RES: [governance] ICANN staff member and Stratfor

[Riaz K Tayob]

Unfortunately, I never know what this (focus) means.

On the one hand, it is simply a process issue - stick to the agenda.

On the other, it is stifling interrogation of public issues and the 
public role of people in these processes. There might be a tinge of ad 
hominem in this, but that is just how it goes in informal discussions - 
the issue relates to principles and how we operate. Surely this is quite 
important. Unless of course importance/civic engagement  is judged by 
other measures like closeness to power or the will to preserve the 
status quo.

So this is simultaneously about Veni, but also not about him - as this 
is an issue that will endure.

What this does provide is an insight into how civil society is often an 
ugly place where powerful players (like ICANN whose legitimacy at the 
most generous is questionable) enter and influence issues in their own 
interest, often in the guise of being "reasonable", "focussed", 
"pragmatic" which as a/(one) Third Worldist is far too often code words 
for shutting up about the "acceptably unsayable".

As long as reason is being used, these issues should be interrogated. Of 
course since this is a "public" list, there is a "right" or opportunity 
to be heard, but what this indicates is that civil society views can be 
"bought and paid for" which would mean that public interests can be 
marginalised or sidelined. Now this is not to say that private interests 
(whether of the powerful or otherwise) and public interests cannot 
coincide, it is just not necessarily so - eg that ICANN can do no good 
(it can and has improved governance, etc), but it does mean that public 
interests proponents have more reason to sceptical of a confluence of 
interests which ought to be subject to greater interpretation. And there 
needs to be much more toleration of dissent as well as diversity (it is 
often painful to read the interactions with Parminder and others, to be 
frank - but things are a lot better since the good ol' days of Bolton 
and Bush).

The ticket, for me, to participate in civil society is reason. We 
cooperate based on some universal conceptions that hopefully allows us 
to come sort of consensus. We talk in universals and abstractions so 
that issues can be moved collectively. But these abstractions are 
subject to paradiastole, parochial interpretations, manipulation by 
dominant interests, etc, etc. So Debates like this allow us not only to 
be instrumentalist but focus on being self-reflective, at least up to a 
point.

What is important for me at a general level is that we can no longer 
take lightly the disproportionate power wielded by powerful actors who 
make common cause with civil society players, common cause may be more 
contingent than many would prefer. Simply because powerful players are 
effective does not in any way mean that they or their actions are more 
legitimate.

riaz




On 2012/03/06 09:25 PM, Vanda UOL wrote:
> Thanks for your anticipation Tina. I was eagle to jump to complain about
> this kind of rumors around this relevant list. Let´s keep it  more focused
> on the issues that are relevant for the governance itself.
> All the best,
>
>
> Vanda Scartezini
> Acesse: http://nomcom.icann.org e candidate-se!
> Access: http://nomcom.icann.org and apply!
> Polo Consultores Associados
> IT Trend
> Alameda Santos 1470 – conj. 1407
> 01418-903 São Paulo,SP, Brasil
> Tel + 5511 3266.6253
> Mob + 55118181.1464
> Dissemine esta idéia:
> Digite o dominio ao inves do telefone.
> Domain dialing
>    www.siter.com
>
>   
>
>
>
> -----Mensagem original-----
> De: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org
> [mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] Em nome de Tina Dam
> Enviada em: terça-feira, 6 de março de 2012 02:28
> Para: governance at lists.igcaucus.org; McTim
> Cc: Milton L Mueller
> Assunto: Re: [governance] ICANN staff member and Stratfor
>
> I don't see anything in this story at all. Also, please note that Veni did
> provide a comment to the article on domainincite. So really, unless anybody
> has any proof of anything bad having happened (which I don't see) then I
> would suggest the topic is useless.
>
> Also, I find it kind of rude to speak about someone else and this type of
> rumors without cc'ing the person on the conversations. I would hope that if
> the conversation was about me that I would be brought into the email so that
> I could at least have my say.
>
> On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 9:23 PM, McTim<dogwallah at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> On 3/6/12, Milton L Mueller<mueller at syr.edu>  wrote:
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>
>>>> Might be, if it wasn't ludicrous...Veni was a member of this list
>>>> for many years, not a likely activity for a "Bulgarian billionaire
>>>> telecommunications oligarch".
>>> [Milton L Mueller]
>>>
>>> Not sure what your point is, McTim. True, he is not a billionaire
>>> telecom oligarch
>> that was my point!
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Cheers,
>>
>> McTim
>> "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
>> route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel
>>
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> 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