[bestbits] Breaking my silence on Netmundial related concerns raised by colleagues from India
Subi Chaturvedi
subi.igp at gmail.com
Thu Apr 17 17:56:27 EDT 2014
Dear CS colleagues and friends,
This has reference to the article published in HT on 8th April, 2014 which
has been shared and referred to on this mailing list, multiple times.
At the outset I want to thank all of you who have written to me showing
solidarity against this vicious personal attack, based on wrong,
misleading and manipulated information, indicative of a perverse mind, as
you'd realize after, going through this post.
I had chosen to maintain silence in the face of repeated and grave
provocation but the attacks continue unabated, thwarting and disrupting all
attempts at having any civilized conversation about the key issues that
concern global CS, even on the eve of Netmundial. The reason why we've
invested our energy, faith and considerable amount of time engaging with
the process, in the first place.
I am now also compelled to write this email, for it is unfair on those who
have shown solidarity with me by writing to me or defending me publicly on
this list and elsewhere, to be left in this position without a minimal
comment from me. I wish to assure global civil society that our views are
being shared, represented and recognised. I have made multiple
interventions on the calls as well as over emails and continue to work
across time zones to ensure that our views are reflected. Anriette, my
colleague from the MAG, has done a fairly balanced assessment of the
situation though, and I completely agree with her, we have real challenges
ahead of us. I think our time would be utilised better if we focus on the
issues at hand- in Netmundial, I see a significant oppurtunity for change.
In the internet, I see not just a source of knowledge but also an amplifier
of dissent and an enabler of human rights and permissionless innovation. I
have been a free speech activist and have fought for these issues long and
hard and therefore this is deeply painful. My interventions are available
publicly and a basic name search would reveal my interventions at the
global IGF as well on national media in India. Many of these national
meetings have been with my friends and respected colleagues from civil
society in India and remain on their websites or any outreach platforms of
communication. At the last India IGF MAG meeting where three of the
co-signatories, who are also on the MAG, made interventions with me. Their
interventions and mine captured are in the official minutes. In the same
meeting I was also appointed as the convenor of the Working group of the
India IGF with the knowledge and consent of Mr.Parmindar from ITfC and with
consensus from the floor.
My work in the Internet Governance Space and related areas of media and
communication, deepening democracy and public policy can be found on my
blog *http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/
<http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/>*
Now I ask all of you, who have been relentlessly subjected to the said
article and appeals by my respectable colleagues and collaborators from
Indian CS- was it appropriate to include me in this story related to
surveillance by a corporate? Is there any connection at all? Other than to
cause harm to me; in which they miserably failed. As identified in Ian’s
email, apart from being a vicious personal attack, the article is
manipulative on multiple levels and makes several inaccurate assertions.
Notwithstanding this unfortunate exception, I want to assure all of you
that journalism in India is free, fair for the most part, and a harbinger
of truth and justice. I would urge you not to judge Indian media based on
this article.
I submit the following for your consideration: the portions in italics are
direct quotes from the same article.
.
a. *“**Emails accessed by HT suggest that Bhatia championed Chaturvedi's
rise in Indian internet governance circles” .*
You would surely notice that while pdfs of all charges were hyperlinked, this
allegation conspicuously remains unsubstantiated and any proof to the
effect is missing from the story. I challenge anyone to put out any
evidence of anyone- either me or anyone, at all doing any advocacy for me
to be appointed as the co-chair of Netmundial or on the MAG. It is quite
unfortunate that my work and my merit should be called into question.
Undermining all multistakeholder processes. However malicious even the
article does not make this extrapolation that Mr. Parminder Jeet singh
repeatedly continues to make. Despite a clarification on the 4th of April,
2014 issued by the distinguished academician and General Chair of the
Meeting Minister Virgilio Almeida.
b. “*Chaturvedi has also publicly acknowledged a former AT&T official,
Marylin Cade as a "coach and mentor”:*
I quote the same tweet: “frm (from) Ms. Marilyn Cade *coach and Mentor
other proposals* and IGF should limit it’s own”.
[image: Inline images 1]
In plain violation of the most basic tenets of journalism concocting
evidence, he disingenuously parades my tweet about Ms. Cade’s comment at
the UN MAG to “coach and mentor other proposals and limit proposals from
the MAG itself” as my “public acknowledgement” of Ms. Cade being my “coach
and mentor”.
c. “*She was also paid upwards of **Rs.* *2.3 lakh for her role at a
FICCI-led conference on internet governance. Subsequently, she also
received part-funding from FICCI to attend an international conference.
