[governance] [Bill-of-Rights] Rights in IG research

Jaco Aizenman skorpio at gmail.com
Tue Aug 12 02:06:36 EDT 2008


Constitutional Courts. In USA for example, the US Supreme Court.

On 8/10/08, Jeffrey A. Williams <jwkckid1 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> Jaco, Lisa and all,
>
>   I fully support a comprehensive Internet Bill of Rights.  What
> I always come back to though, is if broadly adopted, whom would
> enforce them for all?  The UN?  ICANN?, the ITU?, US Congress,
> or some other governmental entity?
>
> Jaco Aizenman wrote:
>
>> Dear Lisa,
>>
>> Thank you for the  FoE link, which is very impressive and I support.
>> Let me know if I can help in any way the FoE from Costa Rica.
>>
>> Please also note that a new virtual personality fundamental right is
>> complementary to FoE, and can enhance even more the FoE initiative. Of
>> course it has to be done in the right way....
>>
>> If Constitutional Courts worldwide will have a clear and good virtual
>> personality fundamental right (Internet rights) it will be much easier
>> to implement fully the FoE initiative and vice versa.
>>
>> Don´ t you like or support the first, worldwide, "internet right",
>> made a few months ago by the German Constitutional Court?.
>>
>> Thanks a lot for your time.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Jaco
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 5:31 AM, Lisa
>> Horner <lisa at global-partners.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>      Hi Max and all
>>
>>      Thanks for your interest in what we're doing.  I'm equally
>>      interested in your work and in exploring potentials for
>>      collaboration.  Maybe we could start a 'research ideas' and
>>      'research in progress' page on the bill of rights wiki?
>>
>>      Apologies in advance for the length of this email – those
>>      who aren't interested can delete email or go into skim-read
>>      mode now!
>>
>>      The research we're doing is as part of the ongoing Freedom
>>      of Expression Project.  I think I've mentioned before that
>>      we're working with 6 key partner organizations in different
>>      countries to develop policy principles that, if adhered to,
>>      would shape a global communications environment that would
>>      support human rights and a 'public interest' communications
>>      environment.  They address issues spanning infrastructure,
>>      code and content.  The latest draft of the principles is
>>      available and open for comment at
>>
>> http://www.freedomofexpression.org.uk/resources/public+interest+principles+for+the+networked+communications+environment.
>>
>>      The principles and values that they express are purposefully
>>      broad so that they can be tailored to specific contexts.
>>      The idea is for them to provide an overarching framework for
>>      policy discussion and advocacy at different scales.  For
>>      example, our project partners are currently working to
>>      elaborate what they might mean in different country
>>      contexts, and this in turn will provide the foundations for
>>      policy work.  A major aim is to identify spaces where
>>      different stakeholders can agree that they share certain
>>      values and principles, and work to shape policy accordingly.
>>
>>      We have been working to base all of our work so far in
>>      international human rights standards, in particular freedom
>>      of expression, the right to culture and the right to
>>      participation in government.  We've taken an expansive
>>      definition of freedom of expression that many (but not all)
>>      human rights institutions and lawyers around the world
>>      take.  This includes positive dimensions of freedom of
>>      expression, including the notion that governments are
>>      responsible for putting the necessary
>>      structures/infrastructures in place for the right to be
>>      realized.  Incidentally, that's why I don't believe that we
>>      need to be advocating for new rights such as the right to
>>      the internet or to communication.  The sentiments and
>>      demands expressed by these 'new' rights are already
>>      contained within the human rights system.  In my opinion,
>>      our energy should be focused on further developing and
>>      upholding what we have already, for example, further
>>      embedding expansive definitions of freedom of expression in
>>      rights and policy institutions.  And, as Anriette and Milton
>>      importantly pointed out, in furthering/developing
>>      understanding about what international rights standards and
>>      compliance with them actually means in practice.
>>
>>      The research that I referred to before is intended to
>>      contribute to this effort, illustrating how an expansive
>>      definition of freedom of expression is being supported in
>>      contemporary legal and philosophical thought and case law,
>>      and identifying areas where further work needs to be done.
