[governance] Breaking my silence on Netmundial related concerns raised by colleagues from India

Thu Apr 17 23:01:45 EDT 2014

This is an interesting, and spirited defense.  

I would request the other signatories to the original letter (other than Rishab and Parminder, who have previously posted on this issue) to consider responding.

It might also be appropriate for the co-cos to mediate this (or perhaps take it entirely offline among the affected parties to this discussion, to avoid such a discussion on the list turning into a general argument)

thanks
suresh

From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org [mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Subi Chaturvedi
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 3:26 AM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
Cc: bestbits at lists.bestbits.net
Subject: [governance] Breaking my silence on Netmundial related concerns raised by colleagues from India

Dear CS colleagues and friends, 

This has reference to the article published in HT on 8th April, 2014 which has been shared and referred to on this mailing list, multiple times.
At the outset I want to thank all of you who have written to me showing solidarity against this vicious personal attack, based on wrong, misleading  and manipulated information, indicative of a perverse mind, as you'd realize after, going through this post.
I had chosen to maintain silence in the face of repeated and grave provocation but the attacks continue unabated, thwarting and disrupting all attempts at having any civilized conversation about the key issues that concern global CS, even on the eve of Netmundial. The reason why we've invested our energy, faith and considerable amount of time engaging with the process, in the first place. 
I am now also compelled to write this email, for it is unfair on those who have shown solidarity with me by writing to me or defending me publicly on this list and elsewhere, to be left in this position without a minimal comment from me. I wish to assure global civil society that our views are being shared, represented and recognised. I have made multiple interventions on the calls as well as over emails and continue to work across time zones to ensure that our views are reflected. Anriette, my colleague from the MAG, has done a fairly balanced assessment of the situation though, and I completely agree with her, we have real challenges ahead of us. I think our time would be utilised better if we focus on the issues at hand- in Netmundial, I see a significant oppurtunity for change. 
In the internet, I see not just a source of knowledge but also an amplifier of dissent and an enabler of human rights and permissionless innovation. I have been a free speech activist and have fought for these issues long and hard and therefore this is deeply painful. My interventions are available publicly and a basic name search would reveal my interventions at the global IGF as well on national media in India. Many of these national meetings have been with my friends and respected colleagues from civil society in India and remain on their websites or any outreach platforms of communication.  At the last India IGF MAG meeting where three of the co-signatories, who are also on the MAG, made interventions with me. Their interventions and mine captured are in the official minutes. In the same meeting I was also appointed as the convenor of the Working group of the India IGF with the knowledge and consent of Mr.Parmindar from ITfC and with consensus from the floor.
My work in the Internet Governance Space and related areas of media and communication, deepening democracy and public policy can be found on my blog http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/
Now I ask all of you, who have been relentlessly subjected to the said article and appeals by my respectable colleagues and collaborators from Indian CS- was it appropriate to include me in this story related to surveillance by a corporate? Is there any connection at all? Other than to cause harm to me; in which they miserably failed. As identified in Ian’s email, apart from being a vicious personal attack, the article is manipulative on multiple levels and makes several inaccurate assertions.
Notwithstanding this unfortunate exception, I want to assure all of you that journalism in India is free, fair for the most part, and a harbinger of truth and justice.  I would urge you not to judge Indian media based on this article.
I submit the following for your consideration: the portions in italics are direct quotes from the same article. 
. 
a.    “Emails accessed by HT suggest that Bhatia championed Chaturvedi's rise in Indian internet governance circles” .
You would surely notice that while pdfs of all charges were hyperlinked, this allegation conspicuously remains unsubstantiated and any proof to the effect is missing from the story. I challenge anyone to put out any evidence of anyone- either me or anyone, at all doing any advocacy for me to be appointed as the co-chair of Netmundial or on the MAG. It is quite unfortunate that my work and my merit should be called into question. Undermining all multistakeholder processes. However malicious even the article does not make this extrapolation that Mr. Parminder Jeet singh repeatedly continues to make. Despite a clarification on the 4th of April, 2014 issued by the distinguished academician and General Chair of the Meeting Minister Virgilio Almeida.

b.    “Chaturvedi has also publicly acknowledged a former AT&T official, Marylin Cade as a "coach and mentor”:

 I quote the same tweet: “frm (from) Ms. Marilyn Cade coach and Mentor other proposals and IGF should limit it’s own”. 

