[governance] IGF financing

[Parminder]

No Bertrand, Multistakeholder financing is a very bad idea. And, an even
worse principle. When we speak MS, I am often afraid this idea is lurking
somewhere. But most people are cautious/ clever enough not to mention it
expressly. In fact, that’s the big difference between how things,
less-than-ideally, may actually be, and when we openly start articulating
such things as acceptable principles. 

 

When Milton said, it is simple – those who fund IGF will push their agenda,
and so those others who want their agenda pushed should step up their
contribution – I responded that however practical it be, this looks like a
principle which will take us to not good outcomes at all – for CS and for
public interest. For instance, I want my agenda pushed, what should I do. I
don’t have money to contribute. And I cant go to my government (per Milton’s
advise) because my government doesn’t share my agenda. And he called it
moral posturing, I hope you don’t come back in the same vein. For me and
many in public interest advocacy it is an important principle, and I cant
let such formulations pass by.. 

 

It if fine for private parties to finance public functions and bodies where
there is a plurality – like a foundation funding a university program or an
NGO. It is also fine to extend part financing, under certain conditions, to
core public bodies which are monopolistic (states, UN bodies etc)  in their
constituency and mandate, but then the proportion of private funding needs
to be adequately low for any one interest group (as well as in total
proportion to public funds) , and it should be governed with strict rules of
propriety etc. Under such rules what recently happened at IGF would be
scandalous. In some countries it will veer towards criminal.  

 

Many in the CS (outside the typical IG/IS groups) who are sometimes
suspicious of the term multistakeholder feel so because they known such
bodies can easily show tendencies to move towards ‘privatised governance’.
We may be realizing their worst fears. 

 

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

 <http://www.itforchange.net/> www.ITforChange.net 

  _____  

From: Bertrand de La Chapelle [mailto:bdelachapelle at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 7:37 PM
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Norbert Bollow
Subject: [governance] IGF financing

 

Dear all,

Following the various post, including Norbert's one below, I'd like to
insert two general comments in the discussion :

First, as the IGF is an innovative experiment in multi-stakeholder
governance, it would make sense that its funding be multi-stakeholder as
well, wouldn't it ? Proportions can be discussed, given the variable
contributory capacities, but the principle would make sense, IMHO. 

Second, a combination of "automatic resources" for regular activities,
including the annual event and some secretariat functions, and "had hoc
resources" could also be envisaged, provided the later are transparent. In
particular, there is no reason to prevent some actors from getting good
visibility when they support some useful activity, such as funding for
participation of developing countries participants or supporting the
activities of a dynamic coalition. 

Best

Bertrand




On 6/11/07, Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch> wrote:

Milton Mueller <mueller at syr.edu> wrote:

> a) vested interests can be expected to use financial support as leverage
> over the activities of the IGF
>
> b) we need to find a way to institutionalize support for IGF that 
> minimizes this problem (we will never eliminate it)

Would it be an improvement if the IGF process was funded out of
the U.N. budget?

If yes, what would be the process for trying to achieve that?

What would be the chances of success for this?

Greetings,
Norbert.


--
Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch>                    http://Norbert.ch
<http://Norbert.ch> 
President of the Swiss Internet User Group SIUG  http://SIUG.ch


-- 
____________________
Bertrand de La Chapelle

Tel : +33 (0)6 11 88 33 32

"Le plus beau métier des hommes, c'est d'unir les hommes" Antoine de Saint
Exupéry
("there is no better mission for humans than uniting humans") 

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