[governance] individuals

[Meryem Marzouki]

Avri,

Maybe it was not clear, but I think that one of my points in the  
message you're replying to was indeed that the significance of  
collective action w.r.t. individual action was not in such criteria.  
However, one cannot ignore that there is some significance in being  
1000 rather than 10. But not that much in terms of legitimacy: some  
consumer (or other sorts of) organizations, e.g., have thousands of  
members because they deliver services to those who take their  
membership cards; however, it doesn't mean much when they speak in  
their names.
The difference is neither in the formal status/structure (as you  
perfectly said, one person - as a matter of fact, it needs at least  
two in France to set up a non profit  - may fill papers), nor really  
in the number. Or in saying relevant things. Although each of this  
criteria may bring some kind of legitimacy.
The real difference relies in accountability: one day or another, in  
some way or another, organizations (groups) acting collectively have  
to be accountable and to face its own records.
You said yourself that you "have occasionally looked at NGO's and  
tried to put their particpation into perspective."
Do you think you could ever say that you "have occasionally looked at  
individuals and tried to put their particpation into perspective." ?  
There relies the main difference, in my opinion. I hope - though am  
not sure of this - that I've made my point clearer.

Meryem

Le 25 avr. 06 à 19:38, Avri Doria a écrit :

>
> On 25 apr 2006, at 12.19, Meryem Marzouki wrote:
>
>> Le 25 avr. 06 à 12:17, Vittorio Bertola a écrit :
>>
>>> Sure, but then, in which sense a NGO that involves 10 or 1000
>>> people is
>>> more "representative" of those millions people than individual
>>> activists?
>>
>> They are not "representative", but the number of people they
>> represent (i.e. their members, since they cannot claim to represent
>> anyone beyond their membership) may be "significant", which is quite
>> different from being "representative" (i.e. of CS).
>
> I have occasionally looked at NGO's and tried to put their
> particpation into perspective.  one of the questions I keep running
> into is how to distinguish between the degrees of NGO (1 person,  5,
> 100, 1000 people or an NGO of NGOs).  And more then distinguishing,
> how does one give appropriate weight to the ideas of one vis a vis
> the other.  Or are all NGOs equal?  and how do universities, or the
> individuals at universities fit in?
>
> Going a step further, if there isn't a way to discriminate between
> the NGO of many and the NGO of few, then on what basis can one
> exclude Individuals, each of whom could fill papers and become an NGO
> (albeit easier in some countries then in others).
>
> Or are we looking for certification criteria for NGOs in CS, the way
> the ITU did in WSIS.
>
> a.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> governance mailing list
> governance at lists.cpsr.org
> https://ssl.cpsr.org/mailman/listinfo/governance


_______________________________________________
governance mailing list
governance at lists.cpsr.org
https://ssl.cpsr.org/mailman/listinfo/governance