[governance] Report on WCIT // Suggested Next Steps

[michael gurstein]

Excellent to raise these issues, Norbert, but I think it is inappropriate to cast these matters as "fears and concerns"... they are (potentially) statements of fact and the issue is how/when/who will effectively undertake the research needed to establish some of this.  (It seems like a useful undertaking for UNCTAD with its renewed research mandate for example.)

The problem in doing the research is that so many of the categories and assumptions of conventional research in this area are immensely value laden (take a look at how GNP is calculated sometime for example) but if one starts one's research from an attempt to determine who is benefiting from ICT induced/enabled social and economic change (and who is not) and with the overall goal of finding policy mechanisms to help to ensure some degree of equity in longer term outcomes of these changes then we will be some considerable way along the path of understanding.

As I was trying to say in my comments to the WSIS +10 Review, I think that this is perhaps the most important area to be discussed in the WSIS +10 meeting itself (and to direct the research leading up to that meeting...

M

-----Original Message-----
From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org [mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Norbert Bollow
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2013 6:28 AM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
Subject: Re: [governance] Report on WCIT // Suggested Next Steps

Baudouin SCHOMBE <b.schombe at gmail.com> wrote:

> thank you for the reminder and I had completely escaped yet it is a 
> very important report that I must use for exchanges at the local 
> level. Again, thank you for this reminder. the report is downloaded 
> and will be sharing all away.
> > The report can be downloaded from:
> > http://www.slideshare.net/ocl999/what-happened-at-wcit-in-december-2
> > 012

Here's one significant point that I think would be worthwhile to
discuss:

Page 24 contains this observation:

  It is generally believed by many countries from the “South” that the
  Internet is actually run and controlled by the United States and its
  allies – and that the network is used as a spearhead to weaken their
  own economies by bringing enormous social and political change at a
  pace that is disruptive, with no ability for those affected to
  control this. It is felt that the Internet is governed by the world’s
  strongest economies and multi-nationals for their own purposes. These
  are real concerns, not only by the government delegates present at
  WCIT, but felt by the average citizen in many of these countries.

Which parts of these observed fears and concerns are real unsolved problems, and which parts are just fruits of rhetorical dramatizations and fears that would go away if the concerned people would simply inform themselves reasonably well?

Greetings,
Norbert

P.S. [Note with coordinator's hat:] Just as a quick reminder: Attacks against a person's ability to effectively participate in the discussions on this list, and to be taken seriously in such discussions, are not allowed. For details see our charter http://igcaucus.org/charter .



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