[bestbits] [governance] Re: NMI and the Brazilian CGI.br

Carlos Afonso ca at cafonso.ca
Sun Nov 23 05:51:40 EST 2014


BTW, I recall your article in that US-based blog, Huffington Post, 
denouncing NETmundial (not the initiative, but the meeting), just before 
the start of the event, as a complot by USA and the corporate folks to 
complete their "domination over the Internet":

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeanchristophe-nothias/for-more-internet-and-mor_b_5175698.html

I quote: "Still the Netmundial true co-organizers, ICANN and CGI.br 
still have had to make choices, even though the cost for traveling to 
Brazil already provided a natural selection in terms of attendance. To 
date, corporate delegates are to occupy more than 40 percent of the 
room. So here we are, after six months of intense behind-closed-doors 
preparation, ready to attend Netmundial, a conference that claims to be 
"multistakeholder," but which is really about launching the next stage 
of US global multistakeholder domination over the Internet, thanks to an 
ICANN++."

Do you still think this is a true rendering of the NETmundia event?

frt rgds

--c.a.

On 11/23/14 07:17, Jean-Christophe NOTHIAS I The Global Journal wrote:
> Carlos,
>
> Following what Parminder and Louis wrote, and I am in full agreement
> with both, but I think every one here makes a difference between Lula
> accepting very rightfully to come to express his views at Davos, and
> Lula joining an initiative by a Californian non profit making profit and
> a Swiss non profit making even more profit. Therefore, I would bet that
> everyone makes a clear difference between partying with an unclear
> setting by WEF/ICANN , and its Brazilian companion of misfortune, and an
> invitation to talk to the global leaders, thanks to a nice room service
> in Davos.
>
> That being said, I thank Wolfgang for reminding us that NMI is taking
> our eyes away from more serious concerns -  an evidence that this
> initiative might be a great deal of waste for civil society asking
> itself questions (not about the contents) but about the seats.
>
> JC
>
>
>
>
> Le 23 nov. 2014 à 00:46, Carlos Afonso a écrit :
>
>> Dear people,
>>
>> In January 2003, Lula was just starting his first term as president.
>> As usual he went to the World Social Forum where he was met with
>> massive acclamation. I remember crying like a child to experience in
>> loco the thousands of people cheering Lula.
>>
>> From Porto Alegre he went to Davos.(*) Yes, that daunting lair of
>> corporate devils! A group of militants, NGOs and social movements of
>> course criticized Lula, along the same lines JNC does today as a sort
>> of scion of its view of political correctness. But other militants,
>> NGOs and social movements supported Lula's visit to WEF (I was among
>> them) -- our president had to establish dialogue with all sectors, and
>> there is no one who could say WEF indoctrinated Lula, or that WEF took
>> the reigns of the government of Brazil. If anything happened, it would
>> be the other way around.
>>
>> I like to recall this story because it reminds me of the fury of
>> arguments at the time -- just like we see today the different
>> (adversarial?) camps of civil society nailing each other.
>>
>> fraternal regards
>>
>> --c.a.
>>
>> (*) See, for example, this report:
>> http://www.ictsd.org/bridges-news/biores/news/two-world-forums-debate-globalisation
>>
>> On 11/22/14 21:30, Suresh Ramasubramanian wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I am greatly disappointed that so many friends in the CGI.Br has now
>>>> come
>>>> out to vouchsafe or front for what is basically a WEF and ICANN
>>>> (basically
>>>> doing US's bidding) game.
>>>
>>> Disappointed?  My heart bleeds for you, to be sure.
>>>
>>>
>>>> everyone knows WEF to be. Do the Brazilians, who kind of gave the world
>>>> the World Social Forum, really need to be reminded of the basic lessons
>>>> with regard to the designs of global domination by a certain
>>>> economic and
>>>> political elite, and their impatience with democracy, especially at the
>>>> global level!
>>>>
>>>
>>> Now you call them naïve.   How incredibly patronizing.
>>>
>>> Any so called "democracy" of the sort you seem to want, that excludes
>>> stakeholders based on any nationality and/or economic backgrounds
>>> that you dislike, is emphatically not a democracy, but merely pure
>>> demagoguery.  Makes me glad that you continue to remain far, far away
>>> from the civil society mainstream thinking on this subject.
>>>
>>>> Again, you are fast expending the political capital that the Brazilian
>>>> government and CGI.Br has,  something that I find to be such a great
>>>> loss,
>>>> and very much hope were not the case. *The global progressive community
>>>> has consistently  supported you, but this support cannot be taken for
>>>
>>> I admire how you keep attempting to speak for the global progressive
>>> community, in pushing the regressive agenda that you continue to
>>> push, and that the majority of the community apparently doesn't share.
>>>
>>>> granted, which is my unfortunate duty to tell you, as you come out
>>>> publicly to seek global support for a WEF centred global governance
>>>> initiative.*
>>>>
>>>
>>> Your support, and those of the small splinter group of extremists
>>> that caucus with you? Well, may the good Lord preserve us all from
>>> such support.
>>>
>>>> Your statement says that you are willing to dialogue and work together
>>>> with everyone. Some of us from global progressive civil society offer
>>>> ourselves for such a dialogue. We have in our hands today the interests
>>>> and fate of the people of the world,  and of the future generations. Let
>>>
>>> That sounds more like a royal "We" than any sort of inclusiveness.
>>>  Do stop trying to speak for civil society at large.  You don't and
>>> have never represented it all.
>>>
>>> --srs
>>>
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>>     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>> To be removed from the list, visit:
>>     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>>
>> For all other list information and functions, see:
>>     http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
>> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>>     http://www.igcaucus.org/
>>
>> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>       bestbits at lists.bestbits.net.
> To unsubscribe or change your settings, visit:
>       http://lists.bestbits.net/wws/info/bestbits
>


More information about the Bestbits mailing list