[governance] Re: [bestbits] Three NETmundial submissions launched for endorsement at bestbits.net

[Anriette Esterhuysen]

Dear all

I think it is not so clear cut.

We live in a time of governance processes changing, and we have
opportunities to make them more democratic.

I recently had a discussion with someone in the government of Brazil who
is very active in CGI.br.

I asked him whether CGI.br is a platform for policy shaping (to use
Jovan's term) or policy making.  My understanding was that it was
primarily for policy shaping.

He said I was wrong, and that it is in fact a multi-stakeholder body
that can make certain types of policies.  Members of CGI.br on these
lists can give examples.

CGI.br is a formally constituted (by act of the legislature) body that
is multi-stakeholder, and that can make certain types of public
policies, as well as make recommendations for public policies.

Membership of CGI.br is of course not informal - it is quite formal, but
it is multi-stakeholder.

Government has more positions which is something I have heard some
Brazilian civil society express concern about. But it does mean that
different parts of government is represented which his important.
Business is represented through industry bodies, and so on.

It is an example of how governance processes can change, and how public
policy making can be more inclusive and multi-stakeholder and go beyond
the traditional 'government proposes policy - with or without public
consulation, follwed by legislature reviewing and approving/rejecting'.