[governance] Internet Shutdown: An IGC Statement to the ISOC Cameroon Chapter?

Arsène Tungali arsenebaguma at gmail.com
Wed Feb 1 10:26:30 EST 2017


Hi everyone,

Thanks Mawaki for your comments and explanation about the spirit behind the
letter.

Thanks Anriette and everyone who made a comment or approved it already.

As promised, we have few hours for us to close it and send it.
So, if you have an addition or a comment, please feel free to write to the
list.

Regards,
A

------------------------
**Arsène Tungali**
Co-Founder & Executive Director, *Rudi international
<http://www.rudiinternational.org>*,
CEO,* Smart Services Sarl <http://www.smart-serv.info>*, *Mabingwa Forum
<http://www.mabingwa-forum.com>*
Tel: +243 993810967
GPG: 523644A0
*Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo*

2015 Mandela Washington Felllow
<http://tungali.blogspot.com/2015/06/selected-for-2015-mandela-washington.html>
(YALI) - ISOC Ambassador (IGF Brazil
<http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/igf-ambassadors-programme/Past-Ambassadors>
& Mexico
<http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/Current-Ambassadors>)
- AFRISIG 2016 <http://afrisig.org/afrisig-2016/class-of-2016/> - Blogger
<http://tungali.blogspot.com> - ICANN Fellow (Los Angeles
<https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2014-07-18-en> & Marrakech
<https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/marrakech55-attendees-2016-03-14-en>
). AFRINIC Fellow (Mauritius
<http://www.afrinic.net/en/library/news/1907-afrinic-25-fellowship-winners>)*
- *IGFSA Member <http://www.igfsa.org/> - The HuffingtonPost UK
<http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/liza-bel/drc_b_8958150.html>

2017-02-01 17:15 GMT+02:00 Anriette Esterhuysen <anriette at apc.org>:

