[governance] IMPORTANT : Merging IGC with Best Bits

[farzaneh badii (via governance Mailing List)]

Hi Sala

Answers in line
Farzaneh


On Mon, Dec 17, 2018 at 2:35 PM "Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro" <
governance at lists.riseup.net> wrote:

> Hi Guys,
>
> I did not like seeing the proposal for there merger between the IGC and
> Best Bits brought up FIRST outside the IGC List as opposed to this being an
> in-house discussion first. On the notion that there are some in IGC who are
> also in Best Bits  and the same can be said for several other
> organisations, however this does not necessarily call for mergers with
> those organisations. What the Coordinators should be doing and soliciting
> input from its members are in identifying key strategic forums that the IGC
> can prepare to engage in.
>

No sorry, this is wrong. it was not outside of IGC/BestBits list. We had it
on the agenda of the meeting (IGC and BestBits cc'd) and had the meeting as
BestBits and IGC. Arsene can also share the call for merge with Bestbits
list. Nothing was decided during the meeting and Arsene is just raising it
on this list. ( I cc'd them already)
We have problems with not being focussed and coordinated as  much as we can
especially at IGF. Balls get dropped and no one pick them up. Jeremy has
been asking for someone to take over the BestBits website and other
management issues and no one volunteers. Obviously we don't have much
resources to maintain both. Civil Society fragmentation is also very
confusing to outsiders. We have to coordinate better and we can't do that
by being fragmented.

>
> The IGC should be preparing input into the key global initiatives,
>
> (1) The Digital Cooperation. The four additional channels for input from
> organizations and the public, which are summarized here:
> https://digitalcooperation.org/get-involved/. The Secretariat team will
> synthesize any written contributions that come in by Jan. 31th 2019.
>
> (2)Freedom of Expression Online. Given that we have IGC members who sit on
> key panels such as the Information Democracy Commission launched within the
> last quarter of this year, the IGC should have no problem submitting a
> global study and report to some of these key bodies. Just a matter of
> organising cross collaboration of individuals and agencies.
>
> (3) Input into the Open Consultations facilitated by the IGF Secretariat
> that will take place in Geneva at the end of January, 2019.
>
> (4) Preparing for the WSIS in April, 2019 and to see if the IGC can host
> some workshops or have a booth in Geneva.
>
> (5) Engagement in the review of the SDGs pertaining to the Internet in New
> York and co-hosting workshops at the UN HQ in New York.
>
> (6) Co-hosting side events or sessions at the Technical Community
> meetings. This can take place by involving and working with technical
> community members who are part of the IGC and work towards engaging
> valuable discussions.
>

In my opinion IGC should really go back to the mandate De was referring. We
can see how we have evolved but it is all easy to say we need to contribute
to all these initiatives and then no one does anything.


> I would also like to see better participation from the IGC within the IGF
> Intersessionals such as the Best Practice Forums and the Dynamic Coalitions
> and effective engagement with the National and Regional IGFs. This
> obviously calls for a robust review of the current IGC and its systems and
> if we see that there is a need for the merger and subject to the broad
> consensus of the IGC, I do not see why not.
>

IGC is a caucus of various busy civil society organizations and
individuals. Being involved with so many IG  initiatives is not possible,
especially on behalf of IGC. Our individual members are involved already
with many of  the groups you suggested.

Agree on number six, but not as side-event. We can have online meetings if
we want to discuss issues with other stakeholder groups. We can also
collaborate on submitting workshops and discussing the agenda of IG events.
But if anyone wants to volunteer and get us somewhere in those forum, I
think they can do so.

I have volunteered to help IGC draft input to IGF for taking stock. I think
we need to also ask the MAG members from Civil Society to update us and
have a stronger interaction.

Anyhow this thread is about the merge of BestBits with IGC and I will
respond to Arsene's email with BestBits cc'd separately.




> With every best wish,
> Sala
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