[governance] FW: Our internet is at risk

Fri Jun 1 20:28:34 EDT 2012

Dear Avri,

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 8:46 PM, Avri Doria <avri at acm.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have always had trouble with this dichotomy:
>
> - don't participate to avoid giving legitimacy
> - participate and stop something from happening
>
> While I object to WCIT attempt to take over Internet Governance, I am not quite ready to say that the ITU has no role in telecommunications.

Or even that they have no voice in multistakeholder participatory
democratic modalities on Internet Governance.  they too get a voice.
>
> And if the ITU has a voice and role, then civil society must be part of that voice.

The ITU has a voice and role in the IGF; What it now attempts to do is
to take the process to its own turf and also close the doors for
stakeholders.

In this context, what Koven Ronald says is right.

However, Civil Society needs to be a part of WCIT to help the ITU get
its Telecom Business Policy in order. ITU needs some strong feedback
from stakeholders on the gaps in its work on the Telecom peering
arrangements and other convenient omissions that cause some of its
Telecom members have an excessive advantage over many others. These
gaps leave the Telecom users around the world in a situation where
users are charged artificially bloated prices while on International
roaming, for example.

Sivasubramanian M

>
> So the demand for civil society participation in ITU sectors and in WCIT deliberations remains an overall good in my mind.
>
> I do understand that ITU would use the press to make any participation seem like capitulation to their power grab.  So for any civil society group that does particpate, making sure the press knows why you are participating becomes critical.
>
> avri
>
>
>
>
> On 31 May 2012, at 10:46, Koven Ronald wrote:
>
>> From my standpoint. this approach widely misses the point.
>>
>> The ITU should be told to back off because Internet users don't want or need oversight by a UN agency controlled by its member governments.
>>
>> Telling ITU that we want to be part of its negotiation process concedes beforehand the idea that the ITU's bid to become the global Interent oversight body is legitimate.
>>
>> Asking to attend the ITU review meeting is a different matter, but asking to be included in the negotiating process -- even implicitly -- is a recognition that such a negotiation is acceptable.
>>
>> The phrase in this text,  "Civil society needs a voice in the ITU negotiations," in effect concedes the point beforehand. It means the game would be over before it even got started.
>>
>> Bests, Rony Koven, European Representative, World Press Freedom Committee
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com>
>> To: governance <governance at lists.igcaucus.org>
>> Sent: Thu, May 31, 2012 4:13 pm
>> Subject: [governance] FW: Our internet is at risk
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Access Now [mailto:access at accessnow.org]
>> Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 7:26 AM
>> To: Michael Gurstein
>> Subject: Our internet is at risk
>>
>>
>> Countries like China and Russia are trying to expand the power of a closed UN body to give governments more control over the internet. Tell the ITU we don't want it deciding the future of the internet and to make its plans public!
>>
>> Michael,
>> The internet we’ve come to know and love -- one that's open, decentralized, and governed by many stakeholders -- is threatened.
>>
>> Right now, several countries, including China and Russia, are proposing to expand the powers of a non-transparent global institution, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), allowing it to change the rules on how our internet is used and governed. And what's worse, the ITU won't even release their negotiating documents to the public or give internet users a seat at the table.
>> The ITU isn't used to public accountability, but together we can change that. Let's tell the ITU that we don't want a secretive body where only governments have a vote deciding the future of our internet!
>> Click here to sign the petition demanding the ITU makes its plans public and we'll work on delivering the petition at their next planning meeting.
>> The ITU gives every country one vote -- that's why it’s crucial we call upon our individual governments to support our cause. Multi-stakeholder governance of the internet is one of the reasons we can so easily access sites around the world, share with our friends on social networks, and participate in a global community.
>> Now, with the ITU renegotiating a new treaty this year, China, Russia, and others are pushing proposals that would give governments greater control over how you access the internet. Imagine how that might impact your privacy, security, and freedom of speech online.
>> The ITU has played an important role in telecommunications and spectrum management and its use for development, but this is not cause for expanding its mandate. While an evolution of internet governance is needed (including an examination of the role of the US), it should evolve in the same way that it was originally designed -- in an open, decentralized, and inclusive manner.
>>
>> Civil society needs a voice in the ITU negotiations. We've cosigned a letter with other organizations including the CDT (USA), CIS (India), FGV (Brazil), EFF (USA), and EIPR (Egypt) urging all stakeholders to be a part of this process and for the ITU to be transparent in their negotiations.
>> Click here to join us in our call to keep the ITU from regulating the internet, publicly release its plans, and respect our role in the internet's future by signing the petition below.
>> In solidarity,
>> The Access Team
>> For more information:
>> Civil Society urges openness, multi-stakeholder process for WCIT
>> ITU Move to Expand Powers Threatens the Internet
>> Hey ITU Member States: No More Secrecy, Release the Treaty Proposals
>> Access is an international NGO that promotes open access to the internet as a means to free, full and safe participation in society and the realization of human rights. To help protect the internet around the world, you can donate to Access. To reply, please email info at accessnow.org. To unsubscribe, go to: http://www.accessnow.org/unsubscribe
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>>
>> governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>>
>> To be removed from the list, visit:
>>
>> http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>>
>>
>> For all other list information and functions, see:
>>
>> http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
>>
>> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>>
>> http://www.igcaucus.org/
>>
>>
>> Translate this email:
>> http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
> To be removed from the list, visit:
>     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>
> For all other list information and functions, see:
>     http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>     http://www.igcaucus.org/
>
> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
>

-------------- next part --------------
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
To be removed from the list, visit:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing

For all other list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/

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