> The letter looks very good to me. Apologies for missing the deadline.
>
> Anriette
>
>
> On 01/02/2017 11:18, Mawaki Chango wrote:
> > Dear Arsène et al.
> >
> > We deliberately decided to keep it short, on purpose. This should not be
> > approached as an input from IGC to a complex global policy issue, on the
> > world stage. (Not to mention that we did not want this to get into
> > endless debates as IGC is accustomed to.) Neither did we want it to take
> > a turn to, or us to be suspected of, lecturing. That's why we further
> > motivated the exercise, with a narrow focus, by recalling the specific
> > communication that prompted it.
> >
> > You can see from Javier's first response that even those precautions
> > prove not to be enough to warrant our declaration, in his view.
> > Apparently he would want us to withdraw altogether from, and keep quiet,
> > on the issue (if I'm being mistaken here on the implications of your
> > response, I stand to be corrected.)
> >
> > In the meantime, I personally think our above described precautions
> > should suffice. The statement doesn't get into the presumably complex
> > political and security issues that the government might be dealing with
> > on the ground. In the communication that prompted our statement, maybe
> > Janvier just got carried away in an attempt to avoid a wholesale
> > condemnation of his country in the global community of civil society.
> > But the email posted is there including terms and a rationale which are
> > unacceptable to us, and we needed to express our concern and register
> > our disapproval of such. We are not making claims as to how hard working
> > and committed ISOC Cameroon may or may not be toward facilitating
> > Internet access to all in Cameroon, in ordinary times.
> >
> > Mawaki
> >
> > On Feb 1, 2017 6:13 AM, "Arsène Tungali" <arsenebaguma at gmail.com
> > <mailto:arsenebaguma at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >     Dear Norbert, Mawaki,
> >
> >     Thank you for the draft as suggested. It is very short, i wonder if
> >     anyone who was not part of these discussions or who will see it for
> >     the first time on our website will be able to understand the
> >     background. Just thinking outloud :)
> >
> >     I leave it open to the community for comments, etc if applicable. I
> >     suggest we close it by 11:pm UTC this Feb 1st.
> >
> >     We will then post it on our website and send it to the appropriate
> >     persons, to follow the process as agreed here.
> >
> >     Meanwhile, i see Mr Janvier already responded (which is a good sign
> >     imo) and i suggest we discuss his response once we have formally
> >     sent this letter.
> >
> >     Hope this is fine with you'all.
> >
> >     Thanks,
> >     A
> >     -----------------
> >     Arsène Tungali,
> >     @arsenebaguma
> >     +243 993810967 <tel:%2B243%20993810967>
> >     GPG: 523644A0
> >     Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
> >
> >     Sent from my iPhone (excuse typos)
> >
> >     > On Jan 31, 2017, at 9:32 PM, Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch
> >     <mailto:nb at bollow.ch>> wrote:
> >     >
> >     > Dear Arsène and all
> >     >
> >     > Please find our proposal at
> >     >
> >     >
> >     https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQjEQ5UtR4D7f0HYeJsK0upPKnJTE
> yWULk-fUSajTd8/edit
> >     <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQjEQ5UtR4D7f0HYeJsK0upPKnJTE
> yWULk-fUSajTd8/edit>
> >     >
> >     > I'm also including the text below.
> >     >
> >     > Greetings,
> >     > Norbert
> >     >
> >     >
> >     > -- draft starts --
> >     > To the ISOC Cameroon Chapter
> >     >
> >     > Dear Colleagues
> >     >
> >     > The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC,
> >     http://igcaucus.org)
> >     > is a global network of civil society actors who originally came
> >     > together in the context of the World Summit on the Information
> Society
> >     > (WSIS) to promote global public interest objectives in Internet
> >     > governance policy making.
> >     >
> >     > We are firmly convinced that Internet shutdowns are not acceptable
> in
> >     > regard to any region and not justifiable in any way, and that such
> >     > shutdowns must be opposed vigorously.
> >     >
> >     > We would have expected everyone who associates themselves with
> ISOC to
> >     > be committed to ISOC's principle stating that “The Internet is for
> >     > Everyone”.
> >     >
> >     > For further elaboration of the important principle of /Internet
> access
> >     > and affordability/ along with related rights and freedoms, we
> refer to
> >     > the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms,
> >     > http://africaninternetrights.org/articles/
> >     <http://africaninternetrights.org/articles/> .
> >     >
> >     > In light of these principles and rights, we would like to
> respectfully
> >     > urge the ISOC Cameroon Chapter to adopt a corresponding strong
> stance
> >     > in regard to Internet shutdowns in some regions of the country,
> and to
> >     > denounce and oppose such dreadful measures with all earnestness.
> >     >
> >     > The reason why we write to you in this matter is a posting to our
> >     > mailing list on January 26, 2017, which was signed “ISOC Cameroon,
> >     > President” and which expressed views that were not at all
> consistent
> >     > with the above.
> >     >
> >     > Best regards
> >     > Internet Governance Caucus (IGC)
> >     >
> >     >
> >     >
> >     > Cc: ISOC’s regional contact for Africa, bekele at isoc.org