This raises a clear conflict of interest since she was on board as a civil
society representative, but accepted payments from industry and corporate
bodies”.*
He knowingly suppressed the context of the Rs.2.3 lakh (3,814 USD),
payment by the industry association and presented it as “conflict of
interest”. The journalist knew fully well that the payment was a
reimbursement of costs incurred at the request of the conference
secretariat to produce professional videos, hire resources, material and
camera costs, still photography, new media activation and related hardware
and studio costs. He knew but purposefully left out my extensive
contribution to the conference as a speaker and session organizer on a pro
bono basis. He deliberately misrepresented in spite of knowing that the
travel assistance given by the industry association was contributed by ISOC
(Internet Society) and remaining by NIXI (National Internet Exchange of
India). He already knew but hid that both organisations routinely provide
travel assistance to scores of civil society representatives, including to
some who authored the said letter.
This CANNOT under any circumstances be construed as accepting money for
advocacy from a corporate and presented as "conflict of interest". This is
the most absurd allegation which even seasoned propagandists would shy away
from.
Further he deceitfully persisted with the false “conflict of interest”,
charge by suppressing scores of emails , tweets, posts, videos, film and
TV interviews given to him and easily available in the public domain, as my
firm stance against illegal surveillance, invasion of privacy, and
violation of freedom of speech and expression and human rights.
d. *Ph.D* :
*Can a **mere research studentship**,** which I am still pursuing**,* *be**
the basis on which I was appointed at any forum?* It was used only to put
an unsubstantiated charge of plagiarism for my character assassination. I
preferred to change my guide then to “say sorry”, to her for the offense I
had not committed and continue with her.
With a view to purposefully mislead the readers, the journalist grossly
manipulated the facts around my PhD by deliberately obfuscating that I have
steadfastly refuted “any academic wrong doing”.
*The IIT has never charged me with this offense, no show ca**use has ever**
been given to me and hence no action has been taken against me,* detailed
evidence was given to the journalist who chose to deliberately ignore it in
order to convey a premeditated message. IIT has the highest ethical code of
conduct and so do I. And my PhD. is well underway.
*The letter of notable members of civil society.*
The CS letter from India carried the support of 10 individuals +1 author,
some of whom claim to represent different organisations. I have worked with
most who are in this space including Parminder, Prabir, Anja Kovacs,
Chinmayi Arun, Rishab Bailey, Mishi Choudhary, Sunil Abraham; 7 Out of 10.
Two of remaining 3 have attended a national conference on IG with me where
Parminder was present through out. It is full of misrepresentation. Their
claims are absurd that:
*1- They don’t know me*
*2. They haven’t worked with me and I am not active in this space.*
*3. They don’t know how to reach me**.*
*4. And I do not teach IG*
*My Response**:*
Ø *Not only do they know me quite well*
Ø *We have hosted joint events, *
Ø *We have served on organizational bodies together related to IG, *
Ø *We have appeared as panelists together on IG, *
Ø *We have traveled and worked together on IG, *
Ø *We have submitted joint inputs to government of India on IG, *
Ø *Prepared background papers together for multistakeholder dialogues and
events on IG, *
Ø *Co-moderated dialogues and multistakeholder panels on IG. *
Ø *I receive emails from them, respond to them, they have appreciated and
thanked me for my inputs and efforts. *
Ø *They have called me on my mobile phone *
Ø *They have visited me in person and with their teams to seek my inputs
on their drafts. *
I am happy to compare and contrast my interventions and my work in the IG
space with all of them individually or collectively.
The ITRs submission of CS was jointly made by
Ø Society for Knowledge commons represented by Rishab Bailey (author of
the CS letter),
Ø Internet Democracy Project (Anja Kovacs- co-signatory),
Ø Free Software Movement of India (Kiran Chandra (General Secretary-
co-signatory),
Ø Delhi Science Forum (Prabir – co-signatory),
Ø Media For Change( represented by me)
Ø SFLC.in (Mishi – co-signatory).
Ø Ms. Chinmayi Arun was part of all the 4 day meetings and discussions and
is on all the emails but did not finally submit the ITRs formal response.
