[bestbits] Call to Best Bits participants for nominations to Brazil meeting committees

[Mawaki Chango]

Hi,

My understanding of the way that criterion would operate is that not all
members of a committee or slate of candidates will have to fulfill it. It
is rather for an addition, or making sure at least one of the selected
group is of that type. So the whole group will have to work together and
come up with a balanced outcome.

Now I hear your point regarding the kind of person you think wouldn't make
a good representative. But whoever is making the selection of those
candidates/representatives will make their decision on individual by
individual basis. Nothing says they have to retain a candidate put forward
for the unique reason that they are affiliated to an under-represented
constituency or view. If there are other issues or flaws with their
candidacy and the selecting committee feel they can publicly present those
as justifiable reasons to rule them out, then they may perfectly do so and
assume the responsibility for it (I might even understand why they would
rule someone out if they present sound reasons for that.)

I would hope, though, that you're not assuming that from all possible
under-represented views/groups, there may only be people who do NOT have
the "big tent" mindset and cannot work with people with different views
from theirs. I think among the rest of the criteria presented earlier,
there is at least one that makes also clear that the candidates need to be
able to reach out to the broader CS or even to other groups, etc. That may
also be taken into account while choosing one from an under-represented
group.

Last, I'm afraid the argument in your first para. below, as worded, could
be interpreted as the equivalent of another argument (in another context)
that consists of telling the poor, or acting as if to tell the poor: "Don't
worry getting yourself out of poverty by trying to speak for yourself (for
instance, by trying to expose the structural imbalances that maintain the
conditions causing poverty,) just be content with us taking care of your
needs as we understand them (by maintaining and feeding in the public aid
apparatus so that you can get something to eat everyday while we enjoy
self-gratification for doing good)." I'm just drawing your attention to the
fact that it sounds close enough to be understood that way by a number of
people; the adds in parentheses are there only to bring out fully what is
possibly being understood by the other party (be it the poor himself or
just someone holding the counter-argument.)

Therefore I would suggest the proposed criterion to be added, keeping in
mind it can be operated on as I have outlined above.
Thanks,

Mawaki

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
*Mawaki Chango, PhD*
*Founder & Principal, DIGILEXIS Consulting*
http://www.digilexis.com
m.chango at digilexis.com
twitter.com/digilexis
twitter.com/dig_mawaki
Skype: digilexis


On Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 3:59 PM, Avri Doria <avri at acm.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I guess I believe that everyone appointed to a task, to a committee,
> should do their best to make sure all views from CS are represented to the
> best of their ability and understanding.  And of course they will be able
> to argue from their personal perspective as well and be able to better
> represent that perspective when that is the appropriate thing. My view of
> the successful CS representative is someone who can express both their own
> views and the views of others, and while giving transparent verbal emphasis
> to their own view I also expect then to be able to make sure that CS views
> that aren't represented already are acknowledged, understood and taken into
> account.
>
> But no, I do not beleive any representative can be singular in their
> representation and only repesent the view they came in with.  I beleive
> that on becoming the chosen one of a group, the group becomes the entity
> they are accountable to and its diversity views its responsibility.
>
> But yes, the big-tent has to allow for all views to be discussed.
>
> avri
>
>
> On 23-Dec-13 10:38, Guru गुरु wrote:
>
>> Hi Avri,
>>
>> On 12/23/2013 07:45 PM, Avri Doria wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I think that this of course makes sense as a criteria, but i caution
>>> us against allowing a single view, a theoretically specific view, to
>>> stand-in for the diversity that is the  Civil Society viewpoint.  Many
>>> time I think the reference to 'under-represented' view is synonymous
>>> with 'the view I and a few friends have that no one else agrees with'.
>>>
>>> I.e. when picking representatives, we need to pick people who are also
>>> not so extreme in the singularity of their view that they cancel out
>>> the views of others who also minority viewpoints.  Even people with
>>> minority views need to take a big-tent view if they are to represent
>>> the diversity of CS view adequately
>>>
>>
>> If we agree that there are under represented groups, then CS needs to
>> help them participate. Can we agree on this as an important principle
>> for CS? It seems obvious then, that as we include more views, we will
>> have more and more diverse set of views.
>>
>> Can we then burden these groups with the need to 'represent diversity of
>> CS views adequately'?  Is it not fair for them to represent their views
>> (since these are  under represented). Would this burden not end up in
>> shutting these voices out? One may feel that all groups need to be open
>> to others views, but not insist that each group should adequately
>> represent diversity of views.
>>
>> More importantly, if we agree that many views are indeed under
>> represented, the so called current 'big tent views' may themselves be
>> very narrow in their representativeness. Simply by excluding a large set
>> of voices, we see harmony which is perhaps a mirage. Better we get out
>> of this mirage and face reality.
>>
>>  and need to be the sort of people who can be expected to work with
>>> their fellow CS representatives, and not at cross-purposes.
>>>
>>
>> Avri,
>> this is a very dangerous argument for pushing the continued dominance of
>> a narrow set of perspectives on IG. What one disagrees with can be
>> characterised as being at 'cross purposes'. Give a dog a bad name and
>> hang it! whereas the very strength and even legitimacy of CS lies in
>> enabling diverse and even conflicting views to emerge and to be listened
>> to.  Every time I read about such arguments I fear that CS may be only
>> ending up supporting 'dominant reasonable views' ('dominant reasonable
>> views' = hegemony)
>>
>> I would like you to consider another real life analogy.
>> In India for decades post independence, only around 30% of children
>> (from relatively affluent families) went to public schools. In last two
>> decades, thanks to very very strong public/Government/Community efforts,
>> enrolment has increased to 98%. However now children from marginalised
>> groups (previously excluded) attend and teachers feel that while the
>> earlier classroom situation was very conducive and harmonious, now with
>> the inclusion of these groups of children, the classroom environment has
>> become vitiated and ugly.
>>
>> The fault is not of these children from marginalised groups or their
>> 'minority views', rather the teachers biased views on 'harmony' is the
>> problem. Inclusion is far more valuable a principle than so called
>> 'harmony' which may only mask mutual back scratching amongst a small
>> homogeneous group.
>>
>> regards,
>> Guru
>>
>>
>>> avri
>>>
>>> On 23-Dec-13 07:22, Ginger Paque wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks all, I agree, and will support the addition of this criterion. gp
>>>>
>>>> Ginger (Virginia) Paque
>>>> IG Programmes, DiploFoundation
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
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