> >     <mailto:bekele at isoc.org>
> >     >
> >     > -- draft ends --
> >     >
> >     >
> >     >
> >     >
> >     >
> >     > On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 17:54:30 +0200
> >     > Arsène Tungali <arsenebaguma at gmail.com
> >     <mailto:arsenebaguma at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >     >
> >     >> Dear Norbert,
> >     >>
> >     >> Thanks for Mawaki and yourself for willing to take on this task.
> I am
> >     >> happy with the process as you suggest it (with the hope that
> everyone
> >     >> is happy as well): writing to ISOC Cameroon with cc to ISOC
> Global.
> >     >>
> >     >> Please do send us the draft once finalized and we will allow at
> least
> >     >> 24 hours for the IGC to comment before this can be sent. Please do
> >     >> share it in a Google Drive (do not allow edit by anyone but just
> >     >> allow people to make contributions in form of comments in the
> margins
> >     >> of the doc).
> >     >>
> >     >> Regards,
> >     >> A
> >     >>
> >     >> ------------------------
> >     >> **Arsène Tungali**
> >     >> Co-Founder & Executive Director, *Rudi international
> >     >> <http://www.rudiinternational.org
> >     <http://www.rudiinternational.org>>*,
> >     >> CEO,* Smart Services Sarl <http://www.smart-serv.info>*,
> *Mabingwa
> >     >> Forum <http://www.mabingwa-forum.com>*
> >     >> Tel: +243 993810967 <tel:%2B243%20993810967>
> >     >> GPG: 523644A0
> >     >> *Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo*
> >     >>
> >     >> 2015 Mandela Washington Felllow
> >     >>
> >     <http://tungali.blogspot.com/2015/06/selected-for-2015-
> mandela-washington.html
> >     <http://tungali.blogspot.com/2015/06/selected-for-2015-
> mandela-washington.html>>
> >     >> (YALI) - ISOC Ambassador (IGF Brazil
> >     >>
> >     <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-
> leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/igf-
> ambassadors-programme/Past-Ambassadors
> >     <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-
> leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/igf-
> ambassadors-programme/Past-Ambassadors>>
> >     >> & Mexico
> >     >>
> >     <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-
> leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/Current-Ambassadors
> >     <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-
> leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/Current-Ambassadors>>)
> >     >> - AFRISIG 2016 <http://afrisig.org/afrisig-2016/class-of-2016/
> >     <http://afrisig.org/afrisig-2016/class-of-2016/>> -
> >     >> Blogger <http://tungali.blogspot.com> - ICANN Fellow (Los Angeles
> >     >> <https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2014-07-18-en
> >     <https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2014-07-18-en>> & Marrakech
> >     >>
> >     <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/marrakech55-
> attendees-2016-03-14-en
> >     <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/marrakech55-
> attendees-2016-03-14-en>>
> >     >> ). AFRINIC Fellow (Mauritius
> >     >>
> >     <http://www.afrinic.net/en/library/news/1907-afrinic-25-
> fellowship-winners
> >     <http://www.afrinic.net/en/library/news/1907-afrinic-25-
> fellowship-winners>>)*
> >     >> - *IGFSA Member <http://www.igfsa.org/> - The HuffingtonPost UK
> >     >> <http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/liza-bel/drc_b_8958150.html
> >     <http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/liza-bel/drc_b_8958150.html>>
> >     >>
> >     >> 2017-01-30 16:36 GMT+02:00 Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch
> >     <mailto:nb at bollow.ch>>:
> >     >>
> >     >>> Dear Arsène and all
> >     >>>
> >     >>> After a quick exchange with Mawaki, I'm happy to report that
> Mawaki
> >     >>> and I are willing to work out a joint proposal.
> >     >>>
> >     >>> In regard to who the letter should be addressed to, Mawaki and I
> >     >>> think that the statement should be addressed to ISOC Cameroon. At
> >     >>> the most, we can cc ISOC Global for the record. As made clear in
> >     >>> the communication excerpts forwarded by Arsène, ISOC Global is
> >     >>> already taking action and Chapter office holders are volunteers
> who
> >     >>> are not bound to the organization by a required line of conduct
> as
> >     >>> would be expected from staff of ISOC Global. Therefore we cannot
> >     >>> reasonably hold the global organization accountable for any
> Chapter
> >     >>> official's position and put them in the position to be answerable
> >     >>> about it -- which will appear as being the case if we address a
> >     >>> letter to ISOC Global, -- especially when their response is
> already
> >     >>> known.
> >     >>>
> >     >>> We think that the statement should be short and narrowly focused,
> >     >>> and articulated on the basis of some basic principles which
> should
> >     >>> be sufficiently self-evident to not need any in-depth debate in
> IGC.
> >     >>>
> >     >>> You may expect us to post proposed text shortly.
> >     >>>
> >     >>> Greetings,
> >     >>> Norbert
> >     >>>
> >     >>>
> >     >>>
> >     >>> On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:02:56 +0200
> >     >>> Arsène Tungali <arsenebaguma at gmail.com
> >     <mailto:arsenebaguma at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >     >>>
> >     >>>> Dear colleagues,
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Starting a new thread.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> I would like to thank everyone for raising your concern about