In plain violation of the most basic tenets of journalism concocting evidence, he disingenuously parades my tweet about Ms. Cade’s comment at the UN MAG to “coach and mentor other proposals and limit proposals from the MAG itself” as my “public acknowledgement” of Ms. Cade being my “coach and mentor”.  
c.     “She was also paid upwards of Rs. 2.3 lakh for her role at a FICCI-led conference on internet governance. Subsequently, she also received part-funding from FICCI to attend an international conference. This raises a clear conflict of interest since she was on board as a civil society representative, but accepted payments from industry and corporate bodies”. 
He knowingly suppressed the context of the Rs.2.3 lakh (3,814 USD),  payment by the industry association and presented it as “conflict of interest”. The journalist knew fully well that the payment was a reimbursement of costs incurred at the request of the conference secretariat to produce professional videos, hire resources, material and camera costs, still photography, new media activation and related hardware and studio costs. He knew but purposefully left out my extensive contribution to the conference as a speaker and session organizer on a pro bono basis. He deliberately misrepresented in spite of knowing that the travel assistance given by the industry association was contributed by ISOC (Internet Society) and remaining by NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India).  He already knew but hid that both organisations routinely provide travel assistance to scores of civil society representatives, including to some who authored the said letter. 

This  CANNOT under any circumstances be construed as accepting money for advocacy from a corporate and presented as "conflict of interest". This is the most absurd allegation which even seasoned propagandists would shy away from.
Further he deceitfully persisted with the false “conflict of interest”, charge by suppressing  scores of emails , tweets, posts, videos, film and TV interviews given to him and easily available in the public domain, as my firm stance against illegal surveillance, invasion of privacy, and violation of freedom of speech and expression and human rights. 
d.    Ph.D : 
Can a mere research studentship, which I am still pursuing, be the basis on which I was appointed at any forum? It was used only to put an unsubstantiated charge of plagiarism for my character assassination. I preferred to change my guide then to “say sorry”, to her for the offense I had not committed and continue with her. 
With a view to purposefully mislead the readers, the journalist grossly manipulated the facts around my PhD by deliberately obfuscating that I have steadfastly refuted “any academic wrong doing”. 
The IIT has never charged me with this offense, no show cause has ever been given to me and hence no action has been taken against me, detailed evidence was given to the journalist who chose to deliberately ignore it in order to convey a premeditated message. IIT has the highest ethical code of conduct and so do I. And my PhD. is well underway.

The letter of notable members of civil society.
The CS letter from India carried the support of 10 individuals +1 author, some of whom claim to represent different organisations. I have worked with most who are in this space including Parminder, Prabir, Anja Kovacs, Chinmayi Arun, Rishab Bailey, Mishi Choudhary, Sunil Abraham; 7 Out of 10. Two of remaining 3 have attended a national conference on IG with me where Parminder was present through out. It is full of misrepresentation. Their claims are absurd that:
1- They don’t know me
2. They haven’t worked with me and I am not active in this space.
3. They don’t know how to reach me.
4. And I do not teach IG
My Response:
*  Not only do they know me quite well
*  We have hosted joint events, 
*  We have served on organizational bodies together related to IG, 
*  We have appeared as panelists together on IG, 
*  We have traveled and worked together on IG, 
*  We have submitted joint inputs to government of India on IG, 
*  Prepared background papers together for multistakeholder dialogues and events on IG, 
*  Co-moderated dialogues and multistakeholder panels on IG. 
*  I receive emails from them, respond to them, they have appreciated and thanked me for my inputs and efforts. 
*  They have called me on my mobile phone 
*  They have visited me in person and with their teams to seek my inputs on their drafts. 
I am happy to compare and contrast my interventions and my work in the IG space with all of them individually or collectively. 

The ITRs submission of CS was jointly made by 
*  Society for Knowledge commons represented by Rishab Bailey (author of the CS letter), 
*  Internet Democracy Project (Anja Kovacs- co-signatory), 
*  Free Software Movement of India (Kiran Chandra (General Secretary- co-signatory), 
*  Delhi Science Forum (Prabir – co-signatory),
*   Media For Change( represented by me) 
*  SFLC.in (Mishi – co-signatory). 
*  Ms. Chinmayi Arun was part of all the 4 day meetings and discussions and is on all the emails but did not finally submit the ITRs formal response. 

