[governance] Despite Renewal, the IGF is still on life support

[parminder]

On Wednesday 14 December 2016 12:32 PM, Arsène Tungali wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> An interesting article from Samantha Dickinson.
>
> http://blogs.cfr.org/cyber/2016/12/12/despite-renewal-the-internet-governance-forum-is-still-on-life-support/
>
> Any thoughts on her reflexions? Do you feel she is pessimistic about the future of the Internet? What's your take on the future of the IGF?

Since there is a lot in the article about problems with IGF funding, let
me remembered that in the CSTD WG on IGF improvements, it was just I and
a few developing countries (sorry if this figure is under-reported and
someone else too supported, but then it cant be more than 1 or 2 more)
in the room that rooted for UN funding for the IGF -- all others were
vehemently against it ... They should perhaps tell us why they took such
a stand. In absence of such stable public funding for policy
deliberation spaces - which is a simple and key democratic principle, it
will have to depend on private funding, as now, which would obviously be
"interested" funding, and come and go depending on whether the IGF is
furthering those private interests or not.

I take it to be a most unfortunate stand of IG actors - including a lot
of civil society ones - to oppse stable Committed UN funding for the IGF.

On an entirely unconnected note, I am in complete disagreement with
Samantha, the author of this article, when she wants IGF to be more like
an "electricity governance forum" or "road governance Forum" where users
of electricity or roads do not come and discuss various uses of
electricity and roads, but where, presumably, it is all about engineers
discussing how electricity or roads are made and provided.  In this
spirit, she will like to have Internet related human rights and trade
issues to be discussed in HRC and WTO etc rather than in the IGF.
Pushing for that IMHO would be the surest way to kill the IGF. IGF for
me is most about how the Internet affects all sectors of the society.
These affects, their nature and trajectories, are as much an Internet
governance issues as a governance issue of that particular sector. But
yes, it should be studies and dealt with in a manner that the two
governance arenas connect and work together. For instance, IGF and
global Internet norms/ policy making spaces must provide larger
principles about Internet, data, algorithmic decision making, and so on,
and within there larger social-political frameworks trade governance
bodies should deal with trade related issues about Internet, data,
software, etc...

parminder


>
> What do you think is the main issue that needs to be focused on for the next IGF in Geneva next year?
>
> How do you think the IGF should do to not lose some stakeholders such as the Gov and the private sector?
>
> Please do share your thoughts.
>
> -----------------
> Arsène Tungali,
> @arsenebaguma
> +243 993810967
> GPG: 523644A0
> Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
>
> Sent from my iPhone (excuse typos)
>
>
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