[governance] Why we are boycotting the IGF (by Yaman Akdeniz and Kerem Altiparmak)

Chinmayi Arun chinmayiarun at gmail.com
Mon Aug 25 12:58:39 EDT 2014 

+1 Avri. Couldn't agree more. Especially when these are people like Yaman
Akdeniz who have written extensively on internet and human rights issues.



On Mon, Aug 25, 2014 at 1:47 AM, Avri Doria <avri at acm.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> It think people boycotting the IGF will have a rich selection at the
> Ungoverance Forum (which I pref to think of as an IGFringe - something
> every IGF should have).  I also think there is real value in boycotts.
> Especially when people not boycotting, work to make sure the message of
> the boycotters is brought into the boycotted event.
>
> For those of us not boycotting, we should find way to make sure the
> message of the boycotters is heard inside the IGF.  I think visiting
> locations that are engaged in Autocracy 2.0 makes sense for something
> like the IGF, though best when there is an IGFringe and there is support
> for the boycott's message inside the venue.  Locations still engaged in
> Autocracy 1.0 and those that are dangerous for groups like women and
> LGBTQI are best avoided.
>
> avri
>
>
> On 24-Aug-14 15:08, Barry Shein wrote:
> >
> > Thank you Siva.
> >
> > The one exception I would add would be a situation where a venue made
> > certain potential attendees feel unsafe or unreasonably constrained.
> >
> > For example there are venues where women would feel unsafe and at best
> > confined to airport<->hotel more or less. Those should be considered
> > unworkable venues. There are countries some can't travel to or only
> > with great bureaucratic difficulty as another example. There are other
> > analagous examples. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable traveling to
> > Mogadishu for a conference at present, or Mosul, though I hope that
> > will change one day.
> >
> > As an act of protest, again, I think the press release has some merit
> > in raising awareness of an issue. But the actual act of boycott itself
> > is probably counter-productive. Perhaps a paradox, or just a
> > problematic approach.
> >
> >
> > From: Sivasubramanian M <isolatedn at gmail.com>
> >> +1 Barry.
> >
> > On Sun, Aug 24, 2014 at 4:14 AM, Barry Shein <bzs at world.std.com> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> From: Chinmayi Arun <chinmayiarun at gmail.com>
> >>> I just ran into this piece
> >>> <
> >>
> http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2014/08/boycotting-internet-governance-forum/
> >>>
> >>> by Yaman Akdeniz and Kerem Altiparmak. Civil society folks who will be
> at
> >>> the IGF this year may find it interesting- it flags significant
> >>> internet-related concerns in Turkey.
> >>
> >> Although I certainly understand the utility of making a statement vis
> >> a vis such a boycott I have a different view.
> >>
> >> Personally I'd encourage an IGF in Pyongyang and everyone attend it.
> >>
> >> To boycott such an event is, other than the hope someone might notice
> >> the press releases, nearly indistinguishable from being forbidden from
> >> attending.
> >>
> >> Silence is silence.
> >>
> >> I suppose if a boycott mounted to the point that it crippled or even
> >> cancelled the meeting that might attract some more attention to the
> >> underlying issue at least among the I* community. It hasn't gone
> >> unnoticed.
> >>
> >> But to my mind better to bring everyone together in the clear light of
> >> day and confront these issues than to hope that one's non-appearance
> >> will effect a statement.
> >>
> >> Notice, for example, some of the state pariahs who are welcomed to the
> >> United Nations and even given a podium.
> >>
> >> It's not that I have a polyanna-ish hope in dialogue so much as a
> >> pessimistic view of non-dialogue.
> >>
> >> --
> >>         -Barry Shein
> >>
> >> The World              | bzs at TheWorld.com           |
> >> http://www.TheWorld.com
> >> Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 800-THE-WRLD        | Dial-Up: US, PR,
> >> Canada
> >> Software Tool & Die    | Public Access Internet     | SINCE 1989
>  *oo*
> >>
> >>
> >> ____________________________________________________________
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> >>
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> >>
> >> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
> >>
> >>
> > <div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default"
> style=3D"font-family:verdana,=
> > sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#333333">+1 Barry.</div></div><div
> class=
> > =3D"gmail_extra"><br clear=3D"all"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><a
> href=3D"https:/=
> > /www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy"
> target=3D"_blank">Sivasubraman=
> > ian M</a><br>
> > <br></div></div>
> > <br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Aug 24, 2014 at 4:14 AM,
> Barry S=
> > hein <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:bzs at world.std.com"
> target=3D"_=
> > blank">bzs at world.std.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote
> class=3D"gmai=
> > l_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc
> solid;padding-left=
> > :1ex">
> > <br>
> > From: Chinmayi Arun <<a href=3D"mailto:chinmayiarun at gmail.com
> ">chinmayia=
> > run at gmail.com</a>><br>
> > <div class=3D"">>I just ran into this piece<br>
> > </div>><<a href=3D"
> http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2014/08/boycottin=
> > g-internet-governance-forum/" target=3D"_blank">
> http://www.indexoncensorshi=
> > p.org/2014/08/boycotting-internet-governance-forum/</a>><br>
> > <div class=3D"">>by Yaman Akdeniz and Kerem Altiparmak. Civil society
> fo=
> > lks who will be at<br>
> > >the IGF this year may find it interesting- it flags significant<br>
> > > internet-related concerns in Turkey.<br>
> > <br>
> > </div>Although I certainly understand the utility of making a statement
> vis=
> > <br>
> > a vis such a boycott I have a different view.<br>
> > <br>
> > Personally I'd encourage an IGF in Pyongyang and everyone attend
> it.<br=
> >>
> > <br>
> > To boycott such an event is, other than the hope someone might notice<br>
> > the press releases, nearly indistinguishable from being forbidden
> from<br>
> > attending.<br>
> > <br>
> > Silence is silence.<br>
> > <br>
> > I suppose if a boycott mounted to the point that it crippled or even<br>
> > cancelled the meeting that might attract some more attention to the<br>
> > underlying issue at least among the I* community. It hasn't gone<br>
> > unnoticed.<br>
> > <br>
> > But to my mind better to bring everyone together in the clear light
> of<br>
> > day and confront these issues than to hope that one's
> non-appearance<br=
> >>
> > will effect a statement.<br>
> > <br>
> > Notice, for example, some of the state pariahs who are welcomed to
> the<br>
> > United Nations and even given a podium.<br>
> > <br>
> > It's not that I have a polyanna-ish hope in dialogue so much as a<br>
> > pessimistic view of non-dialogue.<br>
> > <span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br>
> > --<br>
> > =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 -Barry Shein<br>
> > <br>
> > The World=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 |
> bzs at TheWorld.co=
> > m=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0| <a href=3D"
> http://www.TheWorld.=
> > com" target=3D"_blank">http://www.TheWorld.com</a><br>
> > Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 800-THE-WRLD=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0
> | D=
> > ial-Up: US, PR, Canada<br>
> > Software Tool & Die=C2=A0 =C2=A0 | Public Access Internet=C2=A0
> =C2=A0 =
> > =C2=A0| SINCE 1989=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0*oo*<br>
> > <br>
> >
> </font></span><br>_________________________________________________________=
> > ___<br>
> > You received this message as a subscriber on the list:<br>
> > =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0<a href=3D"mailto:governance at lists.igcaucus.org
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> > <br></blockquote></div><br></div>
> >
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
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