[governance] Networkworld: ICANN Sets Up A Coalition to address new Internet governance challenges

[parminder]

On Thursday 21 November 2013 10:57 AM, michael gurstein wrote:
>
> Many of the actions of ICANN post-Fadi indicate a significant shift in 
> ICANN’s positioning within the overall Internet ecology—from being a 
> simple player among other players to a self-initiated leadership role 
> on behalf of the general well-being of the Internet and of the 
> Internet ecology overall.
>

The question is; how much of it is motivated by, and represents. US's 
geopolitical interests...... US treats itself as the global political 
capital, but is constrained by the UN-ish model of one country one vote. 
(Democracy is always such a nuisance for the elite!)... So it has been 
able to give such a UNish model, which stand in its way in terms of 
legitimatizing global power, the bad name of 'multilateralism'. US sees 
in big business, and the rising (upper-ish) middle class of many 
developing countries (through civil society entities most closely 
connected to these classes), solid allies that can help legitimatize its 
global political power - with some concessions thrown at them here and 
there.. This is why an ICANNist 'multistakeholder' model of global 
governance serves it so well. Many recent documents arising from US 
think tanks show this to be a considered strategy of the US 
establishment ..... The main aim of  the current round of engagements 
around the proposed Brazil meeting is to present the ICANN model of 
governance for substantive public policy areas.... Once such a model is 
established in the Internet space, it will be sought to be extended to 
other global policy areas as well... Not that all, or even most, 
involved actors from the I* space are deliberately following such a 
pre-mediated path on the behest of the US. Nevertheless, this strong 
congruence with US's political interests remains a key propelling force 
that is giving energy to the push for ICANN model for addressing global 
Internet related public policy issues. Or in other words, maybe giving 
ICANN a role in te 'wider Internet ecology'.

parminder


> Many are uneasy with this but if ICANN wishes to occupy that role (and 
> given their privileged financial position as gatekeeper/rent extractor 
> they are in a position to present themselves for this) then they have 
> an interest in/responsibility for supporting the weakest link in that 
> multi-stakeholder Internet ecology i.e. Civil Society.  Whether or not 
> there is criticism flowing between ICANN and CS is overall irrelevant 
> in this larger scheme of things.
>
> M
>
> *From:*Suresh Ramasubramanian [mailto:suresh at hserus.net]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 20, 2013 2:42 PM
> *To:* governance at lists.igcaucus.org; michael gurstein
> *Subject:* Re: [governance] Networkworld: ICANN Sets Up A Coalition to 
> address new Internet governance challenges
>
> The second seems much more sustainable long term. Or at least ICANN 
> gets to choose which civil society organizations it decides to fund. 
> Funding an organization that is entirely at cross purposes policy wise 
> with them, and/or seems to feel IG is best served by attacking ICANN 
> at every opportunity doesn't appear to make as much sense as it should.
>
> --srs (iPad)
>
>
> On 21-Nov-2013, at 0:18, "michael gurstein" <gurstein at gmail.com 
> <mailto:gurstein at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     *I’m thinking that if ICANN is so concerned to ensure a broad base
>     of interested parties to address Internet Governance issues
>     perhaps it could use some of it’s “tax revenue” as the gate keeper
>     to the Internet to establish a fund to provide a solid and
>     independent base of funding support to help build and support
>     Civil Society in this area rather than, as appears currently to be
>     the case, attempting through (selectively) widening the base of
>     ICANN’s activity (and perk/travel funding) to
>     absorb/incorporate/coopt leading elements of those in Civil
>     Society with an interest in/knowledge about Internet Governance
>     issues.*
>
>     http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/111813-icann-sets-up-39coalition39-to-276037.html
>
>     *Mike*
>
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