More evidence of Joint work (There’s a lot but I do not wish to burden this list)-
One of the recent multistakeholder meeting on IG that I co-organized including drafting the background paper with Ms. Anja Kovacs from the Internet democracy project (yes we have worked together and collaborated on many occasions and often take same positions publicly), was on the 29th January, 2014.

Where I worked with 

1. Anja Kovacs, IDP (co-signatory)
2. Sunil Abraham , CIS (cosignatory)- represented by Snehashish Ghosh
3. Mishi Chowdhary, SFLC.in (Cosignatory)- represented by Prashanth Sugathan
4. Ms. Chinmayi Arun Co-moderated the meeting with me and Ms. Anja Kovacs 

Interlinkages between all the authors of the India CS letter:

Ms Anja Kovacs, IDP is a cosignatory & a CIS fellow and has also worked for ITfC which is represented on this letter by Mr. Parminder Jeet Singh, Ms. Chinmayi Arun from CCG (is a cosignatory & also a CIS fellow), Mr. Sunil Abraham is the director of CIS,   Rishab Bailey the author of the CS letter has been associated with IDP, and  with SFLC (another co-signatory) and is now representing SKC which is currently represented on this letter by Mr. Prabir Purkayastha (co-signatory) who is also associated formally as an office bearer with the SFM represented on the letter by Mr. Kiran Chandra (co-signatory). All these are respected colleagues and have worked with me on the ITRs and many other IG related workshops and panels as mentioned above.  

CIS’s director Mr. Sunil Abraham has also served with me on multiple panels and bodies together and my interventions can be found online and at the CIS website 
http://cis-india.org/@@search?SearchableText=subi+chaturvedi

They are all signatories to the letter.

Again, my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have written to me, or supported me.  We have a very important task at hand, thank you again for reposing your faith and for believing in me. And I wish that at all times the dignity of the caucus be preserved and upheld. 

Finally, I do not hold any grudges against those, including the journalist who may have been involved in this unfortunate and unwarranted personal attack.  I continue to have the highest respect for the work that my colleagues do.  

I am look forward to working with all of you and will be available in Sao Paulo from the 21st and over email. Do feel free to reach out with any questions or comments you may have. I would be happy to participate in any meeting or related discussion and will continue to work to the best of my ability and do my utmost, towards the evolution of the IG ecosphere so that we have an internet, which remains free and open, which amplifies human rights and allows for permissionless innovation and connects the unconnected. 

More details about my IG interventions can be found on my blog here http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/

and Contributions at the UN IGF : (Partial List) is available here for ready reference
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site:www.intgovforum.org <https://www.google.co.in/search?q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site:www.intgovforum.org&es_sm=91> &es_sm=91
I am equally thrilled that our collective inputs and suggestions are being taken on board. And I am also hopeful that the outcome document will reflect truly, what will emerge from the floor. Our friends in Brazil from the civil society and from across stakeholder groups have also done commendable work to bring us here. Delighted that it will be a multistakeholder panel, which will open Netmundial 2014 in Brazil. 
Many congratulations Nnenna, we are in great hands. Very proud to have you representing us and your address at the IGF 2013, in Bali was both profoundly evocative and stirring. I hope you will make time to emphasize the role that the Internet is playing especially in peace building and conflict transformation as well. Your tremendous and deeply inspiring work in Côte d'Ivoire underscores the importance of national and regional initiatives, along with intercessional work. We have a fantastic ambassador in you. And it might be an uphill climb for all of us but let's put our best foot forward.
Looking forward to seeing you all in Sao Paulo soon.
Safe travels, all.

Warmest,

Subi
----
Subi Chaturvedi
Assistant Prof. Journalism & Comm,
Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), 
Delhi University, India
Twitter:@subichaturvedi
http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/

Member MAG, UN-IGF (Media & Civil Society)
Member MAG, India-IGF (Civil Society)
Convenor WG-India IGF 
Co-Chair, Netmundial (Civil Society)

Founder & Hon. Managing Trustee,
Media For Change

Founder, Chief Mentor & Editor
The Saltlist
 <http://www.thesaltlist.org/> www.thesaltlist.org

Independent DocumentaryFilmmaker, Photographer,
Curator, Media Critic & Scholar

PhD. Scholar,
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D), New Delhi

PS:

Global CS Community who may not aware of my contribution here’s snapshot ABOUT me and my work specifically on internet /governances/ freedom of speech and expression: 

IG specific Roles:

1.     Recipient of the NIXI (National Internet Exchange, India) fellowship for IG 2014-2015 
2.     Co-Chair Netmundial 2014
3.     Convenor Working group Indian IGF MAG   
4.     Member MAG UN IGF 2014
5.     Member MAG India IGF 2013
6.     Member MAG UN-IGF 2013
7.     Co-Lead Breakout group- Multistakeholderism & Enhance cooperation IGF 2013
8.     Lead facilitator main focus session on principles of Multistakeholderism  IGF 2013
9.     Member MAG IIGC 2013
10.  Member MAG, IIGC 2012
Made several noteworthy contributions to the IGF and other global and national Internet governance processes and capacity building initiatives on information and communication especially for under-represented stakeholder groups in IG.

