[governance] The Lessons of Egypt (ISOC statement)

[Michael Gurstein]

-----Original Message-----
From:  On Behalf Of Gene Gaines
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 2:59 PM
Subject: Re:   The Lessons of Egypt



I am glad to see this from ISOC:


Internet Society Statement on Egypt's Internet Shutdown
28 January 2011

We are following the current events in Egypt with concern as it appears that
all incoming and outgoing Internet traffic has been disrupted. The Internet
Society believes that the Internet is a global medium that fundamentally
supports opportunity, empowerment, knowledge, growth, and freedom and that
these values should never be taken away from individuals.

The Internet Society considers this recent action by the Egyptian government
to block Internet traffic to be an inappropriate response to a political
crisis. It is a very serious decision for a government to block all Internet
access in its country, and a serious intrusion into its citizens' basic
rights to communicate. If the blockage continues, it will have a very
detrimental impact on Egypt's economy and society. Ultimately, the Egyptian
people and nation are the ones that will suffer, while the rest of the world
will be worse off with the loss of Egyptian voices on the net.

However we are most concerned about the safety and security of the Egyptian
people. Alongside the rest of the world, we share the hope for a positive
and lasting solution to the problems that have risen to the surface there.

In the longer term, we are sure that the world will learn a lesson from this
very unfortunate example, and come to understand that cutting off a nation's
access to the Internet only serves to fuel dissent and does not address the
underlying causes of dissatisfaction.

Also available at:  <http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=3091>
http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=3091

The Internet Society
"The Internet is for Everyone"
http://www.internetsociety.org <http://www.internetsociety.org/> 




Gene Gaines

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