[governance] Secret Surveillance Puts Internet Governance System at Risk

[Fouad Bajwa]

The challenge remains that we struggle for more transparency and accountability in the international and domestic IG settings we are involved in and one example was the recent IGF episode that revealed a number of things we weren't aware of in terms of the commercialization of the event by some in the host country and the issue of UN funding system for the IGF.

The responsibility of what happens in the US may also have to be laid down on the CS groups and citizens that have either kept silent or not appropriately responded to on such issues as Avri raised. Each setting has its own set of rationales, politics and legitimacy that is evolved through some ideas or needs by someone or some group. The corporate lobbyists as well companies lead themselves in groups struggling for their version of their rights and then as the political economy plays its part, different forces act and react in opposition or favor or simply have it thrown outright. 

Once again, the challenges can pile up but how does one stay focused and get their house in order and manage things that need ones attention instead of jumping out and commenting on everything that comes their way? 

Best Regards
Fouad Bajwa

Sent from my mobile device

On Aug 8, 2013, at 2:15 AM, joy <joy at apc.org> wrote:

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> Well said Avri - esp:
> 
> 'As for Internet governance being at risk, I don't buy it.  Yes it again
> shows us why governments can never be more than equal partners in the
> participatory democracy that we call the multistakeholder model.  But it
> again reinforces the need for all of us to be involved in Ig, and for us
> all to fight for transparency and accountability without vilifying the
> other.  Or at least that is the lesson I take from it.'
> 
> 
> Joy
> 
> On 8/08/2013 1:07 a.m., Avri Doria wrote:
>> 
>> On 7 Aug 2013, at 05:39, Suresh Ramasubramanian wrote:
>> 
>>> there are countries where Manning would have been tortured
>> 
>> 
>> Suresh, I really do respect the way you stand up to those who wish to
> make as much capital as possible from the sins of the US.  You have more
> fortitude than I could ever muster. 
>> 
>> However, several thoughts occur to me:
>> 
>> - when we need to resort to examples such as N. Korea, Iran, Saudi
> Arabia, and Russia or Uganda and  ...  to make excuses for our own sins
> and infractions, we have already sunk too low;
>> 
>> - when the rule of law is perverted as it has been in the US on the
> FISA/Prism issue and by other governments on many other issues, we are
> reminded of the frailty of the rule of law that always serves the regime
> in power and the money behind their power and are reminded that often
> law serves the basest instincts of people (e.g. in the US our common
> fears can be used to excuse anything);
>> 
>> - Manning was tortured to get a confession.  It might not have been
> anything more that what the US has defined as extreme questioning, or
> whatever euphemism we use, by most humanitarian definitions of torture
> it was torture and we need to admit that we tortured and that this is
> not the first tim we used torture for our security mania and we MUST stop;
>> 
>> Neither am I one to beatify Manning or Snowden, I think that while
> they did the world a favor I think they went about it quite badly and
> they did break vows taken voluntarily. I understand civil disobedience
> and the need sometimes to break a vow, but that does not excuse breaking
> a vow, it just explains it and mitigates it. I also strongly beleive in
> having good whistle blower protection and mechanism for revealing that
> things that need to be revealed.  We mistreated Manning and I expect we
> would do the same to Snowden if we ever got our hands on him.  So I
> understand his wanting to stay out of our reach, though I would have
> respected and supported him more had he stood his ground in his act of
> civil disobedience.
>> 
>> And yes I say we, for as long as I travel on a US passport and am
> honored to be a civil society type who occasionally serves on US
> delegations, I am responsible for what the US government does.
>> 
>> As for Internet governance being at risk, I don't buy it.  Yes it
> again shows us why governments can never be more than equal partners in
> the participatory democracy that we call the multistakeholder model. 
> But it again reinforces the need for all of us to be involved in Ig, and
> for us all to fight for transparency and accountability without
> vilifying the other.  Or at least that is the lesson I take from it.
>> 
>> avri
>> 
>> 
>> 
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