[governance] Re: [bestbits] Call for nominations for civil society representatives for the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory group (MAG)

[Bruce G. Potter]

Brilliant Deirdre -- thanks 

(from a physical meeting of global small island experts (ISISA) in the Penghu Archipelago offshore Taiwan.

Bruce

On Sep 22, 2014, at 9:35 PM, Deirdre Williams <williams.deirdre at gmail.com> wrote:

> I agree completely with Anriette and with Daniel in their concern over funding. However, it is not only funding (lack of) that can get in the way of participation, particularly at the physical level. People have lives, and those lives are often full already of jobs, children, dependent relatives, the type of minor ill-health that makes travelling a problem, – even houses and pets, and the intimidation of joining a group where few may speak your language. This “life baggage”, the list is only of random examples, encumbers at the virtual level as well, but to a lesser extent.
> In taking this perspective which prioritises physical meetings we may be missing something of great importance. When we speak about this “new democratic model” powered by the Internet we are talking about the empowerment that comes from VIRTUAL participation, where anyone with access can join the debate from anywhere. That is why access must remain at the top of the priority list, until the majority who lack this empowerment also share it.
> Meanwhile we must be careful not to allow the empowerment to be dissipated by favouring the physical over the virtual. This is a point that I made at the BestBits meeting in Istanbul. We need to practise what we preach. Are we concerned about those who attend meetings virtually as “civil society”? No – because anyone with access who wishes may attend. Do we attend meetings when only a “virtual” option is open to us? …
> The “other side” in the debate that we are engaged in has the arrangement of meetings down to a fine art. Meetings are how their world is run. Physical meetings that is, or meetings run to a “physical meeting” format. They are not comfortable with the apparent chaos when anyone can speak. The “physical” environment is much easier to control and manage. It is their environment after all.
> So why do we allow ourselves to be herded and manipulated into their space to discuss our issues?
> Deirdre
> 
> On 22 September 2014 08:24, Daniel Pimienta <pimienta at funredes.org> wrote:
>> But Best Bits should also make sure to have some strong names from 'developing' countries. Also, keep in mind that people nominated from developed countries would need to have access to funding to attend meetings of the MAG.  Support for MAG meetings is not easy to get and is generally only available for people from developing countries. In my time on the MAG from 2012 to 2014 I think I only received UN support to attend a MAG meeting on 2 occasions and on one of those the funding did not include airfare.
> +1000
> 
> What Anriette exposes is a fundamental issue of true democratic participation in global context and her experience is a crude testimony of what is really happening behind the nice discourses.
> 
> I would say it is not only an issue for Best Bits, it should be a key issue for all and every IGF and ICANN mechanisms of participation as for any global multiskakeholder attempt to reach some form of justice... and BTW, the actual global economic crisis makes this issue still more acute as many (bi or multilateral) support funding have been fading away.
> Transparency of the flow of support and the associated criteria of selection is also an important part of this issue.
> 
> And to react and connect 2 independant threads in the same mail:
> 
>> speaking of PrepComs reminds me that they need a Chairman. I have no hesitation in stating that Adama Samassekou is the best suited for this job. 
> Indeed Jean-Louis, Adama would be the perfect choice... and he is deeply aware of the first issue.
> 
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> “The fundamental cure for poverty is not money but knowledge" Sir William Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
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Bruce 
bpotter at irf.org




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