[governance] on Observers at MAG meeting
Katitza Rodriguez
katitza at eff.org
Thu Feb 24 18:27:28 EST 2011
Hola,
I agree that there is a need for civil society to organize ourselves
in a strategic way, to ensure that we can participate most effectively
in this process. In particular, it would be beneficial for civil
society to have a meeting - in private among civil society (which this
list is not) - to discuss our strategy, goals and proposals before the
next MAG meeting.
We should ensure that we have a virtual meeting just before the next
MAG to coordinate among us, and to make sure that we know what are our
common positions. This will enable MAG civil society members who are
present at the meeting to be most effective - both at presenting
common positions, and also at picking up and running with suggestions
of the members at large that are put forward during the meeting.
While I appreciate the efforts that the Secretariat made to help those
of us trying to participate remotely today, it is clear to me that it
is simply not possible to rely completely on the live-time remote
participation facilities for ensuring effective civil society input
for several reasons.
First, there were ongoing technical glitches with the video stream
today. The video and audio tracks disappeared or were not working
properly during long periods of time today, and unfortunately at key
moments of the discussion. I spent time coordinating with tech
support. There were a need to scroll down the transcripts which was
also uncomfortable. Second, there was a significant time lag, or
latency, between the actual discussion on situ and when you were able
to raise your hands and speak. This made it impossible to add comments
at the right time, in the flow of the conversation, as the discussion
on that topic was taking place. Several times, I found myself giving
my comment after the topic of discussion had changed. Obviously it is
hard for civil society to shape the discussion if we are having to add
our comments only *after* the discussion has moved on or be able to
make a second intervention as soon after other stakeholder put forward
their message. Third, decisions were taken today at times when the
video and sound and transcript were not working; (ie. when the right
of observers to speak was discussed) all of a sudden it would come
back, and only then I would discover that something had been decided
and concluded. Taken together, these problems made effective remote
participation frustrating and difficult.
But my sense is that there are strategies that we could use to better
address this next time, if we can have a private meeting to coordinate
before hand.
Finally, I want to apologize for not being able to attend the meeting
in person and explain why I was not able to do so. First and foremost,
there was no funding support for civil society to attend. I work for a
member-supported non profit organization. We do not have a travel
budget. Second, the confirmation that a MAG meeting would actually
take place came so late that I could not change my existing
commitments and travel schedule. Like all of you, I have multiple
commitments and my schedule is set in advance. I arrived back in San
Francisco a few hours before the meeting started. I joined the meeting
at 3am my time, after close to 20 hours of travel the day before. With
more time and notice, I might have been able to scrounge up funds or
flying points to do so, but it was not possible in the time that we
were given. In short, we need to have more notice of these meetings
if we are going to ensure more civil society participation.
I would therefore like to suggest that we ask the Secretariat to set
the dates for the next MAG meeting with sufficient time to allow those
of us in civil society to make affordable travel arrangements so that
we can attend. We know it is in May but no dates have been given so
far. I would also like to suggest that civil society should have a
virtual meeting(s) to coordinate among ourselves as soon as the next
MAG meeting dates are announced.
gracias,
Katitza
On Feb 24, 2011, at 2:08 PM, Marilia Maciel wrote:
> I am not sure I understood your comment:
> Perhaps MAG meetings work better when there are not so many observers?
>
> I have been to many open consultations but this is my first MAG
> meeting and although I believe it is odd that people who are there
> with ideas could not speak their minds, I wonder if allowing
> observers to speak would not bring prejudice to multistakeholder
> equilibrium in the MAG. It would give the ones that have more
> facility to be in geneva more voice and more power. Of course,
> people who had the status of advisers are a different story.
>
> But anyway the fact that observers could not speak on the mic today
> did not mean they stayed quiet. There were Skype and Gtalk messages
> flying all around and some ideas from observers came through and
> were spoken by MAG members. This silent presence did have an impact.
>
> I would like to hear MAG members opinions on this question as well,
> but my logic tells me that transparency and increased chance for
> accountability puts pressure for MAG members to work better...
> Doesn't it?
>
> Marilia
>
> On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Anriette Esterhuysen <anriette at apc.org
> > wrote:
> Clarification below McTim:
>
> On 24/02/11 20:33, McTim wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 7:00 PM, Anriette Esterhuysen <anriette at apc.org
> > wrote:
> >> I would hope that the MAG tries to distill the inputs from the
> written
> >> submissions, and the open consultation.
> >>
> >> I am not quite sure that is what happened today.
> >>
> >> My other observations, as an observer, are:
> >>
> >> * The MAG should make use of small group discussions who make
> proposals
> >> on content and themes, with these groups then coming back into
> plenary
> >>
> >> * The technical community and the private sector is extremely well
> >> prepared and organised, and, in attendance. Therefore they are
> the most
> >> influential group by far in the MAG.
> >>
> >> * Civil society members of the MAG are doing their best, but
> battling.
> >>
> >> * Civil society is prepared in that people have proposals, text and
> >> ideas, but is not well organised on site and not prepared for
> effective
> >> participation in the meeting.
> >>
> >> * Government participation is very limited... with good efforts
> from
> >> Brazil, India and a handful of northern governments.
> >>
> >> * There are some MAG members who don't participate at all. Why
> are they
> >> there?
> >>
> >> * It is not a very developing country or civil society friendly
> space.
> >>
> >> * I think the private sector and the technical community should
> reflect
> >> on their strategies
> >
> >
> > What is their strategy(ies)?
>
> Would be good if people from tech community and business can respond
> themselves.
> >
> >
> > ... they work in the short term, but will they work
> >> in the long term? They feed into the criticism of the IGF from
> certain
> >> governments which, whatever our view of it may be, is not
> conducive to
> >> making this process achieve its goals. Their withdrawal from the
> process
> >> makes it less and less valuable for those of us who need to and
> want to
> >> work with/challenge our governments to deal with basic internet
> access,
> >> regulation, openness etc. issues.
> >
> >
> > How are they withdrawing if they "extremely well
> > prepared and organised, and, in attendance. Therefore they are the
> > most influential group by far in the MAG."
> >
> Two different 'theys'.
>
> It is governments that are withdrawing, or have withdrawn. Some have
> never really participated. I was not referring to the business and
> tech
> community.
>
> Personally I am really critical of governments who don't participate.
> Kenya was the only African government that, as the host, made an
> effort
> to comment on the IGF programme.
>
> I believe they should work inside the IGF space.
>
> But their lack of participation also weakens the IGF and the IGF's
> legitimacy and impact.
>
> My point was, that, sitting in a MAG meeting, I really empathise with
> developing country governments... it is not easy to make an impact, or
> get your points across. If English is not your first language, and you
> don't have very well though out positions it is even harder.
>
> Perhaps MAG meetings work better when there are not so many observers?
> What do MAG members think?
>
> Anriette
>
>
> > ??
> >
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------
> anriette esterhuysen anriette at apc.org
> executive director
> association for progressive communications
> www.apc.org
> ____________________________________________________________
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> --
> Centro de Tecnologia e Sociedade
> FGV Direito Rio
>
> Center for Technology and Society
> Getulio Vargas Foundation
> Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
> ____________________________________________________________
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