Can Brazil achieve anything? WAS Re: [bestbits] emails to Adiel

Fri Jan 10 08:14:14 EST 2014

I think Adam has framed his thinking process about all this rather well,
and I find myself nodding my head in agreement at every point.

‹-Mike

-- 
Mike Godwin | Senior Legal Advisor, Global Internet Policy Project

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On 1/10/14, 3:48 AM, "Adam Peake" <ajp at glocom.ac.jp> wrote:

>Hi Ian,
>
>You're right, always looked very ambitious -- and I think made more
>difficult by the failure of the two main protagonists to explain their
>specific high level hopes for outcome of the meeting.  But very ambitious
>to call for a Summit (I know it's been toned down, but expectations set)
>in a 6-7 month time frame.  And then to decide it would be a two day
>meeting (two days: that's 1.5'ish once the opening/closing stuff's out
>the way) gives little time to achieve much.
>
>However, I think there's a lot that can (will) be done.
>
>First. I read the 1Net list with great frustration, and announcements
>from the local organizing committee with confusion... But when i first
>heard about it I found the idea of the Brazil Summit exciting, an
>opportunity to begin to make progress after many years of stagnation, so
>I'd rather trust rather than mis-trust.
>
>If we take people at their word, allow for the compressed timeframe all
>are working under, the general confusion:
>
>1.  Accept the local organizing committee (LOC) is an honest broker.  We
>respect CGI.br, the civil society people involved are first class.  We
>understand that they are under great time and no doubt political
>pressure, we can expect they are short of resources (I don't mean cash:
>people/time/experience, etc)
>
>2.  LOC, pressed for time, resources etc, have asked 1Net to be the point
>of contact for global non-govt stakeholders.  This is not ideal, but who
>are we not to respect LOC's request if we agree about 1. above?
>
>3.  1Net steering committee has formed, 5 CS members are seated, let's
>trust our colleagues to help sort out the organizational mess of 1Net.
>Make sure communication channels are clear, consistent.
>
>4.  LOC has asked stakeholders to populate committees to organize the
>meeting.  Some confusion over the number of members needed, but rather
>than worry about that, select the number we were directly asked to select
>and send in the names. Someone might be disappointed, but so long as CS
>fairly represented let's accept and move on.  Generally stop staring at
>other stakeholders and do our own stuff.  Whoever's selected is going to
>need support, too much to do in too little time.
>
>
>Substance. Matthew and Andrew are leading work streams, seen very
>substantive work from Carolina and her colleagues, Wolfgang and IGF
>dynamic coalition have a body of work. Opportunity for CS to provide
>information to support a significant part of the agenda.  I think the
>Brazil meeting should be the start of a process, not a stand alone event
>expected to produce a neat statement and be done (whatever other
>concerns, there isn't time for such a statement and complete outcome).  I
>would like to see the meeting provide strong global impetus for work to
>continue under the auspices of IGF.  Working groups many of us have asked
>for.  Opportunities around multistakeholder principles (human rights),
>IANA/ICANN frameworks.
>
>If we don't start trusting others we might as well stop now.  If we later
>find our trust was misplaced (only 2/3 months away), that might be an
>indication of a fatal weakness in multi-stakeholder processes.
>
>(writing this while in a seminar.... have deadlines, sorry this rushed
>not so coherent)
>
>Adam
>
>
>On Jan 10, 2014, at 1:19 PM, Ian Peter wrote:
>
>> It seems I am not the only one wondering whether anything can be
>>achieved with the Brazil meeting now.
>>  
>> From the outset I thought that the aspirations were extremely
>>amibitious given the timeframe and the methodology. I still think that
>>the chance of anything meaningful eventuating is fairly slim.
>>  
>> However, I would be very happy to be proved wrong. Something needs to
>>provide a breakthough in the current IG hiatus.
>>  
>> Mistakes and bad communication seem to be happening on many levels.
>>Very little forward progress seems to be evident and little time remains
>>for concrete developments.
>>  
>> But as they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
>>step. Perhaps Brazil will give us that small single step.
>>  
>> So for me, I am persevering with quite small expectations, and I think
>>that is probably our best path at this stage. There are plenty of things
>>which are far from ideal but for me at least none of them suggest that
>>it is time to withdraw or stop trying to make something of this.
>>  
>>  
>>  
>>  
>> From: Carolina Rossini
>> Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 2:22 AM
>> To: parminder
>> Cc: mailto:bestbits at lists.bestbits.net
>> Subject: Re: [bestbits] emails to Adiel
>>  
