[bestbits] CSCG

[Renata Aquino Ribeiro]

Dear all

Thanks Sheetal for answering so quickly and on point.
Holding the hat of one of the members of BB SC I'd also offer the
Bestbits Steering Committee for any concerns members may have.
We are new but sometimes there is something about being newbie which
is positive, since we will not judge you.

As on the point about being not being responsive as irresponsible and
shameful, I'd also not consider Bestbits a place where such
categorizations are made.

CSCG is a group which engages in the IGF and that space has its Code
of Conduct we all abide by.

Bestbits values its volunteers and welcomes all time and efforts
invested in it.

If there is a need for a volunteer to disengage, the Steering
Committee will look into it, as members who try to collaborate to make
this space function always better, no adjectives of any kind attached
to any member.

I hope this helps on clarifying the processes.

Thanks

Renata



On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 3:49 PM, Sheetal Kumar <sheetal at gp-digital.org> wrote:
> Dear Deirdre, all,
>
> Thank you very much for your email and your reflections. In our capacity as
> the civil society representatives to the CSCG, we wanted to offer the
> following remarks. We are unable to comment on everything included but there
> are some points where we would like to offer clarification, specifically on
> where you have included 'things to consider'.
>
> Looking forward to any further responses or comments.
>
> Thanks again!
>
> Best
> Sheetal & Poncelet.
>
>
> Things to consider:
>
> Timing – this year the MAG renewal is being carried out over a very short
> period of time. CSCG can be a rather cumbersome process.
>
>
> I (Sheetal) today responded to the queries regarding the process that the
> CSCG will undertake to nominate civil society representatives to the MAG. We
> understand the deadline is three and a half weeks away, 10 November, and
> that the announcement is now almost three weeks old. However, the CSCG is
> committed to carrying out this process, and we have just finished internally
> composing the NomCom (who will agree the process for the nomination and
> carry out the internal CSCG deliberation) today. As soon as the process is
> clarified internally (this week at the latest), I will share the relevant
> information with everyone here.
>
>
> Suggestion: we don’t have to wait for the last minute. We know how many
> terms civil society MAG members have served so we have an idea of how many
> replacements will be needed. A call could be made at a convenient time and
> Nomcoms could meet in anticipation of the renewal call and have a slate of
> candidates ready. Then when the call comes it is just a case of checking
> that those chosen for endorsement are still available. (Won’t help this
> time, but worth thinking about)
>
>
> Thank you for this suggestion, which we can certainly communicate to the
> rest of the CSCG.
>
>
> Scope: How do we make CSCG truly representative of the diversity of civil
> society?
>
>
> The CSCG currently consists of five member coalitions. Although we can't
> speak on or comment as to the scope and the diversity of these groups, and
> whether collectively they represent the diversity of civil society we would
> be happy to communicate suggestions of how to make the CSCG more diverse to
> the current membership, or to suggest the facilitation of a broader
> conversation on this point.
>
>
> Suggestions: CSCG began with 6 member coalitions. CIVICUS and Diplo have
> both dropped out. Do the four that are left represent the range of civil
> society? (I don’t think so.) Can we find a way to use the growing body of
> local and regional IGFs and other national and regional initiatives (NRIs)
> to help to create a more inclusive CSCG? Is there another way to do this?
>
>
> Criteria for selection: What attributes do we require in a civil society MAG
> member?
>
>
> Suggestions: For the MAG endorsement it should be possible to decide the
> type of candidate that civil society needs. At bottom the MAG is about
> running the IGF. Therefore some experience of the IGF is needed (not
> necessarily in situ, but certainly evidence of previous engagement and
> experience; this is not the right place for “giving the newbies a chance”).
> What other criteria are needed? Demonstrated willingness to work? Ability to
> work as part of a team? (I would add ability to listen as well as to talk
> because candidates will be representing civil society as a whole if they are
> eventually selected – they need to be aware of the range of what civil
> society as a group is thinking.) I’m sure there are other criteria. This
> should be a continuing discussion.
>
>
> Thanks for these points, which we hope will guide considerations of the Best
> Bits community in the current MAG nomination process. I just want to take
> the opportunity to share the information included in the official
> announcement in case useful too:
> https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/mag-2018-renewal
>
>
> Participation: How should the Nomcom deal with a situation of having to
> function more or less without one or more of its members? Are valid
> decisions possible in these circumstances?
>
>
> With regards to the current Nomcom for the MAG elections we can confirm that
> there will be a representative from each of the current constituent groups
> (Best Bits, Association for Progressive Communications, Internet Governance
> Caucus, Just Net Coalition, and Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group of ICANN).
>
>
> Suggestions: Don’t leave things to the last moment. Do insist that
> volunteers demonstrate their commitment. Arrange for alternates so that in
> the case of a real emergency there is someone else ready to take the place
> of the affected member.
>
>
> We fully agree that timely responses are absolutely necessary to these calls
> and to ensure a truly inclusive process. We will communicate this concern to
> the rest of the members of the CSCG and we would welcome any further
> critical reflection from others in the community on this point too.
