[bestbits] Civil society transparency
Michael Gurstein
gurstein at gmail.com
Mon May 25 07:47:48 EDT 2015
This discussion seems to me to be deeply surreal... The issue of funding
transparency surely isn't about targeting an individual or individuals
because they have specific opinions. Rather because participation in civil
society is to present oneself as having a certain status which in turn is
presented as a signification of a certain legitimacy and thus as having a
specified role in certain activities, discussions, decisions; knowing the
background to those claiming such a status (viz. transparency) would appear
to be a necessary pre-requisite to assigning the requested legitimacy.
Knowing if an organization or (individual) is funded by the US State
Department (or the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Google, or the
Third World Network will provide a necessary (but of course not sufficient)
insight into whether one individually or collectively will be willing to
ascribe the requested status/legitimacy.
This is as true in IG as it is in any other area where such
status/legitimacy is being pursued.
M
-----Original Message-----
From: bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net
[mailto:bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net] On Behalf Of Nick Ashton-Hart
Sent: May 24, 2015 2:41 PM
To: Carlos A. Afonso
Cc: parminder; Ian Peter; governance at lists.igcaucus.org; BestBitsList;
Forum at Justnetcoalition. Org; A general information sharing space for the APC
Community.
Subject: Re: [bestbits] Civil society transparency
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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 activi=
ties - nor have I in 2015.
* IDEA's mission is not to represent the private sector, as even the most b=
asic 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 th=
at 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 belie=
ve they should know about it to more effectively represent the civil societ=
y 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 f=
irst as people with an obligation to our fellow man and woman and the commo=
n 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. Fr=
ankly this list could use a whole lot more welcoming and encouraging than i=
t 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 inter=
ests 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 incon=
venient 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??
>=20
> --c.a.
>=20
> sent from a dumbphone
>=20
> On 24/05/2015, at 09:31, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
>=20
>> Ian, and reps of civil society networks on the Civil Society
>> Coordinatio=
n Group (CSCG) ,
>>=20
>> I propose that CSCG sets up a civil society transparency project,
>>somewh=
at on the lines of the EU Transparency Register, pl see http://ec.europa.eu=
/transparencyregister/public/homePage.do .
>>=20
>> 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 whic=
h should set the highest example of transparency and accountability. The 'r=
egister' can have self filled information on objectives of an organisation,=
principles followed by it, if any, its funding, partners, and so on....=20
>>=20
>> This is at present just my proposal, but I hope one or more civil
>>societ=
y networks in the IG space can own it and push it... CSCG would be well pla=
ced to run this project as a neutral space so that there is no accusation o=
f bias that any such initiative is being employed for partisan purposes. In=
any case, a simple initiative for openness, transparency and accountabilit=
y can hardly be partisan.
>>=20
>> The register can have optional higher level features whereby a group/
>>or=
g can declare its means of public accountability, whether and how its inter=
nal governance is done, how matters can be taken by with their oversight bo=
dies, like board etc, and whether they have any means whereby they respond =
to public question on their work, etc.
>>=20
>> 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.
>>=20
>> Remember, both the UN report on improvements to the IGF and the
>>NetMundi=
al Statement highlight the issue of transparency. I also recently read in t=
hese lists how we should make bridges with the OpenGov movement which is al=
most wholly about this one thing. Time we begin practising what we preach.=
=20
>>=20
>> I look forward to hear responses to this proposal..
>>=20
>> parminder=20
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> 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
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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html charset=
=3Dus-ascii"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode=
: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Dear Carlos,<div><br></div=
><div>If the objective is to get rid of me, then perhaps it is useful to
>kn=
ow:</div><div><br></div><div>* I do not currently receive *any* private-sec=
tor funding for IDEA's activities - nor have I in 2015.</div><div>* IDEA's =
mission is not to represent the private sector, as even the most basic read=
ing of the 'about' page clearly states.</div><div>* IDEA's <a href=3D"http:=
//www.internet-ecosystem.org/advisory-council/">Advisory Council</a> h=
as a majority of people who are not even *from* the private sector.</div><d=
iv>* Any number of NGOs on this list receive heads-up messages about
iv>events=
that only someone who lives in works in international Geneva would ever kn=
ow about - and few even then - not because they pay for it but because I be=
lieve they should know about it to more effectively represent the civil soc=
iety interest.</div><div>* Last, but not least, irrespective of the above, =
none of us are defined by our jobs. We all are people first and we should I=
MO always approach life first as people with an obligation to our fellow ma=
n and woman and the common weal, and everything else second. If someone her=
e who is actually getting paid by the private sector is intervening here co=
nstructively in their off time as a private person they ought to be welcome=
d and encouraged. IMO. Frankly this list could use a whole lot more welcomi=
ng and encouraging than it presently has. Again IMO.</div><div><br></div><d=
iv>So if the objective is to get rid of me, then you're getting rid of
iv>some=
one simply because one vocal member of the list doesn't like my agreeing wi=
th what someone else on the list said and not in any way.</div><div><br></d=
iv><div>Perhaps we might all now move on to actual substance? Even if it
iv>is=
setting up a transparency project, separate from a connection with me pers=
onally. Such a project isn't a bad idea, as long as it is administered in t=
he interests of transparency overall and not as a vehicle for silencing peo=
ple not for who they are or what they have to say but because their views a=
re inconvenient at one time or another.<br> <br>Regards,
Nick</div><div><br><div><div>On 24 May 2015, at 14:59, Carlos = A. Afonso
<<a href=3D"mailto:ca at cafonso.ca">ca at cafonso.ca</a>> wrote:= </div><br
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><me= ta
http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"><div =
dir=3D"auto"><div>Parm, all this fuzz just to expel Nick??</div><div><br></=
div><div>--c.a.<br><br>sent from a dumbphone</div><div><br>On
div>24/05/2015, a=
t 09:31, parminder <<a href=3D"mailto:parminder at itforchange.net">parmind=
er at itforchange.net</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite">
=20=20
<meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8=
">
=20=20
=20=20
<font face=3D"Verdana">Ian, and reps of civil society networks on the
Civil Society Coordination Group (CSCG) ,<br>
<br>
I propose that CSCG sets up a civil society transparency project,
somewhat on the lines of the EU Transparency Register, pl see
<a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"http://ec.europa.eu/transp=
arencyregister/public/homePage.do">http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister=
/public/homePage.do</a> .<br>
<br>
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.... <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
I look forward to hear responses to this proposal..<br>
<br>
parminder <br>
</font>
=20=20
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