>> No problem for your words Parminder. I know there is a lot of
>>frustration going on. But I have to secure you that ALL we know and ALL
>>we have learned, we DID communicated to the list. Everything else, we
>>simply did not know. And as soon as we learned (like, CGI wanting to
>>channel communications through 1Net), we communicated immediately. So, I
>>learned that yesterday and I communicated that yesterday. I learned that
>>Adiel was going to Brazil yesterday or the day before and than I
>>communicated (and then he negated, and then I asked again, and then
>>folks said..."oh, Fadi is coming". And then I sent your email with the
>>letter of the Liasons to Fadi).
>> :-)
>> So, I promise to you parminder, that we know as much as you. And I also
>>can tell you that CGI has been less transparency that we all would
>>expect. We are actually pressuring the CS board members of CGI to get
>>more involved (not all of them are), so we know better what is going on.
>>Some folks in the government simply do not answer our emails anymore.
>>When the 1net list was formed, Joana and I were alternating on reporting
>>back to the lists week by week. But as soon as 1Net was open to all, we
>>stopped that, since it seems all of you are also in that list.
>> So, I agree with you in the need of transparency and reporting. And I
>>assure you, if we are not sending news, it is because we do not have
>>any. But rest assure that we are trying...everyday.
>> hugs
>> C
>> 
>> 
>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 12:46 AM, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net>
>>wrote:
>>  
>> On Tuesday 07 January 2014 10:26 PM, Carolina Rossini wrote:
>>> Dear folks,
>>> 
>>> Adiel will be the person in the meeting in Brazil on January 10th.
>>>Folks in Brazil want this "1Net" fictional entity to filter ALL
>>>conversations with CGI.
>> 
>> Carolina
>> 
>> Your description of 1Net and its role as seen by LOG is interesting.
>>The point is; does civil society agree to this arrangement - of 1Net
>>filtering all conversations with CGI... or have we simply become a
>>pushover (willing?) for the powerful to make deals among themselves.
>>That would be such a shame, and I have begun to get this feeling that we
>>are fast getting there if not already there.
>> 
>> Do we want to write to LOG/ CGI that this arrangement is not acceptable
>>to us? I request that list members give their response to this.
>> 
>> That reminds me: at Bali, this issue was much discussed and four
>>prominent civil society groups (IGC, BB, APC and IRP) together agreed
>>that, no this arrangement is not acceptable to us (Please let me know if
>>this is *not* what people thing got agreed) and decided to send a letter
>>to Brazilians to the effect, and also putting forward 4 CS Liaisons, who
>>were requested to be invited to all meetings related to organising the
>>Brazil meeting. (Quite inexplicably though the drafting and sending of
>>the letter got highly delayed even after this decision.)
>> 
>> Caroline, you, and Joana and Laura were 3 liaisons . Why did you not
>>keep us posted about what was happening in Brazil... Did you insist that
>>you be invited to all meetings? If so, what was their response? Why did
>>you not share their response with all of us? Why when, while such is in
>>any case the duty of any CS rep, the letter clearly said that the
>>Liaisons will keep CS groups posted about developments. However, whereas
>>much has happened    since that time, I dont remember a single report by
>>the liaisons to us. Carlos used to report but then he had to drop out
>>since he was made a member of LOG. But what about the three of you?
>> 
>> When after the last LOG meeting, we got the bombshell that it has been
>>officially decided that 1Net will as you say 'filter ALL conversations
>>with CGI' I wrote repeatedly to this list requesting CS Liaisons to
>>bring us to speed about what is happening. In fact, even Ian (and I
>>think Jeremy) asked for some information about what was happening. But
>>NONE of you responded to any of our requests....
>> 
>> I think. sorry for my words, but this is about  a public duty, and
>>seeking accountability about it,  this is a clear abdication of the role
>>that you all were given as CS reps... I am sure there must be an
>>explanation of this somewhere, in which case please do share it.
>> 
>> Thanks, parminder
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> So, it is better to write to Adiel, not just to CGI. Here is Adiel
>>>email if you prefer to do so: Adiel Akplogan <adiel at afrinic.net>
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Carol (in my personal capacity)
>>>  
>> 
>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Carolina Rossini
>> Project Director, Latin America Resource Center
>> Open Technology Institute
>> New America Foundation
>> //
>> http://carolinarossini.net/
>> + 1 6176979389
>> *carolina.rossini at gmail.com*
>> skype: carolrossini
>> @carolinarossini
>>  
>> 
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