>
>
> CSCG is supposed to be the creation of global civil society. It’s important
> that we think about these things because CSCG is supposed to be making
> decisions on OUR behalf about who are the best people to represent US. Each
> of us should ensure that the process is being carried out as we would want
> it to be.
>
> This is an issue that needs our urgent attention.
>
>
> I want to commit at this point that we will share the concerns that you have
> raised here - no doubt most or many of the members of the CSCG are on Best
> Bits and they will read this too. We also want to reiterate the request for
> any further comments on diversity, inclusivity and effectiveness of the CSCG
> in carrying out its mandate to ensure a coordinated civil society response
> and conduit when it comes to making civil society appointments to outside
> bodies.
>
>
>
>
> On 16 October 2017 at 17:07, Deirdre Williams <williams.deirdre at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> (Apologies for the long email)
>> Dear Colleagues,
>>
>> Mandela said “Just because you’re small you don’t have to be cowards.”
>> Civil society may be small – we don’t have the obvious power of the big
>> multi-national corporations – but that’s no excuse for shoddiness, which is
>> a sort of cowardice, which means giving up before you even begin.
>>
>> The Civil Society Coordination Group was, is, a great idea. It’s a means
>> by which we could harness the power of numbers which is civil society’s
>> great treasure. But it will only work if we do it properly, and recently we
>> haven’t been doing it properly. Understand that this is a criticism of the
>> institution and not of individual members who tried hard to “do things
>> properly”.
>>
>> Participation is about doing things, about active involvement.
>> Volunteering is only a preliminary, it is not sufficient by itself. If one
>> volunteers or accepts a nomination, then one has been entrusted to do
>> something for a whole group of other people, and this is a serious
>> responsibility. If it then becomes impossible to complete the task the only
>> responsible action is to step down and clear the space for someone else who
>> will have the time, the energy, and the commitment. To stay and do nothing
>> is irresponsible and shameful.
>>
>> CSCG is still quite new and has no official standing in the selection
>> process. To gain the trust of the final selectors (in this case the UN) it
>> is necessary that CSCG must gain the trust of the constituency it claims to
>> represent (civil society), and is clearly seen to be trusted by civil
>> society generally. If civil society can’t be bothered then CSCG has no
>> reason to exist.
>>
>> Things to consider:
>>
>> Timing – this year the MAG renewal is being carried out over a very short
>> period of time. CSCG can be a rather cumbersome process.
>>
>> Suggestion: we don’t have to wait for the last minute. We know how many
>> terms civil society MAG members have served so we have an idea of how many
>> replacements will be needed. A call could be made at a convenient time and
>> Nomcoms could meet in anticipation of the renewal call and have a slate of
>> candidates ready. Then when the call comes it is just a case of checking
>> that those chosen for endorsement are still available. (Won’t help this
>> time, but worth thinking about)
>>
>> Scope: How do we make CSCG truly representative of the diversity of civil
>> society?
>>
>> Suggestions: CSCG began with 6 member coalitions. CIVICUS and Diplo have
>> both dropped out. Do the four that are left represent the range of civil
>> society? (I don’t think so.) Can we find a way to use the growing body of
>> local and regional IGFs and other national and regional initiatives (NRIs)
>> to help to create a more inclusive CSCG? Is there another way to do this?
>>
>> Criteria for selection: What attributes do we require in a civil society
>> MAG member?
>>
>> Suggestions: For the MAG endorsement it should be possible to decide the
>> type of candidate that civil society needs. At bottom the MAG is about
>> running the IGF. Therefore some experience of the IGF is needed (not
>> necessarily in situ, but certainly evidence of previous engagement and
>> experience; this is not the right place for “giving the newbies a chance”).
>> What other criteria are needed? Demonstrated willingness to work? Ability to
>> work as part of a team? (I would add ability to listen as well as to talk
>> because candidates will be representing civil society as a whole if they are
>> eventually selected – they need to be aware of the range of what civil
>> society as a group is thinking.) I’m sure there are other criteria. This
>> should be a continuing discussion.
>>
>> Participation: How should the Nomcom deal with a situation of having to
>> function more or less without one or more of its members? Are valid
>> decisions possible in these circumstances?
>>
>> Suggestions: Don’t leave things to the last moment. Do insist that
>> volunteers demonstrate their commitment. Arrange for alternates so that in
>> the case of a real emergency there is someone else ready to take the place
>> of the affected member.
>>
>> CSCG is supposed to be the creation of global civil society. It’s
>> important that we think about these things because CSCG is supposed to be
>> making decisions on OUR behalf about who are the best people to represent
>> US. Each of us should ensure that the process is being carried out as we
>> would want it to be.
>>
>> This is an issue that needs our urgent attention.
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Deirdre
>>
>>
>> --
>> “The fundamental cure for poverty is not money but knowledge" Sir William
>> Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
>>
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>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
> Sheetal Kumar
> Programme Lead | GLOBAL PARTNERS DIGITAL
> Second Home, 68-80 Hanbury Street, London, E1 5JL
> T: +44 (0)20 3 818 3258 0337| M: +44 (0)7739569514  |
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>
>
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