[bestbits] [governance] Remarks at UNESCO Closing Ceremony of "Connecting the Dots Conference"

[JOSEFSSON Erik]

Hi Jeremy,

My issues with "multistakeholderism" origins from my ignorance. When I first started to look into it, I didn't understand what it was, only that it was controversial. Limited Bandwidth didn't allow anyone in EDRi to explain who had recommended it as point 9 in the wepromise campaign[1], and why it was prioritized before point 10 on Free Software. As a member of two of EDRi's member organisations, and actively involved as an EFF staffer in the process when EFF became a member of EDRi, I have been puzzled ever since.

Your text helps a bit, but it would be Humpty Dumpty if the word "democratic" would be the ultimate trojan horse that kills all the kittens on the internet.

I am working in an institution that uses the word "democratic" a lot. That's why I was quite sure the amendment changing "the multistakeholder model of internet governance" to "a democratically accountable multistakeholder model of internet governance" would be appreciated as a good compromise, as the EP normally, and with ease, votes on unknowns like "square circles" and "parallel import allowed by the rightholder".

Personally, I am convinced that all MEP candidates who signed up to the wepromise campaign would also have signed, happily, the following:

I will defend a democratically accountable multistakeholder model of internet governance
I will support free, open, bottom-up, and multi-stakeholder models of coordinating the Internet resources and standards - names, numbers, addresses etc. I will support measures which seek to ensure the capacity of representative civil society to participate in multi-stakeholder forums. I will oppose any attempts by corporate, governmental or intergovernmental agencies to take control of Internet governance.

So I guess I still don't get it.

I think Popper once said you should avoid discussions on definitions. They tend to turn into viciously circular infinite regressions. That said, we have problems with lots of concepts and phrases like for example "Everyone should have the same rights online as offline". Rights implies enforcement, enforcement requires a judiciary, judiciary needs a legislator, legislator needs... democratic accountability.

Check out CJEU Opinion 2/13[1]. It's about EU acceding the ECHR. If that won't happen in a way that satisfies the CJEU, I think the EU will have a constitutional melt down.

And with that, a brand new operational meaning of "democracy" (never mind the definition).

May I share a song on the subject[3]?

Best regards.

//Erik


[1] https://www.wepromise.eu/en/page/charter
[2] http://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-2/13
[3] http://www.ffii.se/erik/misc/PowerToTheParliament.mp3



________________________________
From: bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net [bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net] on behalf of Jeremy Malcolm [jmalcolm at eff.org]
Sent: Thursday 5 March 2015 02:27
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org; Michael Gurstein
Cc: anita at itforchange.net; bestbits at lists.bestbits.net
Subject: Re: [bestbits] [governance] Remarks at UNESCO Closing Ceremony of "Connecting the Dots Conference"

On Mar 4, 2015, at 7:54 PM, Michael Gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Perhaps we could have an explanation from Jeremy and others on the drafting committee as to when and how "democracy" and "social and economic rights' became unacceptable terms in a document meant to have global significance?


With pleasure.  This is why:

http://igfwatch.org/discussion-board/unesco-resists-jncs-attempt-to-turn-democracy-against-ordinary-internet-users

--
Jeremy Malcolm
Senior Global Policy Analyst
Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://eff.org
jmalcolm at eff.org

Tel: 415.436.9333 ext 161

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