More evidence of Joint work (There’s a lot but I do not wish to burden this
list)-
One of the recent multistakeholder meeting on IG that I co-organized
including drafting the background paper with Ms. Anja Kovacs from the
Internet democracy project (yes we have worked together and collaborated on
many occasions and often take same positions publicly), was on the
29thJanuary, 2014.
Where I worked with
1. Anja Kovacs, IDP (co-signatory)
2. Sunil Abraham , CIS (cosignatory)- represented by Snehashish Ghosh
3. Mishi Chowdhary, SFLC.in (Cosignatory)- represented by Prashanth Sugathan
4. Ms. Chinmayi Arun Co-moderated the meeting with me and Ms. Anja Kovacs
*Interlinkages between all the authors of the India CS letter:*
Ms Anja Kovacs, IDP is a cosignatory & a CIS fellow and has also worked for
ITfC which is represented on this letter by Mr. Parminder Jeet Singh, Ms.
Chinmayi Arun from CCG (is a cosignatory & also a CIS fellow), Mr. Sunil
Abraham is the director of CIS, Rishab Bailey the author of the CS letter
has been associated with IDP, and with SFLC (another co-signatory) and is
now representing SKC which is currently represented on this letter by Mr.
Prabir Purkayastha (co-signatory) who is also associated formally as an
office bearer with the SFM represented on the letter by Mr. Kiran Chandra
(co-signatory). All these are respected colleagues and have worked with me
on the ITRs and many other IG related workshops and panels as mentioned
above.
CIS’s director Mr. Sunil Abraham has also served with me on multiple panels
and bodies together and my interventions can be found online and at the CIS
website
http://cis-india.org/@@search?SearchableText=subi+chaturvedi
They are all signatories to the letter.
*Again, my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have written to me, or
supported me. We have a very important task at hand, thank you again for
reposing your faith and for believing in me. And I wish that at all times
the dignity of the caucus be preserved and upheld. *
Finally, I do not hold any grudges against those, including the journalist
who may have been involved in this unfortunate and unwarranted personal
attack. I continue to have the highest respect for the work that my
colleagues do.
I am look forward to working with all of you and will be available in Sao
Paulo from the 21st and over email. Do feel free to reach out with any
questions or comments you may have. I would be happy to participate in any
meeting or related discussion and will continue to work to the best of my
ability and do my utmost, towards the evolution of the IG ecosphere so that
we have an internet, which remains free and open, which amplifies human
rights and allows for permissionless innovation and connects the
unconnected.
More details about my IG interventions can be found on my blog here
http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/
and *Contributions at the UN IGF : (Partial List) is available here for
ready reference*
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site:www.intgovforum.org&es_sm=91
I am equally thrilled that our collective inputs and suggestions are being
taken on board. And I am also hopeful that the outcome document will
reflect truly, what will emerge from the floor. Our friends in Brazil from
the civil society and from across stakeholder groups have also done
commendable work to bring us here. Delighted that it will be a
multistakeholder panel, which will open Netmundial 2014 in Brazil.
Many congratulations Nnenna, we are in great hands. Very proud to have you
representing us and your address at the IGF 2013, in Bali was both
profoundly evocative and stirring. I hope you will make time to emphasize
the role that the Internet is playing especially in peace building and
conflict transformation as well. Your tremendous and deeply inspiring work
in Côte d'Ivoire underscores the importance of national and regional
initiatives, along with intercessional work. We have a fantastic ambassador
in you. And it might be an uphill climb for all of us but let's put our
best foot forward.
Looking forward to seeing you all in Sao Paulo soon.
Safe travels, all.
Warmest,
Subi
----
Subi Chaturvedi
Assistant Prof. Journalism & Comm,
Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR),
Delhi University, India
Twitter:@subichaturvedi
http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/
Member MAG, UN-IGF (Media & Civil Society)
Member MAG, India-IGF (Civil Society)
Convenor WG-India IGF
Co-Chair, Netmundial (Civil Society)
Founder & Hon. Managing Trustee,
Media For Change
Founder, Chief Mentor & Editor
The Saltlist
www.thesaltlist.org
Independent DocumentaryFilmmaker, Photographer,
Curator, Media Critic & Scholar
PhD. Scholar,
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D), New Delhi
PS:
Global CS Community who may not aware of my contribution here’s snapshot
ABOUT me and my work specifically on internet /governances/ freedom of
speech and expression:
*IG specific Roles:*
1. Recipient of the NIXI (National Internet Exchange, India) fellowship
for IG 2014-2015
2. Co-Chair Netmundial 2014
3. Convenor Working group Indian IGF MAG
4. Member MAG UN IGF 2014
5. Member MAG India IGF 2013
6. Member MAG UN-IGF 2013
7. Co-Lead Breakout group- Multistakeholderism & Enhance cooperation
IGF 2013
8. Lead facilitator main focus session on principles of
Multistakeholderism IGF 2013
9. Member MAG IIGC 2013
10. Member MAG, IIGC 2012
*Made several noteworthy contributions to the IGF and other global and
national Internet governance processes and capacity building initiatives on
information and communication especially for under-represented stakeholder
groups in IG.*
I’d be happy to provide detailed reports of my interventions and my
contributions at each meeting attended or organised National or global.
