[governance] FYI: Letter from Bulgarian Internet community

[Norbert Klein]

Thanks, Parminder, for extending the text of the quote.

Living in Cambodia, I know what "sponsorship" can mean.


Norbert

=

On Sunday, 31 May 2009 23:20:47 Parminder wrote:

> George Sadowsky wrote:
> > All,
> >
> > I believe that what Jefsey writes about platinum members of ISOC being
> > able to designate areas for standardization (presumably in the IETF,
> > since that's where that happens) is and incorrect.  The quote below
> > does not come from the page he references.
>
> George,
>
> What Jefsey wrote does come directly from the document he links, if you
> keep reading it after the quote you refer to. The full quote in the
> document is:
>
> "The Platinum Sponsorship Program allows your  company to specifically
> designate areas or projects to be supported in the fields of a)
> Standards, b) Public Policy or c) Education and Training. Your
> organization will have enhanced, direct consultation with ISOC regarding
> its activities in your funded area. Additional benefits also apply."
>
> > The actual quote on that page is:
> >
> >     "Supporting our Platinum Program gives your company the ability to
> >     focus your contributions specifically on the essential work of the
> >     IETF and our Standards activities.."
> >
> > Supporting the standards activities in general is not the same as, as
> > he suggests,  specifically designating areas or projects to be
> > supported in the fields of standards.
> >
> > George
>
> Now that you know what he quoted is correct, what are your comments on
> it, as someone who I understand is closely associated with ISOC.  BTW
> the term 'enhanced .... consultations' reminds me of something :) but
> that is another matter .
>
> I have a huge problem with anyone being allowed to buy a position on the
> governance system of a body which is either closely involved in policy
> making, or claims to be  a civil society body (and ISOCs seems to do
> both). I also have problem with providing any kind of preferred access
> to policy spaces for private interests that are impacted by the
> concerned policies, which is expressly mentioned in the above quote. My
> concerns follow from what are hallowed canons of democratic societies,
> and the fact that we are increasingly compromising them is indeed alarming.
>
> I find these practices fundamentally antithetical to building of
> legitimate and democratic governance and civil society structures and
> basically against public interest. However, regrettably, the ideology
> behind these kinds of practices is catching on which I think is one of
> the biggest dangers our society faces today. (Remember, it was tried at
> the IGF as well, with a threat to pull out funding if certain issues
> were raised at the IGF.)
>
> I brought up exactly the same point at the recent workshop on APC-CoE's
> proposed code of good practices on participation, transparency etc. The
> list of the IG organizations reviewed in the study done by David Souter
> for the above proposed code included ISOC. I inter alia raised the issue
> that we also need to review practices related to the relationship of
> funding with seats in governance structures and preferred access to
> policy spaces. This is an important aspect of participation and
> transparency, which just cannot be left out.
>
> I earnestly hope that ISOC as a body involved in policy making, or as a
> civil society entity, or both, will respond to these key issues that are
> being raised about its practices.
>
> Parminder
>
> PS: At another place the ISOC doc says: "...you can direct your support
> dollars towards  the Internet Society's public policy activities and
> ensure that your voice will be heard on  these critical issues". Does
> ISOC act as a lobbying organization on behalf of any big corporate that
> can afford to pay it? Are the public policy positions of ISOC then not
> obviously disproportionately influenced by these big corporate funders?
> These are important questions ISOC must answer as a key player in the
> public arena vis a vis IG issues.


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