[governance] URGENT: Last call for feedback on CS participation in NETmundial Initiative

[Guru]

Dear Mawaki

I would like to cite from two sources:

A. WSIS Declaration of Principles - 
http://www.itu.int/wsis/docs/geneva/official/dop.html  (the very first 
two clauses)

1. We, the representatives of the peoples of the world*, *assembled in 
Geneva from 10-12 December 2003 for the first phase of the World Summit 
on the Information Society,* declare our common desire and commitment to 
build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information 
Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share 
information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples 
to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable 
development and improving their quality of life, premised on the 
purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and 
respecting fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. Our challenge* is to harness the potential of information and 
communication technology to promote the development goals of the 
Millennium Declaration, namely the eradication of extreme poverty and 
hunger; achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender 
equality and empowerment of women; reduction of child mortality; 
improvement of maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other 
diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and development of 
global partnerships for development for the attainment of a more 
peaceful, just and prosperous world. We also reiterate our commitment to 
the achievement of sustainable development and agreed development goals, 
as contained in the Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation 
and the Monterrey Consensus, and other outcomes of relevant United 
Nations Summits.

I now will cite  from the WEF site - http://www.weforum.org/our-members

Begin
Our Members
The World Economic Forum is a membership organization. Our Members 
comprise 1,000 of the world’s top corporations, global enterprises 
usually with more than US$ 5 billion in turnover.  These enterprises 
rank among the top companies within their industry and play a leading 
role in shaping the future of their industry and region. Some of our 
Member companies join the Forum’s Strategic and Industry Partnership 
communities, which are designed to deepen their engagement with the 
Forum’s events, project and initiatives.  The Forum’s Members are at the 
heart of all our activities.
End

It is clear that WEF is a primarily group of big businesses. We have 
seen the increasing danger to the ideals of the WSIS Declaration of 
Principles from the activities of transnational corporations. Apart from 
using/monetising our data for their commercial gains in 
authorised/unauthorised/illegitimate/illegal ways, their unregulated 
work also is structuring our participation in the information society in 
many unhealthy ways. Through Snowden we also understand how many of them 
are in cahoots with the 5 eyes (USG+) on extraordinary programme of 
global surveillance, which helps them in their goals of 
political-economic domination / colonisation

Participating in forums anchored in such a space will only legitimise 
their power.  I am clear that IGC should not participate in the NMI.

thanks and regards
Guru

Gurumurthy Kasinathan
Director, IT for Change
In Special Consultative Status with the United Nations ECOSOC
www.ITforChange.Net| Cell:91 9845437730 | Tel:91 80 26654134, 26536890
http://karnatakaeducation.org.in/KOER/en/index.php/Subject_Teacher_Forum

On Tuesday 18 November 2014 05:02 PM, Mawaki Chango wrote:
> Dear All,
 >
 > You must have heard a good deal about this by now, so I won't repeat
 > the background details. In the middle of the night last night, before
 > hitting the bed after a long and drawn out day playing catch-up with
 > deadlines, I saw that Ian (chair of CSCG) forwarded the NMI
 > Transitional Committee's reply the CSCG enquiry. Basically, they are
 > willing to let the CSCG vet CS candidates to be part of the NMI
 > Coordination Council.
 >
 > Now the question before us is to get a feel of the membership of CSCG
 > member entities as to whether to get involved in the NMI process or
 > not. I believe this is the last step in the consultations we've been
 > having (with NMI initiators, among ourselves at the CSCG and with the
 > membership of our respective organizations.) After this we should be
 > able to give a definite answer, formulate a definite position about
 > our participation in the NMI process.
 >
 > So what do you think? Please get right to the point and be brief.
 > State your preference for IGC Involvement or No involvement and, if
 > you care to provide us with such, I would be grateful to you if you
 > could keep your supporting argument in one short paragraph (as we
 > just want to take the "temperature of the room" if you see what I
 > mean.)
 >
 > Thank you for your understanding. Best regards.
 >
 > Mawaki
 >
 >
 >


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