[bestbits] IGF plus

[Andrew Puddephatt]

Completely agree with Anriette - I think it would be excellent to focus on concrete practical initiatives we can take

Andrew Puddephatt | GLOBAL PARTNERS DIGITAL
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-----Original Message-----
From: bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net [mailto:bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net] On Behalf Of Anriette Esterhuysen
Sent: 04 September 2013 11:38
To: Valeria Betancourt
Cc: bestbits at lists.bestbits.net Bits
Subject: Re: [bestbits] IGF plus

Dear all

Apologies for chipping in at this point and not following the discussion consistently. One idea I would like to discuss is looking at how to build specific mechanisms to address specific problems rather than always focusing on general problems/processes. I think this is also what Avri and Anja are proposing.

E.g. to take the surveillance issue... we have written some letters; we are raising it in the HRC and related bodies; there is a civil society 'good practice' guideline (which I realise not everyone agrees on fully, but it is still a good start).

Can we not take this particular issue and look at what concrete mechanisms and measures we can propose to address it in quite specific ways?

Anriette



On 03/09/2013 22:14, Valeria Betancourt wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I concur with Anja and Avri.
>
> Valeria
>
>
> On 03/09/2013, at 15:07, Avri Doria wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I think this is a good framing.  The only thing I would recommend 
>> adding to the specific aims, is preparation for the IGF itself - 
>> specific action/statement for the sessions and workshops to be held 
>> in the following days.
>>
>> avri
>>
>>
>> On 3 Sep 2013, at 15:48, Anja Kovacs wrote:
>>
>>> I wanted to chip in and share my thinking on two issues.
>>>
>>> 1. I believe it is very important that the ITU and WSIS+10 are kept 
>>> in the agenda as explicit, focused agenda items, and that we spend 
>>> some time discussing and planning for the processes around them. To 
>>> my mind, these are among the most important places where states at 
>>> present are already trying to play out their views on enhanced 
>>> cooperation in practice, with rather important consequences for 
>>> civil society (I wrote about this earlier 
>>> here:http://beta.internetdemocracy.in/2013/07/pawns-in-a-governments-game/).
>>> In general, they are also two processes that are likely to have a 
>>> real outcome for Internet governance. It is important that civil 
>>> society is aware and informed, and that at least some of us are also 
>>> closely involved (the ITU also happens to be the process around 
>>> which Best Bits came into its own, and I think it would be foolish 
>>> of us to now retreat from whatever little inroads or impact we have 
>>> made).
>>>
>>> 2. The reason I proposed to Jeremy that we make the first day one 
>>> long session (with perhaps a discussion of EC, ITU and WSIS in the 
>>> morning and of multistakeholderism in the afternoon) is because I 
>>> believe that the question of how we see multistakeholderism is 
>>> sharpened by our engagements in these concrete policy fora and how 
>>> we plan to move forward in them, while at the same time our 
>>> engagement with these fora is of course also to some extent 
>>> determined by the visions and views we have when we enter them. In 
>>> that sense I think that by contextualising the discussion on MS 
>>> within those debates, the chances that we move forward are far 
>>> greater, if not in terms of coming to a joint position, then at 
>>> least in terms of understanding we all take the positions that we take.
>>>
>>> One of the specific aims of Best Bits is that it should aid civil 
>>> society not only in having important discussions, but also in 
>>> getting concrete work done. By framing the agenda for our two days 
>>> in Bali in the above manner, we can maximise our outcomes on both 
>>> counts.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>> Anja
>>
>
>

--
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anriette esterhuysen anriette at apc.org
executive director, association for progressive communications www.apc.org po box 29755, melville 2109 south africa tel/fax +27 11 726 1692