[bestbits] Best Bits meeting plans for the 2013 IGF

[michael gurstein]

Jeremy and all. 

 

As some of you know I found the WSIS +10 Information Society (IS) "track"
extremely disappointing (I won't go into detail which I covered in a
blogpost. 

 

Clearly the attention and the energy at that meeting was on the IG elements
(probably having to do with the split in responsibilities between UNESCO
(IS) and ITU (IG).

 

But that aside and pointing to my initial and then Anita's definitive
interventions at the WSIS +10 plenaries there are multiple issues arising
around IS and including some very significant interweaving with IG issues
that nobody seems to be very interested in addressing--but they are one's
which I think we have a responsibility to address and an opportunity to take
hold of and particularly towards and in the context of WSIS +10 in 2015 (and
the increasingly inter-linked MDG's 15> and the establishment of a new round
of Sustainable Development goals (not to speak of the Climate Change
issues)).

 

It does not serve our "interests" I think, to artificially maintain
distinctions among these processes since, as we all know, ICTs are now
necessary and constituent elements of all of these processes/issue areas
(the UNDP as an example is at this moment attempting to rework the MDG's in
an ICT context not only for the post MDG 15 period but to try to accerate
the achievement of the MDG's prior to 2015). 

 

And particularly I don't think that we should allow WSIS +10 to disappear
off the policy radar (as many Developed Countries appear quite anxious to
ensure)--given the historical and continuing role that the WSIS process
played in the development of CS in this area and the way in which it allows
our IG focussed IGC/BB and related activities to link into much broader and
more diverse constituencies.

 

The WSIS issues have evolved but continue--access and use, gender, ICT and
Development, rights and use by those with disabilities, indigenous peoples
and so on; and as well of course, there are the issues that overlap with IG
matters and which are of continuing concern viz. privacy, Human Rights
and/on the Internet, free expression and so on--and now these need to be
re-refracted through technology updates--broadband and mobiles; and perhaps
most important we must begin to address some issues that were lurking but
uncommented on in the original WSIS context--particularly around issues of
digitally induced inequality in opportunity, income and power.

 

I think that we would be very remiss not to spend some time reviewing these
"IS" issues and strategizing on how to move these forward alongside and
particularly as part of the increasingly visible and significant IG
processes -- including within the IGF but also toward WSIS +10 and beyond.

 

Best to all,

 

Mike 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: bestbits-request at lists.igcaucus.org
[mailto:bestbits-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Jeremy Malcolm
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:08 AM
To: <bestbits at lists.igcaucus.org>
Subject: [bestbits] Best Bits meeting plans for the 2013 IGF

 

Hello all,

This is to follow on from Andrew's summary of the informal Best Bits meeting
in Paris.  If you can't find it, it is available in the web archives of this
list at http://lists.igcaucus.org/arc/bestbits.  (Thanks also to Deborah for
forwarding the notice about the short deadline for IGF workshop proposals.)

On the basis of suggestions and offers made so far, here is what we are
proposing for Best Bits in 2013.  It follows from the discussions in Paris,
but is just a rough outline and it is still open for your comments:

*	A two-day pre-IGF Best Bits meeting on the weekend of 19-20 October
in Bali, with an overall theme around a positive agenda for Internet
governance, which (like last time) will split into two very practical agenda
items, one of them substantive ("what we want"), and the other procedural
("how we can get it"):

*	Identifying common civil society strategies for advancing a human
rights Internet.  This can incorporate related initiatives such as the IGF
MAG's newly-established Internet principles working group, and the "Web We
Want" initiative that a number of those from this list are involved with.
*	A positive agenda for the evolution of Internet governance
arrangements.  This will tie in with the work of the CSTD Working Group on
Enhanced Cooperation.  The output of this would be a common civil society
position on an enhanced cooperation mechanism or process (perhaps IGF-based)
that we could support.

*	Two public IGF workshops that would present each of the two agenda
items above to a wider audience, and would include participation by
representatives of the other stakeholder groups.  Global Partners is working
on text for the workshop proposals, and will post them for comment when
ready.

Meanwhile I am fundraising now to get some more travel funds for those who
will need it, and indeed to broaden the funding base compared to last time.
The funds will also be used for a permanent website, including a rather
sophisticated event calendar, which will begin as a rather less
sophisticated event calendar, and grow features progressively.

If you have any comments on the above outline please share them.  Thanks!

-- 

Dr Jeremy Malcolm
Senior Policy Officer
Consumers International | the global campaigning voice for consumers
Office for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East
Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur,
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