[bestbits] [governance] Civil society transparency

[Carlos Afonso]

I do hope you stay with us.

fraternal regards

--c.a.

On 24-05-15 15:41, Nick Ashton-Hart wrote:
> Dear Carlos,
>
> If the objective is to get rid of me, then perhaps it is useful to know:
>
> * I do not currently receive *any* private-sector funding for IDEA's activities - nor have I in 2015.
> * IDEA's mission is not to represent the private sector, as even the most basic reading of the 'about' page clearly states.
> * IDEA's Advisory Council has a majority of people who are not even *from* the private sector.
> * Any number of NGOs on this list receive heads-up messages about events that only someone who lives in works in international Geneva would ever know about - and few even then - not because they pay for it but because I believe they should know about it to more effectively represent the civil society interest.
> * Last, but not least, irrespective of the above, none of us are defined by our jobs. We all are people first and we should IMO always approach life first as people with an obligation to our fellow man and woman and the common weal, and everything else second. If someone here who is actually getting paid by the private sector is intervening here constructively in their off time as a private person they ought to be welcomed and encouraged. IMO. Frankly this list could use a whole lot more welcoming and encouraging than it presently has. Again IMO.
>
> So if the objective is to get rid of me, then you're getting rid of someone simply because one vocal member of the list doesn't like my agreeing with what someone else on the list said and not in any way.
>
> Perhaps we might all now move on to actual substance? Even if it is setting up a transparency project, separate from a connection with me personally. Such a project isn't a bad idea, as long as it is administered in the interests of transparency overall and not as a vehicle for silencing people not for who they are or what they have to say but because their views are inconvenient at one time or another.
>
> Regards, Nick
>
> On 24 May 2015, at 14:59, Carlos A. Afonso <ca at cafonso.ca> wrote:
>
>> Parm, all this fuzz just to expel Nick??
>>
>> --c.a.
>>
>> sent from a dumbphone
>>
>> On 24/05/2015, at 09:31, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Ian, and reps of civil society networks on the Civil Society Coordination Group (CSCG) ,
>>>
>>> I propose that CSCG sets up a civil society transparency project, somewhat on the lines of the EU Transparency Register, pl see http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister/public/homePage.do .
>>>
>>> It should in fact go beyond the EU initiative which is a general one for all lobbying groups, whereas we here are concerned with civil society which should set the highest example of transparency and accountability. The 'register' can have self filled information on objectives of an organisation, principles followed by it, if any, its funding, partners, and so on....
>>>
>>> This is at present just my proposal, but I hope one or more civil society networks in the IG space can own it and push it... CSCG would be well placed to run this project as a neutral space so that there is no accusation of bias that any such initiative is being employed for partisan purposes. In any case, a simple initiative for openness, transparency and accountability can hardly be partisan.
>>>
>>> The register can have optional higher level features whereby a group/ org can declare its means of public accountability, whether and how its internal governance is done, how matters can be taken by with their oversight bodies, like board etc, and whether they have any means whereby they respond to public question on their work, etc.
>>>
>>> For such genuine cases where such transparency can harm an organisations work, or security, such organisations, and only such organisations, can be exempted employing a clear process and set of criteria.
>>>
>>> Remember, both the UN report on improvements to the IGF and the NetMundial Statement highlight the issue of transparency. I also recently read in these lists how we should make bridges with the OpenGov movement which is almost wholly about this one thing. Time we begin practising what we preach.
>>>
>>> I look forward to hear responses to this proposal..
>>>
>>> parminder
>>> ____________________________________________________________
>>> 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
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> 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
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> 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
>