>>      It is taking our policy principles framework as a starting
>>      point, ensuring that it is firmly rooted in the
>>      international human rights system.  In this way, if the
>>      framework was used as a basis for policy discussion, human
>>      rights standards would effectively be 'mainstreamed' within
>>      the discussions.
>>
>>      Whilst I'm sure some would make the argument that these
>>      aren't IG issues, we hope that we're making a positive
>>      contribution towards ensuring that the 'shared norms and
>>      principles that shape the use and evolution of the internet'
>>      are rooted in human rights standards.  These are the most
>>      widely accepted and acknowledged ethical standards in the
>>      world, which (in reference to earlier conversations) is why
>>      it makes sense to us to work with them and build on them,
>>      rather than try to reinvent or disregard them.
>>
>>      I'll leave it there for now, but I'm interested to hear
>>      anybody's thoughts on the work we're doing,  and am keen to
>>      explore opportunities to collaborate on further research on
>>      any of these issues.
>>
>>      Many thanks,
>>
>>      Lisa
>>
>>      From:bill-of-rights-bounces at ipjustice.org
>>      [mailto:bill-of-rights-bounces at ipjustice.org] On Behalf Of
>>      Max Senges
>>      Sent: 06 August 2008 17:36
>>      To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Anriette Esterhuysen;
>>      bill-of-rights at ipjustice.org
>>      Subject: [Bill-of-Rights] Rights in IG research
>>      dear lisa and all
>>
>>      Lisa wrote:
>>      > We've just commissioned some research into how policy
>>      principles based
>>      > around notions such as net neutrality, interoperability,
>>      universal
>>      > access and content diversity can be rooted in the
>>      international human
>>      > rights system which will hopefully yield some interesting
>>      insights...
>>
>>      that sounds very interesting. Stanford lawschool's Center
>>      for Internet and Society has offered to collaborate by
>>      contributing research and i agreed to frame research
>>      opportunities/themes for student projects to be taken up in
>>      the fall.
>>
>>      It would be great to team up or at least be aware of all the
>>      other research undertaken to better understand a Rights
>>      based approach to IG.
>>
>>      Lisa could you share a bit more info about Global Partners
>>      research?
>>
>>      Everybody else doing research work in this area is very much
>>      invited to get in touch so we can ensure we complement,
>>      share and avoid duplication
>>
>>      best
>>      maxOn Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 5:37 AM, Anriette Esterhuysen
>>      <anriette at apc.org> wrote:
>>
>>      Hallo all
>>
>>      Lisa, you are correct in that the SA Human Rights Commission
>>      is the appropriate
>>      institution to deal with this. In fact they deal with hate
>>      speech issues quite often.
>>
>>      They are under-resourced, but they do do excellent work.
>>      Here is their URL
>>      http://www.sahrc.org.za/sahrc_cms/publish/cat_index_26.shtml
>>
>>      Draft hate speech legislation has been before parlaiment a
>>      few times here in South
>>      Africa.  I am not sure what the status is. If I remember
>>      correctly the draft bill was badly
>>      not well conceived and very controversial.
>>
>>      I certainly think that making a formal complaint to the HRC
>>      (human rights
>>      commission) would the way to start if the intension is to
>>      create public awareness of
>>      the issue.
>>
>>      It will also drive lots of traffic to the site.... which is
>>      less desirable.  Personally, Rui, I
>>      would just ignore it.
>>
>>      Lisa, I completely agree with you about the relationship
>>      between rights and internet
>>      governance. Sadly I think that we have lost ground since
>>      WSIS.  As you say there is a
>>      lot of work to be done to get beyond rights rhetoric and to
>>      work out what the
>>      implementable rights-based public policy principles are that
>>      we can work with on
>>      specific issues, e.g. those you mention, for example
>>      net-neutrality.  APC tries to adopt
>>      this approach in our access work.
>>
>>      I also think that the mainstream human rights movement has
>>      not engaged this terrain
>>      enough, altough there are exceptions.
