[bestbits] FOR ACTION: survey on programming suggestions for 2017 IGF civil society pre-meeting

Sun Sep 10 22:03:15 EDT 2017

Hi

While I agree that it is not just about participation but creating a
Global South narrative, the dualism North-South can hide important
aspects of internet governance debates which need to be uncovered,
such as inclusion of indigenous population, gender issues and many
others.
So, yes, social justice and internet governance is shaped by the
narrative which dominates this latter concept.
But that doesn't mean it is still important to debate internet
governance and Global South and do it so looking into the southern
rather than just taking a stance of opposition.
There are many themes and subthemes which can be raised from recent
internet governance issues in the Global South: shutdowns, threats to
multistakeholder governance, challenges to participation and so much
more.
These issues may originate or affect the Global South but have an
impact in a global level.
And still Private Ordering can be one of these issues.
I'll take it that the mapping will bring the sessions themes which
should be covered.
I'd just note that we should maintain an inclusive and productive
environment on the Civil Society meeting and, yes, support maintaining
the debate on Global South issues and participation too, despite IGF
moving out of the South this time.

Best,

Renata

On Sun, Sep 10, 2017 at 11:07 AM, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
>
>
> On Sunday 10 September 2017 11:44 AM, Dave Burstein wrote:
>
> Folks
>
> It seems to me a useful session would be "What the Global South would want
> the Global North to understand.
>
>
> Agree, Dave, that would a good entry point to developing a southern
> discourse....
>
>
> What would be the right content, beyond the obvious lack of representation?
>
>
> We can develop that if there is initial agreement to have the meeting around
> this subject, at least have one session on it.... parminder
>
>
> On Sun, Sep 10, 2017 at 12:24 AM, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On Sunday 10 September 2017 08:08 AM, Renata Aquino Ribeiro wrote:
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> Just answered this and suggested a totally different theme, geared
>> more towards Global South participation.
>>
>>
>> Thanks Renata for this important theme.
>>
>> But let me undertake a sunday morning  indulgence. Southern participation
>> is important, but equally if not more is a southern narrative on Internet/
>> digital governance. Does it exist today? Just saying, connect us as well,
>> help us because we are way behind on the digital path that "you" are
>> taking,, does it constitute a southern discourse? Or does the south have a
>> view on "well, is the path itself not the best one?". Does merely getting
>> connected to an arrangement which is exploitative at its core a worthwhile
>> agenda?Especially for civil society. Questions like this.... But the
>> unfortunate fact is; southern participation in global Internet/ digital
>> governance spaces have contributed more to hailing and legitimising a
>> Northern model of Internet/ digital governance rather than seeking one which
>> serves its own interests, and arises from what have in other sectors been
>> considered as "southern perspectives".
>>
>>  Partly, it also has to do with how the IG/ digital sector is framed so
>> solidly by North, including controlling its funding streams, which unlike in
>> other areas like trade, access to knowledge, climate justice, etc does not
>> promote a distinctively southern perspective/ alternative, but largely
>> contributes to legitimising a interests-based Northern discourse. What is
>> the role, responsibility and accountability of the incumbent civil society
>> in this. That IMHO is the key "southern question" for civil society to
>> address. Why has it failed to connect and make common cause with southern
>> and social justice based groups in other global civil society sectors? Why
>> have we still to interact on elists where simple questions on practices of
>> biggest digital corporates get shot down and contested by status quo-ists,
>> as we witnessed in the recent case of google's questionable funding
>> practices.
>>
>> These cracks vis a vis relationship of IG civil society and the global
>> Southern and social justice oriented civil society (which is rightly the
>> bulk of the global civil society) are beginning to show up as the digital
>> enters into areas like global trade, where trade justice activists look at
>> IG civil society dumbly pushing  proclamations of  unhindered "free flow of
>> data" and such with astonishment ...
>>
>> Renata, i am not picking on the subject that you have proposed, which is
>> very important, but providing what in my view is a very important context to
>> it....
>>
>> parminder
>>
>> It is important to note that, in a long time, this is an IGF where the
>> Global South will not be represented as it was before and Civil
>> Society can have a role in discussing this and enabling
>> representation.
>>
>> So I hope more people answer and have this in mind too
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Renata
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 2:35 PM, Jeremy Malcolm <jmalcolm at eff.org> wrote:
>>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> Previously I sent around a save-the-date notice (with the wrong date
>> initially!) for our annual pre-IGF civil society meeting.  Just to
>> reconfirm, it will be on Saturday 16 December 2017.
>>
>> The organizing committee is now soliciting suggestions for the meeting
>> agenda and volunteers, using this survey:
>>
>> http://bestbits.net/limesurvey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=628143&lang=en
>>
>> You are invited to complete that survey between now and 18 September.
>>
>> As you will see, there is a suggestion that the overall meeting theme be
>> "Private regulation of the Internet", because this is broad enough to
>> include many different topics including private speech regulation, trade,
>> the Internet of Things, and Internet standards and human rights.  When
>> suggesting session topics, please try to relate them to this overall
>> theme.
>> But the survey also allows you to suggest a different main theme if you
>> disagree with the one that we have suggested.
>>
>> Thanks, and we look forward to receiving your responses.
>>
>> --
>> Jeremy Malcolm
>> Senior Global Policy Analyst
>> Electronic Frontier Foundation
>> https://eff.org
>> jmalcolm at eff.org
>>
>> Tel: 415.436.9333 ext 161
>>
>> :: Defending Your Rights in the Digital World ::
>>
>> Public key: https://www.eff.org/files/2016/11/27/key_jmalcolm.txt
>> PGP fingerprint: 75D2 4C0D 35EA EA2F 8CA8 8F79 4911 EC4A EDDF 1122
>>
>>
>>
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