[governance] [bestbits] Call to Best Bits participants for nominations to Brazil meeting committees

[michael gurstein]

David,

I think there are two separate issues at play here and I may be at fault in
conflating them (or perhaps you are...

Anyway, the first issue is whether the CI network should be allowed to join
the CS "club" as represented by the CS "Coordinating Committee" -- the
significance of which is the CC's establishment of "criteria" and selection
of CS representatives for various representative positions... My note below
on "clubbableness" was addressed, I believe quite correctly (and most
certainly not by analogy)  to this matter.

The second issue (or rather set of issues) is the manner of selection of
those representatives including the (lack of a) transparent and accountable
process for those selections (following directly from the illegitimacy of
the processes referred to in #1 above), the magical creation (pulling out of
thin air) of selection "criteria", the evident ad hominem-ness of those
criteria and so on. And as a matter of fact, it seems to me that given the
current small clique nature of CS "governance" processes and
participation--and its internal processes of self-selection and
self-promotion, those doing the selecting at least are in fact
"represent(ing) no more than their own small clique"... 

And you keep referring to minorities and small groups etc.  -- my point
overall is that probably a majority of the global population would be
included in what you are referring to as "their small fraction"... Providing
a means to give voice (or of course hopefully voices) to those interests is
hardly something that should "not be listened to by anyone" except of
course, for those who are directly benefiting from current circumstances and
conditions.

M

-----Original Message-----
From: David Cake [mailto:dave at difference.com.au] 
Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2013 1:24 PM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org; michael gurstein
Subject: Re: [governance] [bestbits] Call to Best Bits participants for
nominations to Brazil meeting committees

MIchael, this is a deeply faulty analogy. 
No one is arguing that minority views should not be part of the 'civil
society' club. Only that those selected as representatives of civil society
are willing to act as representatives of the various diverging views of
civil society - to use your analogy, that those selected to represent the
club are willing to represent more than their own small clique among its
members. 

If you honestly believe that we should select representatives of civil
society who intend only to represent their small fraction - not only does
this baffle me as a strategy, but I am quite baffled as to why those
representatives would be listened to by anyone. 
	
Regards

David

On 25 Dec 2013, at 6:42 am, michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> wrote:

> And since others from the "Civil Society Coordinating Committee" have
peddling this line in this venue as well...
> 
> M
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: michael gurstein [mailto:gurstein at gmail.com] 
> Sent: Wednesday, December 25, 2013 5:36 AM
> To: 'Avri Doria'; 'Bits bestbits at lists.bestbits.net'
> Subject: RE: [bestbits] Call to Best Bits participants for nominations to
Brazil meeting committees
> 
> In England, where I spent some idle years pursuing an education they had a
term--"clubbable"--what it meant was, whether you were suitable to be asked
to "join the club"... 
> 
> Now among the overt criteria for being "clubbable" was of course, whether
you were "nice" enough, whether you would fit in with the existing members,
make them feel comfortable and all warm and cozy at and in your presence.
> 
> Of course what that really meant was whether you were sufficiently "like
us" for them to let you into the club... whether you were the right colour,
or the right gender, had gone to the right schools, were of an appropriate
religion, and of course, overall whether your "politics/value system" would
be such as to support the "club's" status quo--their perq's and privileges,
folkways and prejudices...
> 
> Needless to say I was never "invited".
> 
> But I have to ask here, are you folks really serious about this--having as
a criteria for joining a "Coordinating Committee" of "Civil Society" whether
someone adheres to kindergarten rules of playing "nice"... 
> 
> If that is so then surely any right minded person would treat this
self-selected grouping and this process with the contempt and derision it
deserves.
> 
> M
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net
[mailto:bestbits-request at lists.bestbits.net] On Behalf Of Avri Doria
> Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 7:24 PM
> To: Bits bestbits at lists.bestbits.net
> Subject: Re: [bestbits] Call to Best Bits participants for nominations to
Brazil meeting committees
> 
> [MG>] snipped...
> 
> So sure put in the criterion of including minority viewpoints, but also
put in the criterion of "plays well with others."
> 
> avri
> 
> 
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