[governance] Inputs for synthesis paper

Parminder parminder at itforchange.net
Tue Sep 9 01:51:22 EDT 2008


Tapani

> > In fact I am fine if one is ready to accept a long list of all these
> rights,
> > and not mention the terms negative, positive and collective rights. That
> > merely would mean one thinks all these rights, along with those that may
> be
> > considered negative and positive rights are in the same category, and
> need
> > not be differentiated. I could in fact be happier with such a position.
> 
> That might be a useful approach.

Ok, then lets do that. We will not use the terms negative, positive and
collective rights, since we are not able to agree on analytical difference/
meaning etc. In fact in doing so we may be affirming the indivisibility of
human rights as agreed in many global human rights documents, including of
the UN. WSIS declaration of principles affirms 'the universality,
indivisibility, interdependence and interrelation of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms...'

Accordingly, I propose the contested para to be, 


"The openness and diversity of the internet are underpinned by widely
recognized (but still imperfectly enforced) basic human rights: the
individual right to freedom of expression and to privacy. It may also be
useful to explore if and how other kinds of rights may be meaningful in
relation to the Internet; for instance, a 'right to the Internet', which may
relate to the IGF's 'access' theme, and a right of cultural expression -
including the right to have an Internet in ones own language, which can
inform the important IGF thematic area of 'cultural diversity'."

I have deliberately kept the connection to IGF's thematic areas because if
we do make this proposed input we will need to take it forward towards
achieving our real objective of getting a rights-based agenda to underpin
IGF's deliberations. 

In fact not just going with FoE and privacy rights is also important in this
context. Such a text can never get accepted as the basis of full range of
IGF's work and discussions. 

Parminder 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tapani Tarvainen [mailto:tapani.tarvainen at effi.org]
> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 10:41 PM
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
> Subject: Re: [governance] Inputs for synthesis paper
> 
> On Mon, Sep 08, 2008 at 10:02:20PM +0530, Parminder
> (parminder at itforchange.net) wrote:
> 
> > 'Collective rights' is obviously an analytical category and not a right
> as
> > such. So when I speak of collective rights I am clearly meaning specific
> > rights like rights of indigenous people, linguistic rights, cultural
> rights,
> > minority rights, right to development etc.
> 
> > To say that one doesn't believe in collective rights one must be able to
> say
> > that one doesn't believe in the above rights.
> 
> It does not follow if one does not agree that those rights are collective.
> 
> I suspect one or maybe the key problem here is that the term indeed
> carries different meanings, and people want to reject some of them.
> 
> In particular, probably few (?) people would oppose collective
> rights as justification of individual rights - rights individuals
> would have because of their membership in a group.
> The opposition stems from the other meaning, where collective
> rights would justify depriving individuals of their rights.
> 
> > In fact I am fine if one is ready to accept a long list of all these
> rights,
> > and not mention the terms negative, positive and collective rights. That
> > merely would mean one thinks all these rights, along with those that may
> be
> > considered negative and positive rights are in the same category, and
> need
> > not be differentiated. I could in fact be happier with such a position.
> 
> That might be a useful approach.
> 
> --
> Tapani Tarvainen
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