AW: Hoping to get your sign on- Civil Society Unity Statement on WCIT

["Kleinwächter, Wolfgang"]

Please add European Summer School on Internet Governance (SSIG) / Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter to the list.
 
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Von: Deborah Brown [mailto:deborah at accessnow.org]
Gesendet: Di 06.11.2012 07:21
An: bestbits at lists.igcaucus.org
Cc: Steve Anderson
Betreff: Hoping to get your sign on- Civil Society Unity Statement on WCIT


Hi all,  


We're really thrilled to have been part of the Best Bits statement and that it has been submitted with such broad sign on. 


As many of you know, there's been a really concise, less technical statement, that a number of groups have been involved in drafting and reviewing, a process that started a many weeks ago. 


More so than critiquing specific proposals, the goal of this statement is to mobilize grassroots groups and actors, and to get out a very simple message about the potential implications of the ITR revisions for human rights. The rationale for this statement is to create a concise rallying cry that diverse international civil society groups and individuals can sign - once they sign, the groups will be asked to activate their networks to be involved in other activism efforts and individuals will be contacted about future activism efforts as well..


Unlike the Best Bits submission, it is intentionally brief - this was created for organizations and people who aren't deeply engaged on this issue. That said, we think it's very important to get broad sign on from groups on this list because of your expertise and influence.


We're also planning to submit the statement to the ITU comments page. The following groups have signed on to the statement of unity: Access, Center for Democracy and Technology, Consumers International, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Fight For The Future, Free Press,Human Rights Watch, ICT Watch Indonesia, Mamfakinch, May First/People Link,, OpenMedia (Canada), OpenMedia (International), Open Technology Institute, Reporters Without Borders, Samuelson Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), and Thai Netizen Network.


The text of the of the unity statement is below. Please email Steve Anderson at OpenMedia (steve at openmedia.ca) or reply to this email if your organization would like to sign on. We are also accepting sign on from individuals. You can also view the statement at http://protectinternetfreedom.net/ (just note that there will be some small tweaks to the website).

	On December 3rd, the world's governments will meet to update a key treaty of a UN agency called the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Some governments are proposing to extend ITU authority to Internet governance in ways that could threaten Internet openness and innovation, increase access costs, and erode human rights online.
	
	
	We call on civil society organizations and citizens of all nations to sign the following Statement to Protect Global Internet Freedom:
	
	
	Internet governance decisions should be made in a transparent manner with genuine multistakeholder participation from civil society, governments, and the private sector. We call on the ITU and its member states to embrace transparency and reject any proposals that might expand ITU authority to areas of Internet governance that threaten the exercise of human rights online.

Deborah Brown
Policy Analyst
Access | AccessNow.org
E. deborah at accessnow.org
S. deborah.l.brown
T. deblebrown
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