2) Access<br>
                      to Medicines, 3) User Rights, 4) IP and
                      Development.<br>
                      <br>
                      Cross-track sessions will feature research that
                      cuts across tracks in<br>
                      order to facilitate engagement between tracks on
                      themes of mutual<br>
                      interest.<br>
                      <br>
                      The Room of Scholars will feature presentations of
                      research outputs such<br>
                      as draft works or white papers that may not fit
                      directly within the<br>
                      thematic tracks but fall within the overall theme
                      of the Global Congress<br>
                      .<br>
                      <br>
                      Participation could be in the form of presenting /
                      discussing conference<br>
                      papers or policy briefs, or by conducting
                      workshops where they may share<br>
                      their own work and solicit feedback from peers,
                      during the<br>
                      aforementioned sessions.<br>
                      <br>
                      The application form for participation is
                      available now<br>
                      at<a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        href="http://form.jotformpro.com/form/50854976184973">http://form.jotformpro.com/form/50854976184973</a>?.
                      Please forward this<br>
                      invitation to interested lists and individuals.
                      For more information or<br>
                      questions, you may contact <a
                        moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
                        href="mailto:globalcongress2015@gmail.com">
                        globalcongress2015@gmail.com</a><br>
                      <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="mailto:globalcongress2015@gmail.com"><mailto:globalcongress2015@gmail.com></a>.<br>
                      <br>
                      Organisation<br>
                      <br>
                      The Centre for Internet and Society <a
                        moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://cis-india.org/">
                        <http://cis-india.org/></a>serves as the<br>
                      convenor of the fourth Global Congress on
                      Intellectual Property and<br>
                      Public Interest, carried out in cooperation
                      withNational Law University,<br>
                      Delhi <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://www.nludelhi.ac.in/">
                        <http://www.nludelhi.ac.in/></a>.<br>
                      <br>
                      The implementing partners arethe <a
                        moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://www.openair.org.za/">
                        <http://www.openair.org.za/></a>American<br>
                      Assembly <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://americanassembly.org/">
                        <http://americanassembly.org/></a>at
                      Columbia University in New<br>
                      York,Open A.I.R <a moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://www.openair.org.za/">
                        <http://www.openair.org.za/></a>., and
                      theProgram on<br>
                      Information Justice and Intellectual Property <a
                        moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://www.pijip.org/">
                        <http://www.pijip.org/></a>at<br>
                      American University Washington College of Law in
                      Washington DC.<br>
                      <br>
                      <br>
                      On behalf of the organizing committee,<br>
                      <br>
                      Swaraj Barooah<br>
                      <br>
                      Swaraj Paul Barooah<br>
                      Project Manager, "Global Congress"<br>
                      (Global Congress on IP and the Public Interest,
                      2015)<br>
                      <br>
                      Editor-in-Chief, SpicyIP.com <a
                        moz-do-not-send="true"
                        class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                        href="http://SpicyIP.com">
                        <http://SpicyIP.com></a><br>
                      Founder, Know-GAP<br>
                      Twitter: @swarajpb<br>
                      <br>
                    </blockquote>
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