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site:www.intgovforum.org&es_sm=91#q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site%3Awww.intgovforum.org&start=0
I have been teaching Journalism and Mass Communication including but not
limited to papers on New Media technology (including IG) and Media, Law and
Ethics, since the last 5 ½ years in the capcity of Assistant Professor at
India’s leading liberal arts college for Women, part of Delhi University.
I hold 3 gold medals in Anthropology, Psychology, and a gold medal in mass
communication from the AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, cleared the NET (which
is a mandatory requirement for teaching at central universities in
India), while
a final year student in my first attempt and then hold a CGPA of 9.25/10 at
the IIT-D as a part time registered PhD student doing my course work
without leave from LSR, while taking full classes and contributing to the
College immensely.
My most recent article was published in the Hindu which is one of India’s
most respected news daily as the lead opinion commentary on the 18th of
February- “for an unfettered internet”, and can be accessed here
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/for-an-unfettered-internet/article5699615.ece
It calls for a review of the Indian government’s position on IG.
An article for EPW (a prestigious journal) against Corporatisation of Media
in India and the loss of pluraity which I have co-authored and the
documentary film- Freedom Song on issues of Freedom of Speech and
expression in India for PSBT, co directed with Mr. Paranjoy Guha
Thakurta(an eminent journalist from India)
.
http://www.epw.in/commentary/corporatisation-media.html
The position that I often take is against corporatization and control of
the media including the Internet by a few, be they governments, private
sector including large small/corporate of any national origin, civil
society group All my interventions, which are quite a few and substantive
in their depth and coverage of issues are online on the IGF website.
*This is just a partial list of some of the work that I have done in this
academic year 2013-2014:*
My article *“For an unfettered internet’, *was published as the lead
opinion commentary in The Hindu, India's most respected news daily on why
India needs to re-examine it's position on global Internet governance.
*http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/for-an-unfettered-internet/article5700871.ece
<http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/for-an-unfettered-internet/article5700871.ece>*
My co-directed critically acclaimed documentary FREEDOM SONG, a film on
freedom of Speech and expression in contemporary India for PSBT was
screened at the IIHS Bangalore City Campus this year and premiered at the
prestigious Open Frame. Two of my curated projects, The Many Moods and
Moments of Aung San Suu Kyi and ‘The Nobel Women for Peace Project’, were
exhibited as part of HH. The Dalai Lama’s visit at LSR.
In recognition of *my **contribution to Internet and society**,* I been
awarded:
1) The prestigious NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India, GOI),
Fellowship for Internet Governance 2013-2014.
2) I have been appointed as the first Indian woman from two
stakeholdergroups ( civil society and media) on the United Nations –IGF
MAG, for the second consecutive term.
3) I have also been invited to Co-Chair the Global Multistakeholder
Meeting in Brazil on the Future of the Internet.
4) I have also been appointed as the convener of the working group of the
India Internet Governance Forum (IGF) by the Chair from DeitY, Ministry of
Communication & IT. And also been appointed on the MAG (Multistakeholder
Advisory Group) of the India IGF (Internet Governance Forum) to be hosted
by MOC&IT, India.
5) At the last Global IGF 2013, held at Bali, Indonesia. I contributed on
several panels on Access and diversity, Relating national and regional
IGFs, Broadband access and local content, emerging issues- Surveillance and
a enhance cooperation (I also the remote moderator for it). And I also
moderated and mentored DoT (MoC&IT), Government of India’s Open forum
“Connecting the next Billion”. Additionally I also organized and spoke at
the Main Focus session on Multistakeholderism as a panelist.
