[governance] Internet Bill of Rights - Hoping there's progress .. wishing for it to succeed.

[Parminder]

> Personally, I think that, more than at a monolithic Bill of Rights, we
> should be aiming at a practical "Internet rights framework" developed at
> the IGF, as the result of the coordinated work of all the coalitions.

Vittorio

I have always looked forward to the imminent convergence between the work of
the dynamic coalition (DC) on 'internet bill of rights' and that of
'framework of principles for the Internet'. From my (only my, and not of the
DC) perspective there are two areas in which these two initiatives need to
bridge some degree of difference (or at least difference of emphasis)

(1) The importance given to positive rights, and the ongoing evolution of
discourse on rights in various areas on development, in developing
countries. (Milton, an important partner in the 'framework of principles for
the Internet' DC, may not greatly agree to this :) but these are matters of
internal differences)

(2) this second point explains why we use phrase 'principles for the
Internet' and not just the term 'rights' - the language of rights takes a
individual- centered view, of what individuals are able to or not able to
do. This conception relates to the term 'agency' used in development
discourse. But development theory shows how structural issues -limiting or
providing opportunity for individual agency - are as important. We
understand Internet not only as a site for individual freedoms and agency,
but also as an 'element of architecture' of new social systems and
structures. While it is important that Internet policies shape the future
development of the internet in a manner that it directly enables greater
rather than lesser individual freedoms and agency, it is as important that
the new social structures shaped by the Internet, and allied techno-social
processes, are built in a manner that individual freedoms and well-being are
enhanced. An example of such new structures can be - new health, education,
or governance systems build using ICTs. These new systems can either enhance
or diminish individual freedom and well-being. And it is misplaced
techno-fascination to think that ICT based systems will necessarily improve
individual freedoms and well being. Therefore, in times of such far-reaching
techno-induced structural changes it is not only the individual-focused
issues of relevant rights that are important, but also the
structural/institutional-focused issues of 'structural principles' of
development of the Internet, and thereby of the information society
structures and institutions. (I think, the above leaves no doubt that both
address the same issues of individual freedoms, choices, well-being and
agency, and appropriate social structures are only the means for, and do not
stand opposed to, individual-centred concerns.)

That is why a 'framework of (structural or policy) principles for the
Internet' is as important in these times of deep structural changes, as a
framework of rights. Hopefully, a combined framework of 'rights and
principles for the Internet' can be evolved.

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: Vittorio Bertola [mailto:vb at bertola.eu]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 1:26 AM
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Robert Guerra
> Subject: Re: [governance] Internet Bill of Rights - Hoping there's
> progress .. wishing for it to succeed.
> 
> Thanks, this is a valuable contribution.
> 
> Robert Guerra ha scritto:
> > first a question..is there a mailing list? If not, let me suggest one be
> > created so that scholars and human rights professionals can come
> > together to discuss , and develop a draft that's universal
> 
> Yes, there's a coalition website at
> http://www.internet-bill-of-rights.org, a mailing list at
> http://mailman.ipjustice.org/listinfo/bill-of-rights, and also a
> conference website at http://www.dfiritaly2007.it/ .
> 
> > In summary, one can't just announce someone as grand as an "internet
> > bill of rights" and not engage others in a pro-active fashion. There is
> > great interest in this - but, to succeed as a global inititiave  -  it
> > has to really be the work of an active international coalition  and not
> > just one person or one country.
> 
> Sure, but someone has to start, and I think this is a problem for all
> dynamic coalitions; at least in terms of mailing list messages, apart
> from the Privacy one, the others seem to have activity levels that are
> similar to or even less than that of the Bill of Rights DC.
> 
> Personally, I think that, more than at a monolithic Bill of Rights, we
> should be aiming at a practical "Internet rights framework" developed at
> the IGF, as the result of the coordinated work of all the coalitions.
> There already are too manyv high level documents, and not enough
> practical respect for human rights, or clarity about "down to earth"
> principles that any blogger and any webmaster can apply. The BoR
> coalition should thus discuss the conceptual and formal framework to get
> to several declarations of rights, all deriving from the fundamental
> statements of human rights, and all coming to a level which is clear,
> applicable and enforceable.
> 
> On the other hand, this is for what I know the first attempt to a really
> multistakeholder approach to this discussion. In the past, the techies
> released their edicts, some NGOs did their own, and some governments
> also did the same. What we need is to understand how to put all of this
> together.
> --
> vb.                   Vittorio Bertola - vb [a] bertola.eu   <--------
> -------->  finally with a new website at http://bertola.eu/  <--------
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