[governance] stakeholder categories (was Re: NSA sabotage of Internet security standards...)

[Norbert Bollow]

Peter H. Hellmonds <peter.hellmonds at hellmonds.eu> wrote:

> If you wish to exclude people like myself from your definition of
> civil society, then you're doing yourself a disservice. Just like
> yourself, I am a user of the Internet, just like yourself, I have all
> the same interests in having my civil and human rights, my privacy
> and my personal data protected. And I'm also interested in not only
> looking at myself, but in seeing this extended as a general
> principle, in the best Kantian categorical imperative sort-of way. 
> 
> Just like yourself, I have an ethical and moral conscience. And I do
> not leave all that behind me at the doorsteps of the company just by
> virtue of drawing a paycheck from a business that is involved in
> laying the physical underpinning of the Internet. 
> 
> There are equally people who serve in government who have the same
> characteristics

I view these characteristics as preconditions for being able to
legitimately participate in Internet governance in any way.

As you quite correctly point out, these characteristics are not
specific to any particular stakeholder category.

Also I find it quite obvious that no stakeholder grouping can
truthfully claim to always represent these ideals.

> and who would rightfully have a claim to belong to
> civil society. 

Do you deny that there is value in the efforts of individuals and
groups to be able to engage in a way that has a high degree of
independence from government and from commercial interests related
to the topics on which they engage?

Or would you suggest that a different term instead of “civil society”
should be used to describe the people and organizations who engage with
a high degree of independence from the trappings of political power and
of commercial interests (which, as every honest person will admit, can
easily lead people astray in their thinking)?

Greetings,
Norbert

-- 
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1. Respond to the content of assertions and arguments, not to the person
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