[governance] On Funding and Incorporation

[Fouad Bajwa]

I think everyone is in suggestion mode sharing ideas at the moment so
we should just collect the suggestions, ideas and thoughts at the
moment and as shared elsewhere in another thread on this topic we can
collect all these responses from all of us members and put them
together in a single document and have a survey/vote for consensus on
the ideas and suggestions to go forward with.

Regarding the concern here, I think if we look at the IGC membership
list, participants like us from the developing world are a good answer
of both individual and organizational civil society actors.

I feel that we are all currently suggesting so critic should be
limited at this stage till the collection of suggestion comes out for
consensus comments and suggestions.

On Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 10:52 PM, Michael Gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm not exactly sure what Bertrand means by "civil society" actors but it
> seems to me that there is already significant focus on "individuals" as
> participants in IG processes by for example Diplo and the IGF.  What seems
> to me to be lacking and something that should be of concern to the IGC both
> in the context of the IGF and elsewhere is lack of significant participation
> (or even organizational development) on the part of a wider range of
> Internet related civil society organizations particularly those with a more
> grassroots and practitioner base and orientation although this seem to be
> starting to develop through the regional IGFs.
>
> We need go no further than our television screens or online news services to
> see the significance of grassroots civil society currently in Copenhagen.
> There were similar manifestations around the Beijing Women's conference and
> very significant grassroots civil society coaltions in areas such as the
> International Land Coaliton www.landcoaliton.org
>
> Focussing rather less on identifying individuals to bring into this rather
> rarefied fold and rather more on linking with and enabling groups with a
> broader range of practical on the ground Internet related concerns might be
> a useful exercise all round.
>
> Mike Gurstein
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bertrand de La Chapelle [mailto:bdelachapelle at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 6:26 AM
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
> Subject: [governance] On Funding and Incorporation
>
> Dear all,
>
> just two cents on the topics in the title recently raised on the list.
>
> 1) on funding
>
> Irrespective of possible sources, amounts, structures, procedures, etc...
> there is a function that the IGC has some legitimacy to undertake (whether
> it is called a "project" or not) : facilitating the participation of civil
> society actors from developing countries in Internet Governance Processes.
> It can take the form of supporting/organizing remote hubs and participatory
> tools, supporting the emergence of local (national and regional) IGFs, or
> even selecting and funding the physical participation of individuals in the
> global IGF. All this is already done to a certain level. Soliciting funding
> from Foundations to develop such activities (provided there is clear
> procedures, transparency, etc...) would be very valuable.
>
> In addition, this would require defining selection criteria and procedures
> that would be fair, transparent, as well as geographically and gender
> balanced, which is not an easy task. But any solution that the IGC would
> come up with could be an important contribution. Everybody is trying to find
> a proper answer to this question, including well intentioned governments :
> apart from elections and NomComs, what are the possible modalities to form
> multi-stakeholder groups (like the MAG or any thematic working group) ? The
> IGC has been instrumental in dreaming the Forum; can it now contribute to
> developing some of its working methods ?
>
> 2) On incorporation
>
> As I think I have mentioned a few years ago on this list when the same
> discussion had emerged, the challenge is : what are the possibilities to
> create a structure directly at the international level ? Today, any
> association must be based in one country and then develop its activities in
> other countries by setting up subsidiaries, etc... Could there be a way to
> establish something directly at the global level ?
>
> We have heard that Switzerland has created a new status for international
> non-for profit organizations that would do just that, ie : allowing the
> creation of an international organization that is not inter-governmental. I
> do not need to highlight on this list that efficient exploration of this
> question is of a certain value in the discussion on the future legal status
> of ICANN.
>
> As long as no solution is available to create non-profit organizations
> directly at the global level, we are all stuck with the alternative of
> either an entity based in one country (and then why this one rather than
> another one ?) or an international organization in the traditional sense
> (that requires a treaty between states).
>
> ---------------------------
>
> For all the reasons above, and even if for a large part the debate is a
> rehashed one, those two issues have an importance that goes beyond the IGC
> itself. Do not hesitate to address them, the contribution can be greater
> than you think.
>
> Best
>
> Bertrand (in a personal capacity of course)
>
>
>
>
> --
> ____________________
> Bertrand de La Chapelle
>
> Tel : +33 (0)6 11 88 33 32
>
> "Le plus beau métier des hommes, c'est d'unir les hommes" Antoine de Saint
> Exupéry
> ("there is no greater mission for humans than uniting humans")
>
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>



-- 
Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa
Advisor & Researcher
ICT4D & Internet Governance
Member Multistakeholder Advisory Group (IGF)
Member Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC)
My Blog: Internet's Governance
http://internetsgovernance.blogspot.com/
Follow my Tweets:
http://twitter.com/fouadbajwa
MAG Interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATVDW1tDZzA
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