[governance] main themes

[Ronda Hauben]

I suggest you try to include a theme on netizens - on the Internet as
a support for grassroots democracy and participation in governance
issues.

Somehow this all seems to get left out.

The original vision of Licklider was that citizens would participate
in determining what was needed for technological development and in
pressuring government to respond to their needs.

Netizens is the conceptualization that carries this notion forward now
that there is an Internet.

I gave a talk about this at the side event to the Tunis WSIS. I can
give the url if people are interested.

with best wishes

Ronda

On 2/19/08, Parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I am enclosing my original email, pl see the text of the proposed statement
> as well as suggested themes.
>
>
>
> (full email dt 16th Feb below)
>
>
>
>
>
> Proposed statement of substantive themes
>
>
>
> (Starts)
>
>
>
> As suggested in our earlier statement, CS IGC is of the opinion that the
> four general themes of access, openness, diversity and security (with CIRs
> added in Rio) have served a useful purpose in organizing the IGF meetings in
> its early formative stages, by which we mean its first two meetings in
> Athens and Rio. We should now move on more purposefully to the serious
> business of providing directions, ideas and possibilities to global public
> policy making in the Internet arena, which is the primary mandate of the
> IGF.
>
>
>
> We are of the opinion that the above general themes of access, openness,
> diversity and security should remain cross-cutting themes for overall
> organizing of the substantive aspects of the IGF. However, the plenaries
> should address specific public policy issues that are considered most
> important in the current global context. A series of thematic workshops
> should also be organized around these plenaries, whose output should feed
> into them. Adequate preparatory work should go into preparing the plenaries
> and the connected workshops using dedicated working groups. These WGs should
> also synthesize some outcome documents for each plenary subject.
>
>
>
> For Delhi, we suggest the following substantive themes.
>
>
>
> 1. Enhanced Cooperation - what was meant by the Tunis Agenda, and what is
> the status of it
>
>
>
> Tunis Agenda speaks about the need for enhanced cooperation for global
> Internet policy making. There are different views about what exactly is
> meant by this term, and what processes will/ can constitute enhanced
> cooperation. IGF is the right forum to deliberate on the meaning and
> possibilities of this term, through wide participation of all stakeholders
> in the multi-stakeholder spirit of the WSIS.  It is quite possible that such
> an open discussion pushes the process of EC forward, which at present seems
> to be caught in a kind of a limbo, or at least some degree of confusion.
>
>
>
> (3-4 more themes can be added here)
>
>
>
> (ends)
>
>
>
> Bill has suggested a theme - 'assessing implementation of the WSIS
> principles' in IG institutions. He may suggest a final title, and some text
>
>
>
> We can pick up the Development Agenda in IG theme as well from the list
> (especially since there is support form Swiss gov, and APC's submission)
>
>
>
> One of us may want to re-write a short description for this theme.
>
>
>
> We can also again ask for plenary on 'The Role and Mandate of the IGF'
>
> though they may say this is best discussed at open consultations, but we may
> need a wider constituency that comes to the annual meetings to discuss it.
>
>
>
> If we have to ask for CIR plenary, we will need to develop a more specific
> topic, since we are proposing plenary discussions on clearer and more
> specific issues.
>
>
>
> We need some rather quick input at this stage. We have exactly a week to get
> through the whole process.
>
>
>
> Also, while we are proposing substantive themes, I will like to quote the
> Swiss gov's contribution.
>
>
>
> " We also think that, generally speaking, the discussions in the IGF should
> not try to avoid critical issues, but they should be informal, open and free
> and should allow for divergence of views. The atmosphere of the discussions
> should be respectful but not too "nice" and "cosy"."
>
>
>
> And at another place " We would not like the IGF to turn into a meeting of a
> group of friends that discuss among themselves ..."
>
>
>
> I am bit worried about the reputation of the CS here :), when governments
> are speaking more like normally CS speaks, and CS may be found being too
> cautious etc...
>
>
>
> Parminder
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
>
> > From: Parminder [mailto:parminder at itforchange.net]
>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 7:49 AM
>
> > To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
>
> > Subject: RE: [governance] Suggestions for Delhi - themes
>
> > Importance: High
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > We need to finalize some themes for main sessions for Delhi.
>
> >
>
> > The following open text was suggested (see email below), in reply to which
>
> > Guru (email enclosed) and  Thomas Lowenhaupt (email enclosed) have
>
> > suggested
>
> > themes. We have had no discussion on them, and suggesting the right themes
>
> > is I think the most important issue. IGF comes only once in a year, and we
>
> > must suggest themes now if we are ever going to because I suspect these
>
> > things will be crystallized early this time.
>
> >
>
> > Thomas, may I suggest that you make the theme a little broader, which
>
> > increases its chance of acceptance as a main session theme. We expect a
>
> > number of workshops connected to the main session and the main theme
>
> > should
>
> > be able to support a sufficiently wide range of topics (but yes, with a
>
> > good
>
> > overall focus as well).
>
> >
>
> > So instead of
>
> >
>
> > "Towards the Creation of Internet Resources that Facilitate Sustainable
>
> > Global Cities"
>
> >
>
> > May be we can say
>
> >
>
> > 'Internet Governance for Sustainable communities' or something like that..
>
> > the issue of IR's is covered in IG, but allows other aspects of IG also to
>
> > be taken up, and communities is  a broader term which will include more
>
> > than
>
> > just urban units...
>
> >
>
> > Please also write a concise one para which describes the theme - a
>
> > relatively broad sweep within a focused subject, and some public policy