>>
>>      Anriette
>>
>>
>>      Date sent:              Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:09:58 +0100
>>      From:                   "Lisa Horner"
>>      <lisa at global-partners.co.uk>
>>      To:                     <governance at lists.cpsr.org>,
>>             "Rui Correia" <correia.rui at gmail.com>
>>      Subject:                RE: [governance] Taking down a site
>>      [was: beijing ticket scam]
>>      Send reply to:          governance at lists.cpsr.org,"Lisa
>>      Horner" <lisa at global-
>>      partners.co.uk>
>>
>>      > Echoing Ian, I wonder if it would be worth filing a
>>      complaint with the
>>      > South African Human Rights Commission?  The SA bill of
>>      rights states
>>      > that freedom of expression doesn't extend to "advocacy of
>>      hatred that
>>      > is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that
>>      constitutes
>>      > incitement to cause harm." Is this supported by any other
>>      legislation
>>      > in SA?
>>      >
>>      > So many of our discussions around internet governance
>>      issues can be
>>      > approached from a rights perspective, but human rights
>>      lawyers and
>>      > institutions are usually absent from the debate.  Human
>>      rights and
>>      > their associated tools and mechanisms are arguably one of
>>      the only
>>      > global governance institutions that is 'thickening' in the
>>      current age
>>      > of 'globalisation'.  Human rights approaches also have an
>>      inbuilt
>>      > framework for balancing out tensions between different
>>      rights and
>>      > responsibilities.  However, there's still a lot of work to
>>      be done in
>>      > bringing them up to date and ensuring that they're capable
>>      of dealing
>>      > with new issues, including those relating to freedom of
>>      expression and
>>      > the internet.  I wonder if engaging directly with national
>>      human
>>      > rights institutions is one way of starting that process?
>>      >
>>      > In a way, this is linked to Anriette's comment that many
>>      new campaigns
>>      > around rights are a-historical.  Similarly, I think that
>>      they should
>>      > be rooted in, or at least have a firm understanding of,
>>      existing human
>>      > rights institutions, both formal and informal and at all
>>      scales.
>>      > We've just commissioned some research into how policy
>>      principles based
>>      > around notions such as net neutrality, interoperability,
>>      universal
>>      > access and content diversity can be rooted in the
>>      international human
>>      > rights system which will hopefully yield some interesting
>>      insights...
>>      >
>>      > Any thoughts?
>>      >
>>      > Thanks,
>>      > Lisa
>>
>>      ------------------------------------------------------
>>      Anriette Esterhuysen, Executive Director
>>      Association for Progressive Communications
>>      anriette at apc.org
>>      http://www.apc.org
>>      PO Box 29755, Melville, South Africa. 2109
>>      Tel. 27 11 726 1692
>>      Fax 27 11 726 1692
>>
>>      ____________________________________________________________
>>
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>>
>>      --
>>      -------------------------------------------------
>>      "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out
>>      how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds
>>      could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is
>>      actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and
>>      sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes
>>      short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the
>>      great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; ... so
>>      that his place shall never be with those cold and timid
>>      souls who know neither victory or defeat."
>>      - THEODORE ROOSEVELT
>>      (Paris Sorbonne,1910)
>>
>>      -------------------------------------------------
>>      Dr. Max Senges
>>      Stanford Post-Doc Visiting Scholar
>>      UOC Research Associate
>>      Freelance Consultant
>>
>>      98 Loyola Ave., Menlo Park, California 94025
>>
>>      US-Phone: (001) 650 714 9826
>>
>>      www.maxsenges.com
>>      www.knowledgeentrepreneur.com
>>      ------------------------------------------------------------
>>      _______________________________________________
>>      Bill-of-Rights mailing list
>>      Bill-of-Rights at ipjustice.org
>>      http://mailman.ipjustice.org/listinfo/bill-of-rights
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jaco Aizenman L.
>> My iname is =jaco (http://xri.net/=jaco)
>> XDI Board member - www.xdi.org
>> Tel/Voicemail: 506-83461570
>> Costa Rica
>>
>> What is an i-name?
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-name
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jaco Aizenman L.
>> My iname is =jaco (http://xri.net/=jaco)
>> XDI Board member - www.xdi.org
>> Tel/Voicemail: 506-83461570
>> Costa Rica
>>
>> What is an i-name?
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-name
>>
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>
> Regards,
>
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-- 
Jaco Aizenman L.
My iname is =jaco (http://xri.net/=jaco)
XDI Board member - www.xdi.org
Tel/Voicemail: 506-83461570
Costa Rica

What is an i-name?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-name
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