[governance] National vs. International was Re: Program for IGC at IGF

[Parminder]

> The reason seems to be that at the national level, there are

> well-established democratic traditions with free, independent

> media,

> well-defined rules for transparency, checks and balances, and

> accountability of governments to national parliaments.

> 

> Much of this is not yet so well-developed at the

> international level,

> resulting in an increased success likelihood of the lobbying

> efforts of greedy monopolistic companies.

 

Nobert, 

 

So if what you say is indeed true (which I believe it is), then what we
obviously need is stronger and more clearly defined democratic public policy
spaces, structures and systems in the global arena as well, which are
connected to strong systems and institutions for transparency and extracting
accountability - which include international information sharing processes,
media, and multi-stakeholder processes of input and participation.. 

 

But, the prescriptions you have been offering (very sincere and
well-intentioned, no doubt) mostly speak only about things like 'light
weight', multi-stakeholder, 'coalition of the willing' kind of voluntary
processes, and no-government involvement(mostly), that just do not any way
meet the criteria of effective democratic public policy spaces..  Systems of
participation, transparency, volunteeristic multistakeholder systems are of
little use without effective, sufficiently well funded public policy
systems. and we cannot be speaking of one without the other. Well, you CAN
have them, but they may not serve much purpose, beyond some very limited
avenues of utility. 

 

Parminder 

 

________________________________________________

Parminder Jeet Singh

IT for Change, Bangalore

Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities 

Tel: (+91-80) 2665 4134, 2653 6890

Fax: (+91-80) 4146 1055

www.ITforChange.net 

 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Norbert Bollow [mailto:nb at bollow.ch]

> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 2:22 PM

> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org

> Subject: Re: [governance] National vs. International was Re:

> Program for IGC at IGF

> 

> Avri Doria <avri at psg.com> wrote:

> > On 24 okt 2006, at 08.39, Ralf Bendrath wrote:

> > > How do we fend off greed, corruption or particularist

> interests on

> > > the international level?

> >

> > I think that transparency goes a long way here.

> 

> Strongly agreed.

> 

> > In the national setting it is very easy for the government

> to stifle

> > the press and even the net.  On the international stage it

> is more

> > difficult, especially if groups like this keep up the

> pressure.

> 

> My observation here in Central Europe is that the influence

> of greedy

> particularist interests seems to be much stronger for policy

> decisions

> which are coordinated internationally than for those which

> are only

> discussed nationally.

> 

> The reason seems to be that at the national level, there are

> well-established democratic traditions with free, independent

> media,

> well-defined rules for transparency, checks and balances, and

> accountability of governments to national parliaments.

> 

> Much of this is not yet so well-developed at the

> international level,

> resulting in an increased success likelihood of the lobbying

> efforts of greedy monopolistic companies.

> 

> For an ICT-related example in the EU, see

> http://NoBananaUnion.com/en/swpat-directive

> 

> Here in Switzerland, a very similar process of political-

> ideological

> manipulation is at work related to the current revision

> process of

> the copyright law, where e.g. the attempt is made to

> manipulate

> politicians as well as the general public into thinking that

> we have

> to adopt legal protection for DRM systems because of

> "international

> standards".

> 

> Greetings,

> Norbert.

> 

> 

> --

> Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch>

> http://Norbert.ch

> President of the Swiss Internet User Group SIUG

> http://SIUG.ch

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