> >     >>>> what's going on in Cameroon which is just another country added
> >     >>>> to the list of African countries that have experienced Internet
> >     >>>> shutdown. I am from the DRC and we have experienced this more
> >     >>>> than 3 times and I am in the best position to highly condem this
> >     >>>> new form of oppression.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> I would also like to thank everyone who have expressed their
> >     >>>> concern over what Mr. Janvier had to say about the shutdown in
> >     >>>> his country, where he volunteerly serve as ISOC Cameroon
> >     >>>> President. I join you all and condemn his position on this,
> which
> >     >>>> I can assure you, is his own position, not shared by his other
> >     >>>> colleagues at theISOC Chapter. Proof is he reacted to his other
> >     >>>> colleague who had a different view and who was making an appeal,
> >     >>>> asking for more coverage and action regarding what's going on in
> >     >>>> his country.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> For your information, ISOC has issued a statement
> >     >>>>
> >     <http://www.internetsociety.org/lets-keep-internet-
> everyone?utm_content=
> >     <http://www.internetsociety.org/lets-keep-internet-
> everyone?utm_content=>
> >     >>> bufferc442c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com
> >     <http://twitter.com>&utm_campaign=buffer>
> >     >>>> condemning the shutdown in Cameroon as well as in other
> countries.
> >     >>>> This show that ISOC, as an organization, does not support
> >     >>>> shutdowns but rather condem it firmly (as we all know).
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> And, on a different mailing list, Mr. Nicolas Seidler
> >     >>>>
> >     <https://www.internetsociety.org/who-we-are/people/mr-
> nicolas-seidler <https://www.internetsociety.org/who-we-are/people/mr-
> nicolas-seidler>>,
> >     >>>> who is Senior Policy Advisor for ISOC said the following:
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> We felt it was time to formally express our long-standing
> >     >>>> concerns on such measures, in the context of the Cameroon
> >     >>>> situation and in view of others to come up in the future. We are
> >     >>>> also supporting and giving visibility to efforts from Access and
> >     >>>> members of the Keep it on campaign on our social media channels.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> And he reacted on Mr. Janvier's stance and ONLY had this to say:
> >     >>>> Finally, we have an ISOC Chapter in Cameroon, as in many other
> >     >>>> parts of the worlds. While not all members of Chapters share the
> >     >>>> same view (a Chapter is made of local volunteers, not staff),
> >     >>>> there are some who want to act and we’ll make sure to direct
> them
> >     >>>> to Deji, Julie and others involved in the advocacy effort.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>>> From the above, we understand that it was a personal point of
> >     >>>>> view from Mr.
> >     >>>> Janvier which, as most of our colleagues said here, is
> completely
> >     >>>> wrong. I do personally believe that when a single person is
> >     >>>> restricted access, this should be raised and condemned. In
> >     >>>> Cameroon, we have 2 regions affected and this is terrible.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> *Now, coming back to the discussion on this list regarding a
> >     >>>> statement, I would like to suggest the following:*
> >     >>>> 1. We can issue a statement adressed to ISOC Global (to ISOC
> >     >>>> Executive Director for example) condemning the public stance
> >     >>>> taken by ISOC Cameroon President. May I suggest *Norbert and
> >     >>>> Mawaki* to make an initial draft statement and share with us
> >     >>>> within the next 48 hours (if at all possible)?
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> 2. We then issue a more general statement condemning Internet
> >     >>>> shutdown across the world as a civil society coalition because I
> >     >>>> am sure this is the new form of opression that Gov are taking
> (as
> >     >>>> said by Snowden). It will be very useful we use the expertise we
> >     >>>> have here to draft this and circulate it widely in all networks
> >     >>>> as a way to condemn the act but also to raise awareness about
> the
> >     >>>> issue (which is still unfamiliar with those who are not actively
> >     >>>> involved in these discussions or who have never experienced any
> >     >>>> shutdown). *For this, I would like to ask request few volunteers
> >     >>>> to make an initial draft statement as well?*
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Please do let me know what you think or if there is another
> >     >>>> approach that we can all agree on and take action without
> >     >>>> wassting more time. If you want to be part of the team of 3 to
> >     >>>> draft the second statement, please do let us know on this list
> >     >>>> within the next 48 hours.
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Very best,
> >     >>>>
> >     >>>> Arsene, IGC Co-cooordinator
> >     >
> >     > ____________________________________________________________
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>
> --
> -----------------------------------------
> Anriette Esterhuysen
> Executive Director
> Association for Progressive Communications
> anriette at apc.org
> www.apc.org
> IM: ae_apc
>
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