[governance] Inputs for synthesis paper

[Norbert Klein]

Let me also come in here. I am not sure if it is acceptable how I try to enter 
into this debate: I think it is not clear what the purpose of the draft is – 
at least it is not clear to me. Of course, in terms of intended procedures, I 
know. But...

We seem to be caught in a philosophical debate – about individual or 
collective rights.

A few days ago I read in a Japanese mailing list that people in the three very 
different communes of Ayabe, Shoubara, and Yukichou, in different regions of 
Japan, have organized and try to start legal action because of the poor 
Internet connection they have: while a lot of tasks of public administration 
are offred by the authorities online (often requiring broadband access to 
handle huge documents) –  they are disadvantaged. Others are disadvanaged 
because educational programs offered to the public cannot be accessed 
reasonably (again: broaband access required) and as a result the people are 
educatinally deprived, compared to the majority of the citizens in the 
country etc. 

I do not have many more details – but I imagine that the people who feel 
excluded from what is offered to the society in general do not much argue if 
they claim individual or collective rights – they are just motivated to get 
over their deprivation, which many individuals felt, some individuals 
articulated, and finally a “collective” is trying to get their situation 
brought up to the general standard in their society, by legal action.

The debate whether claims are always made in terms of “my individual right” 
even when they are made by a group of individuals who may or may not consider 
this as a group right, has no commonly shared answer – neither throughout 
history, nor in all possible localities.

Do we have to get it philosophically clear, or do we want to point towards 
some directions which might be solved by some joint legal activities 
(different in diffeent situaios)? If we want to work towards both anyway – 
might it then be possible to avoid the unsolved philosophical basis? 


Norbert Klein
Open Institute/Cambodia
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