[governance] DRAFT IGC Response to Questionnaire on improvements

[Deirdre Williams]

I think it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. From my
perspective - I'm not sure how devilish - the whole process is about
encouraging people to think about different things and possibly in different
ways. To make different connections (of ideas and also with people) than the
ones they were making before.
So I would argue that the IGF has accomplished, and that the national and
regional IGFs are evidence of that accomplishment. If it had accomplished
nothing then there would be no regional and national imitators.
I would also suggest that the regional and national IGFs often create
different combinations of people than are present in the "existing national
institutions", and that in itself is an achievement.
The "devil's advocate" argument seems to lead inexorably to "let's not
bother at all" which is, I suppose, another way of looking at things.
Deirdre

On 13 November 2010 11:36, Milton L Mueller <mueller at syr.edu> wrote:

> Dierdre,
>
> Let’s play devil’s advocate: Why are regional and national IGFs a “huge
> outcome?”
>
> If a global IGF doesn’t accomplish anything, multiplication of the model at
> lower levels doesn’t accomplish anything, either, right?
>
> In particular, what do national IGF’s accomplish that are not possible
> within the framework of existing national institutions?
>
>
>
> *From:* Deirdre Williams [mailto:williams.deirdre at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Saturday, November 13, 2010 8:22 AM
> *To:* governance at lists.cpsr.org; Ginger Paque
> *Cc:* McTim; Izumi AIZU; cstd at igf-online.net
> *Subject:* Re: [governance] DRAFT IGC Response to Questionnaire on
> improvements
>
>
>
> I have a problem anyway about "tangible outcomes" - I can feel Rui
> breathing down my neck :-)
>
> I feel that the proliferation of national and regional IGFs is a HUGE
> outcome which can certainly be demonstrated and documented if not actually
> touched.
>
> Also, as Ginger suggests, remote participation and the access it affords to
> the previously excluded.
>
> Galvanising a huge chunk of the whole world into some type of action -
> holding national and regional meetings - in just 5 years, is something like
> finding Archimedes lever, and I think we should look at it like that.
>
>
>
> Under #2 I wonder whether it would be possible to produce brief summary
> reports, in layman's language, WITHOUT ANY ACRONYMS, for dissemination to
> those who are currently "outsiders".
>
> Also I wish we could think of a "sexy" approach to involve the print and
> broadcast media in spreading the word. A comic strip? A soap opera?
>
>
>
> #3 I am from a developing country. Recently an NGO here had a problem for
> which it hired consultants. It then transpired that the same problem had
> been addressed by consultants 10 years ago, and the report, the
> recommendations, had sat on the shelf, unused, essentially "lost", for 10
> years. Recommendations may be tangible but they are frequently seen as an
> end in themselves rather than being a plan for a "way forward". I am rather
> "anti" about recommendations, unless they are accompanied by some type of
> actual "implementation".
>
>
>
> #4 para 2 there is an important "not" missing I think -  "have NOT yet
> gained sufficient level of work at IGF"
>
>
>
> I like #6b and I LOVE #6e :-)
>
>
>
> Thank you for making the draft
>
>
>
> Deirdre
>
> On 13 November 2010 08:33, Ginger Paque <gpaque at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I agree with McTim strongly on this...
> There is no reason to emphasize a 'negative' position on achieving the
> assigned outcome.
>
> In fact, I think it makes more sense to note that there have been many have
> been tangible and intangible positive outcomes directly/indirectly from the
> IGF process, beyond awareness-raising and bringing IG issues to regional IGF
> meetings--what about the emergence and development of the multistakeholder
> model? How about the advances in remote participation, permitting greater
> inclusion in global policy processes? What about the diffusion and
> replication of best practices?
>
> The question doesn't ask about our frustration, it asks what we consider
> the most important achievement. If we must point out the frustration, should
> it not at least be balanced by appreciation for \ the positive effects? At
> least we should answer the question!
>
> Thanks for doing this work. Much appreciated. I am in the middle of a
> workshop in Tobago, and have not reviewed carefully. I think others should
> voice their positions as well.
>
> *
> Ginger (Virginia) Paque
> *IGCBP Online Coordinator
> DiploFoundation
> www.diplomacy.edu/ig
>
> *The latest from Diplo...*
> http://igbook.diplomacy.edu is the online companion to *An Introduction to
> Internet Governance, *Diplo's publication on IG. Download the book, read
> the blogs and post your comments.
>
>
> On 11/12/2010 10:58 PM, McTim wrote:
>
> Pretty good reply overall.
>
>
>
> I would strike "Yet we still have not seen real tangible outcome
>
> directly out of IGF process."
>
>
>
> As there are not supposed to be real tangible outcomes, are there??
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>     governance at lists.cpsr.org
> To be removed from the list, send any message to:
>     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org
>
> For all list information and functions, see:
>     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
>
> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>
>
>
>
> --
> “The fundamental cure for poverty is not money but knowledge" Sir William
> Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
>



-- 
“The fundamental cure for poverty is not money but knowledge" Sir William
Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.igcaucus.org/pipermail/governance/attachments/20101115/6a580d34/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t