I’d be happy to provide detailed reports of my interventions and my contributions at each meeting attended or organised National or global.

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site:www.intgovforum.org <https://www.google.co.in/search?q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site:www.intgovforum.org&es_sm=91#q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site%3Awww.intgovforum.org&start=0> &es_sm=91#q=igf+MAG+Subi+Chaturvedi+site%3Awww.intgovforum.org&start=0

I have been teaching Journalism and Mass Communication including but not limited to papers on New Media technology (including IG) and Media, Law and Ethics, since the last 5 ½ years in the capcity of Assistant Professor at India’s leading liberal arts college for Women, part of Delhi University.
I hold 3 gold medals in Anthropology, Psychology, and a gold medal in mass communication from the AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, cleared the NET (which is a mandatory requirement for teaching at central universities in India), while a final year student in my first attempt and then hold a CGPA of 9.25/10 at the IIT-D as a part time registered PhD student doing my course work without leave from LSR, while taking full classes and contributing to the College immensely. 
My most recent article was published in the Hindu which is one of India’s most respected news daily as the lead opinion commentary on the 18th of February- “for an unfettered internet”, and can be accessed here
 <http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/for-an-unfettered-internet/article5699615.ece> http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/for-an-unfettered-internet/article5699615.ece
It calls for a review of the Indian government’s position on IG.
An article for EPW (a prestigious journal) against Corporatisation of Media in India and the loss of pluraity which I have co-authored and the documentary film- Freedom Song on issues of Freedom of Speech and expression in India for PSBT, co directed with Mr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta (an eminent journalist from India).
http://www.epw.in/commentary/corporatisation-media.html
The position that I often take is against corporatization and control of the media including the Internet by a few, be they governments, private sector including large small/corporate of any national origin, civil society group All my interventions, which are quite a few and substantive in their depth and coverage of issues are online on the IGF website. 
This is just a partial list of some of the work that I have done in this academic year 2013-2014:
My article “For an unfettered internet’, was published as the lead opinion commentary in The Hindu, India's most respected news daily on why India needs to re-examine it's position on global Internet governance.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/for-an-unfettered-internet/article5700871.ece
My co-directed critically acclaimed documentary FREEDOM SONG, a film on freedom of Speech and expression in contemporary India for PSBT was screened at the IIHS Bangalore City Campus this year and premiered at the prestigious Open Frame. Two of my curated projects, The Many Moods and Moments of Aung San Suu Kyi and ‘The Nobel Women for Peace Project’, were exhibited as part of HH. The Dalai Lama’s visit at LSR. 

