[governance] IGF consultations - attn CS MAG members

[Parminder]

Hi All

Will report on how the open consultations went in some detail a little
later. This is quick email between flights to see if I can reach some
message to the CS members inside MAG, as closed consultations are on. My
hope is that some important direction for future IGFs may need to be decided
now, in these consultations. 

A couple of things from the open consultations yesterday.  

One thing most people said, loud and clear, was that we shd not be having
main session of the same themes again. Nitin captured this sentiment in his
summing, and said something to the effect that yes, we cant keep discussing
the same things every year, and most people think we should move on.. I have
noticed that Nitin is quite strategic in the manner he words his summing up,
and one can see glimpses of what may be coming in the manner issues are
spoken of by him in this summing up. 

So, I think it will be quite difficult for the MAG not to respond to this
sentiment of not having main sessions with broad themes, as existing. And
moving on to more focused issues. But it is easier said than done. A Pandora
box will be opened here, and Nitin and secretariat realizes this.  But this
moving on to more specific issues is important to get more form the IGF. We
should see how we can best help things to 'move over' - pushing for things
strategically, but also choosing our objectives cautiously, within the scope
of possible, for each stage that we face.

So, I think the kind of things we should focus on are

(1) Insisting that it just has to be main sessions based on focused and
specific issues this time. Too many people have spoken for it

(2) Have a two way IGF structure - the main sessions plus thematic workshops
as a kind of core IGF that is outcome oriented, and the other part of an
open forum which continues to be a open place for many kinds of internet
related issues that are decided and brought to the IGF bottom up, by
different stakeholders. I think if we don't get into this dual structure
(and corresponding dual thinking) mode we will remain paralyzed by the
conflicting elements of the binary, and not move any direction from where we
are. 

(3) There is some momentum for working groups (WGs)... We need to catch that
momentum now. Though it wont be easy to get this. And I noted that Nitin did
not catch this element from the consultations in his summing up )(as far as
I remember) That makes me think he may not be thinking WGs to be possible/
probable at this stage. But this is our chance to push for them. That will
be a major structural change in MAG/ IGF, and pave the way for going
forward. Without WGs we can forget main session on specific themes, that are
well prepared for etc. MAG in its present form is incapable of doing that
kind of work ,which requires figuring out details and making decisions at
many micro levels. Full MAG just can t do it... (remember the time when they
selected main session speakers)

So, in fact all the three points, of main session to be with specific
subjects/ issues, a dual structure or the IGF, and WGs are linked, and parts
on one whole, of what IGF can be, moving on from where it is. I don't see
any other way it can change in any meaningful way.

My two cents. Thanks 

Parminder 






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