>
> > connections perhaps. Thanks.
>
> >
>
> > Bill, will you like to contribute text on 'WSIS principles'... and / or
>
> > dev
>
> > agenda.
>
> >
>
> > Parminder
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > > -----Original Message-----
>
> > > From: Parminder [mailto:parminder at itforchange.net]
>
> > > Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 11:14 AM
>
> > > To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
>
> > > Subject: RE: [governance] Suggestions for Delhi - themes
>
> > > Importance: High
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > I am enclosing the set of themes that the caucus recommended for Rio. Of
>
> > > them the CIRs theme was accepted.
>
> > >
>
> > > Proposed statement of substantive themes
>
> > >
>
> > > (Starts)
>
> > >
>
> > > As suggested in our earlier statement, CS IGC is of the opinion that the
>
> > > four general themes of access, openness, diversity and security (with
>
> > CIRs
>
> > > added in Rio) have served a useful purpose in organizing the IGF
>
> > meetings
>
> > > in
>
> > > its early formative stages, by which we mean its first two meetings in
>
> > > Athens and Rio. We should now move on more purposefully to the serious
>
> > > business of providing directions, ideas and possibilities to global
>
> > public
>
> > > policy making in the Internet arena, which is the primary mandate of the
>
> > > IGF.
>
> > >
>
> > > We are of the opinion that the above general themes of access, openness,
>
> > > diversity and security should remain cross-cutting themes for overall
>
> > > organizing of the substantive aspects of the IGF. However, the plenaries
>
> > > should address specific public policy issues that are considered most
>
> > > important in the current global context. A series of thematic workshops
>
> > > should also be organized around these plenaries, whose output should
>
> > feed
>
> > > into them. Adequate preparatory work should go into preparing the
>
> > > plenaries
>
> > > and the connected workshops using dedicated working groups. These WGs
>
> > > should
>
> > > also synthesize some outcome documents for each plenary subject.
>
> > >
>
> > > For Delhi, we suggest the following substantive themes.
>
> > >
>
> > > 1. Enhanced Cooperation - what was meant by the Tunis Agenda, and what
>
> > is
>
> > > the status of it
>
> > >
>
> > > Tunis Agenda speaks about the need for enhanced cooperation for global
>
> > > Internet policy making. There are different views about what exactly is
>
> > > meant by this term, and what processes will/ can constitute enhanced
>
> > > cooperation. IGF is the right forum to deliberate on the meaning and
>
> > > possibilities of this term, through wide participation of all
>
> > stakeholders
>
> > > in the multi-stakeholder spirit of the WSIS.  It is quite possible that
>
> > > such
>
> > > an open discussion pushes the process of EC forward, which at present
>
> > > seems
>
> > > to be caught in a kind of a limbo, or at least some degree of confusion.
>
> > >
>
> > > (3-4 more themes can be added here)
>
> > >
>
> > > (ends)
>
> > >
>
> > > Bill has suggested a theme - 'assessing implementation of the WSIS
>
> > > principles' in IG institutions. He may suggest a final title, and some
>
> > > text
>
> > >
>
> > > We can pick up the Development Agenda in IG theme as well from the list
>
> > > (especially since there is support form Swiss gov, and APC's submission)
>
> > >
>
> > > One of us may want to re-write a short description for this theme.
>
> > >
>
> > > We can also again ask for plenary on 'The Role and Mandate of the IGF'
>
> > > though they may say this is best discussed at open consultations, but we
>
> > > may
>
> > > need a wider constituency that comes to the annual meetings to discuss
>
> > it.
>
> > >
>
> > > If we have to ask for CIR plenary, we will need to develop a more
>
> > specific
>
> > > topic, since we are proposing plenary discussions on clearer and more
>
> > > specific issues.
>
> > >
>
> > > We need some rather quick input at this stage. We have exactly a week to
>
> > > get
>
> > > through the whole process.
>
> > >
>
> > > Also, while we are proposing substantive themes, I will like to quote
>
> > the
>
> > > Swiss gov's contribution.
>
> > >
>
> > > " We also think that, generally speaking, the discussions in the IGF
>
> > > should
>
> > > not try to avoid critical issues, but they should be informal, open and
>
> > > free
>
> > > and should allow for divergence of views. The atmosphere of the
>
> > > discussions
>
> > > should be respectful but not too "nice" and "cosy"."
>
> > >
>
> > > And at another place " We would not like the IGF to turn into a meeting
>
> > of
>
> > > a
>
> > > group of friends that discuss among themselves ..."
>
> > >
>
> > > I am bit worried about the reputation of the CS here :), when
>
> > governments
>
> > > are speaking more like normally CS speaks, and CS may be found being too
>
> > > cautious etc...
>
> > >
>
> > > Parminder
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > Parminder
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
> ____________________________________________________________
>
> > > You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>
> > >      governance at lists.cpsr.org
>
> > > To be removed from the list, send any message to:
>
> > >      governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org
>
> > >
>
> > > For all list information and functions, see:
>
> > >      http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
>
> >
> ____________________________________________________________
>
> > You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>
> >      governance at lists.cpsr.org
>
> > To be removed from the list, send any message to:
>
> >      governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org
>
> >
>
> > For all list information and functions, see:
>
> >      http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>     governance at lists.cpsr.org
> To be removed from the list, send any message to:
>     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org
>
> For all list information and functions, see:
>     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
>
>
>


-- 
Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet

http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook
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