In recognition of my contribution to Internet and society, I been awarded:
1)   The prestigious NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India, GOI), 
Fellowship for Internet Governance 2013-2014.
2)   I have been appointed as the first Indian woman from two stakeholdergroups ( civil society and media) on the United Nations –IGF MAG, for the second consecutive term.
3)   I have also been invited to Co-Chair the Global Multistakeholder Meeting in Brazil on the Future of the Internet. 
4)   I have also been appointed as the convener of the working group of the India Internet Governance Forum (IGF) by the Chair from DeitY, Ministry of Communication & IT. And also been appointed on the MAG (Multistakeholder Advisory Group) of the India IGF (Internet Governance Forum) to be hosted by MOC&IT, India.
5)   At the last Global IGF 2013, held at Bali, Indonesia. I contributed on several panels on Access and diversity, Relating national and regional IGFs, Broadband access and local content, emerging issues- Surveillance and a enhance cooperation (I also the remote moderator for it). And I also moderated and mentored DoT (MoC&IT), Government of India’s  Open forum “Connecting the next Billion”. Additionally I also organized and spoke at the Main Focus session on Multistakeholderism as a panelist. 
6)   I also co-organised a multistakeholder panel discussion on “Will Internet and Social Media be a game changer for the next general election 2014 with senior leaders and ministers from the government and eminent journalists and editors at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi.
7)   I was also a panelist with sr. editors on the role of media in promoting art at the global stage organized by exchange4media at IIC. 
8)   I was also a panelist at the National Convention on "Crisis of Capitalism and brazen onslaught on DEMOCRACY" , organized by the INSAF foundation at the constitution club for the session on SURVEILLANCE, STATE AND PERILS OF DEMOCRACY.  With Mr. Prabir who is a cosignatory of the letter.
9)   I was a panelist on IGF and the way forward organized by ORF, New Delhi. Ms. Anja Kovacs was my co-panelist a basic online search would reveal and expose the claims made in the letter. The ORF report is online with our interventions and images together. 
10)                 I was also the key note speaker on Internet –a democratic space, at NALSAR along with eminent and sr. judges and lawyers of the supreme court on Social Media and Hate speech. Both Ms. Chinmayi Arun and Ms. Anja Kovacs were part of the same event. Ms. Kovacs was, moreover on the same session as I was.
 11)                 I also organized and moderated a multitsakeholder panel discussion at the  ITU-WSIS 2013, Geneva on, “ Ensuring Internet Access and Better Governance by Deepening Multistakeholderism- A Developing Nation Perspective with sr. ministers and heads of regional and national Internet & ICT initiatives.  
12)                 Held a capacity building Workshop for the youth -"Towards a new Ethics of Cyberspace- Being a responsible online Digital Citizen with sr. industry leaders as key resource persons. 
13)                 I also appeared as a distinguished panelist on national media on internet, new media regulation and social media, women safety and empowerment related issues, through the year. 
14)                 I also organised and moderated the MEDIA CONGRESS- Panel on 'Government Surveillance vs Individual Privacy : Are they mutually exclusive?' with distinguished speakers: Dr. Usha Rmanathan eminent civil society activist, Dr. Govind, CEO NIXI, Mr. Pavan Duggal, Prof. Vibodh Parthasarathi and Ms. Shalini Singh. 
15)                 I was also a panelist at the IMDEC 2013, Panel on “The Internet We Want: A Multistakeholder View” along with global leaders from civil society, industry, government and the technical community at FICCI. Mr. Sunil Abraham (CIS) was also an invited panelist.
16)                 I co-organised a multistakeholder dialogue on The Future of the Internet, who should govern it & what is at stake for us with sr. members of the government, industry, academia, technical community, media at IIC. The youth were also invited as end users to share their inputs and experiences. The background paper was jointly prepared by me and Ms. Anja Kovacs. 
17)                 I also organized a youth meet with over 700 youth leaders from India on the Internet We Want- Conversation Series.
18)                 Another youth meet was organized by me at the Aligarh Muslim University, a minority institution with over 300 youth delegates from the minorities and the margins and sr. editors from the media on the role of media and youth in election 2014 particularly the impact that social media and the internet can have in amplyfying participation of the youth.  
19)                 I was also invited to conduct a leadership training workshop for the sr. management of TATA Sons and their group companies on social media. 
20)                 I also conducted a third youth meet over 700 young leaders on the  “Digital Agenda for the Youth and IG principals”. This was part of the global #FightBack campaign against surveillance and held on the world internet day. 
21)                 I was also a invited to present my paper on Cybersecurity a multistakeholder perspective by ORF New Delhi part of the young voices policy forum. It was extremely well received.
22)                 I also led the new media outreach and supported the on ground activation for the national Internet Safety campaign for the youth in India in association with Data Security Council of India (A NASSCOM initiative).
23)                 I  am a  member of the International Association for Women in Radio and television (IAWRT)  and the Internet Society (ISOC).

warmest

Subi
----
Subi Chaturvedi
Assistant Prof. Journalism & Comm,
Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), 
Delhi University, India
Twitter:@subichaturvedi
http://subichaturvedi.blogspot.in/

Member MAG, UN-IGF (Media & Civil Society)
Member MAG, India-IGF (Civil Society)
Convenor WG-India IGF 
Co-Chair, Netmundial (Civil Society)

Founder & Hon. Managing Trustee,
Media For Change

Founder, Chief Mentor & Editor
The Saltlist
 <http://www.thesaltlist.org/> www.thesaltlist.org

Independent DocumentaryFilmmaker, Photographer,
Curator, Media Critic & Scholar

PhD. Scholar,
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D), New Delhi

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