6) I also co-organised a multistakeholder panel discussion on “Will
Internet and Social Media be a game changer for the next general election
2014 with senior leaders and ministers from the government and eminent
journalists and editors at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi.
7) I was also a panelist with sr. editors on the role of media in
promoting art at the global stage organized by exchange4media at IIC.
8) I was also a panelist at the National Convention on "Crisis of
Capitalism and brazen onslaught on DEMOCRACY" , organized by the INSAF
foundation at the constitution club for the session on SURVEILLANCE, STATE
AND PERILS OF DEMOCRACY. With Mr. Prabir who is a cosignatory of the
letter.
9) I was a panelist on IGF and the way forward organized by ORF, New
Delhi. Ms. Anja Kovacs was my co-panelist a basic online search would
reveal and expose the claims made in the letter. The ORF report is online
with our interventions and images together.
10) I was also the key note speaker on Internet –a
democratic space, at NALSAR along with eminent and sr. judges and lawyers
of the supreme court on Social Media and Hate speech. Both Ms. Chinmayi
Arun and Ms. Anja Kovacs were part of the same event. Ms. Kovacs
was,moreover on the same session as I was.
11) I also organized and moderated a multitsakeholder
panel discussion at the ITU-WSIS 2013, Geneva on, “ Ensuring Internet
Access and Better Governance by Deepening Multistakeholderism- A Developing
Nation Perspective with sr. ministers and heads of regional and national
Internet & ICT initiatives.
12) Held a capacity building Workshop for the youth
-"Towards a new Ethics of Cyberspace- Being a responsible online Digital
Citizen with sr. industry leaders as key resource persons.
13) I also appeared as a distinguished panelist on national
media on internet, new media regulation and social media, women safety and
empowerment related issues, through the year.
14) I also organised and moderated the MEDIA CONGRESS-
Panel on 'Government Surveillance vs Individual Privacy : Are they mutually
exclusive?' with distinguished speakers: Dr. Usha Rmanathan eminent civil
society activist, Dr. Govind, CEO NIXI, Mr. Pavan Duggal, Prof. Vibodh
Parthasarathi and Ms. Shalini Singh.
15) I was also a panelist at the IMDEC 2013, Panel on “The
Internet We Want: A Multistakeholder View” along with global leaders from
civil society, industry, government and the technical community at FICCI. Mr.
Sunil Abraham (CIS) was also an invited panelist.
16) I co-organised a multistakeholder dialogue on *The
Future of the Internet, who should govern it & what is at stake for
us*with sr. members of the government, industry, academia, technical
community, media at IIC. The youth were also invited as end users to share
their inputs and experiences. The background paper was jointly prepared by
me and Ms. Anja Kovacs.
17) I also organized a youth meet with over 700 youth
leaders from India on the Internet We Want- Conversation Series.
18) Another youth meet was organized by me at the
Aligarh Muslim
University, a minority institution with over 300 youth delegates from the
minorities and the margins and sr. editors from the media on the role of
media and youth in election 2014 particularly the impact that social media
and the internet can have in amplyfying participation of the youth.
19) I was also invited to conduct a leadership training
workshop for the sr. management of TATA Sons and their group companies on
social media.
20) I also conducted a third youth meet over 700 young
leaders on the “Digital Agenda for the Youth and IG principals”. This was
part of the global #FightBack campaign against surveillance and held on the
world internet day.
21) I was also a invited to present my paper on
Cybersecurity a multistakeholder perspective by ORF New Delhi part of the
young voices policy forum. It was extremely well received.
22) I also led the new media outreach and supported the on
ground activation for the national Internet Safety campaign for the youth
in India in association with Data Security Council of India (A NASSCOM
initiative).
23) I am a member of the International Association for
Women in Radio and television (IAWRT) and the Internet Society (ISOC).
warmest
Subi
----
Subi Chaturvedi
Assistant Prof. Journalism & Comm,
Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR),
Delhi University, India
Twitter:@subichaturvedi
http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/
Member MAG, UN-IGF (Media & Civil Society)
Member MAG, India-IGF (Civil Society)
Convenor WG-India IGF
Co-Chair, Netmundial (Civil Society)
Founder & Hon. Managing Trustee,
Media For Change
Founder, Chief Mentor & Editor
The Saltlist
www.thesaltlist.org
Independent DocumentaryFilmmaker, Photographer,
Curator, Media Critic & Scholar
PhD. Scholar,
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D), New Delhi
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