[governance] preparing for IGF 2008

[Max Senges]

Dear Adam, and all

Thank you for initiating this review and suggestion process. Some
comments and questions:

> How can we take open call for workshops etc,
> and filter the number down (rejecting proposals is a very hard
> process.)

As I raised before, the most important criteria for admittance should
be the proven relation and focus on INTERNET GOVERNANCE. There were
workshops on education, and access to knowledge that could have had a
connection and could have discussed GOVERNANCE of their causes on the
INTERNET but didn't. Panelists gave interesting but 'very general'
talks about intellectual property etc.

Another key point in making the sessions more productive is to setup a
standardized and obligatory Report of Results, which again should be
geared towards - What does this workshop contribute to the IG debate?

In general I argue that all IGF activities - and especially DCs -
should have RESULTS (minutes, statements, requests for comments, - a
variety of standardized formats) and that these results are somehow
gathered, catalouged and made available.
One initiative were DCs can contribute and aggregate their work is the
Internet Bill of Rights initiative, which means to develop a framework
for defining, promoting and watching the enforcement of Human Rights
and other Principles on the Internet.

> ...very little remote participation...
> ...the problem might not have been content but about announcing the content early
> enough so people could plan to attend.

I agree 100%. The ONLINE PLATFORM and REMOTE PARTICIPATION
possibilities of the IGF are

1) too distributed - everything should be in one integrated
environment or at least one portal
2) online participation was almost not offered - except for individual efforts

In my understanding this is a major strategic point for two reasons:

Firstly it will improve participation, and esp. multi-stakeholderism
(participation from the south) and thereby representativeness and
legitimity.
On a more historic perspective, the IGF is an experiment that could be
a blueprint for global governance in other areas, so the second,
meta-relevance of deploying excellent online info and collaboration
tools is the IGF's pioneering role. Critiques in other thematic areas
will righfully say: "If the Internet Governance community didn's
manage to deploy and exploit effective online tools how should we?"

There is a Dynamic Coalition on Online Collaboration which has
provided the IGF-Community site. This groups is however not
sufficiently integrated in the IGF structure. The the IGF online
information environment and tools should IMHO be developed in close
collaboration between the Secretariate, the host country and a
multi-stakeholder service coalition.

Does anyone know how and where to engage to work and push for better
online collaboration and information environments?

> Might be possible to keep
> main sessions to the first and last days, with workshops in the
> middle and have workshops report back and discuss substantively on
> the final day?

I like that proposal!

Best,
Max
--------------------------------------------------------
"I am a wanderer and mountain-climber, said he to his heart. I love not the
plains, and it seemeth I cannot long sit still.

And whatever may still overtake me as fate and experience- a wandering will
be therein, and a mountain-climbing: in the end one experienceth only oneself."

                            (Friedrich Nietzsche, Also spoke Zarathustra)

------------------------------------------------------------
Max Senges
Research Associate
Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3)
Av. Canal Olímpic s/n, Edifici B3
08860 CASTELLDEFELS (Barcelona) SPAIN

PhD Candidate
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Programme on the Information Society

Tel:
Spain +34-627193395
Germany +49-17660855358
@:  maxsenges at gmail.com

www.maxsenges.com
http://entrepreneur.jot.com
https://www.openbc.com/hp/Max_Senges/
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