[governance] WSIS, ICT4D, the IGF and other...

[Garth Graham]

My thanks for your disagreement, Michael, because, of course, I agree  
with it.  We're both headed toward the same definition of e- 
governance as, I think, the second sentence of the definition  
reveals.  I suspect my close association with national strategies for  
the uses of ICTs for development in several counties made me overly  
sensitive to a government view in that first attempt at a working  
definition.  After all, the notion that we all now face distributed  
collaborative governance is quite shocking to some.  But you are  
right.  We can't get into the conversation unless the risk of making  
the offensive point about shared power is taken.  With your   
observation in hand, I can see edits to improve the first sentence so  
that point begins to clarify, as follows:

"E-governance is the uses of ICTs TO MODIFY the exercise of power AS  
IT IS PERCEIVED by various levels of government so that all people,  
particularly the poor and marginalized, can PARTICIPATE IN policy,  
improve their livelihoods and gain a SHARED voice in the public  
decision making process.  E-governance changes behavior in relation  
to power in the direction of open and collaborative communities of  
interaction."

GG

On 8-Mar-08, at 8:54 AM, Michael Gurstein wrote:
> Let me make a few other comments interspersed within an edited  
> version of
> your note...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Garth Graham [mailto:garth.graham at telus.net]
> Sent: March 3, 2008 9:41 AM
> To: governance
> Cc: Michael Gurstein; Ronda Hauben
> Subject: Re: [governance] WSIS, ICT4D, the IGF and other...
>
> ...... "E-governance is the uses of ICTs in the exercise of power  
> by various
> levels of government so that all people, particularly the poor and
> marginalized, can influence policy, improve their livelihoods and
> gain a greater voice in the public decision making process.  E-
> governance changes behavior in relation to power in the direction of
> open and collaborative communities of interaction."
>
> I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS GARTH AS E-GOVERNANCE FOR ME IS NOT ABOUT
> GOVERNMENTS SHARING WITH CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO  
> "INFLUENCE" (I.E. TOP
> DOWN) BUT RATHER CITIZENS DIRECTLY SHARING (VIA ICTS) IN THE  
> PROCESS OF
> GOVERNANCE WITH EXISTING GOVERNMENTAL BODIES HOWEVER THAT MIGHT BE  
> ORGANIZED
> AND WHATEVER THE RELATIONSHIP MIGHT BE OF THIS WITH EXISTING  
> REPRESENTATIVE
> GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURES.
>
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