[WSIS CS-Plenary] PCT and WGIG

[Beatriz Busaniche]

El lun, 17-01-2005 a las 20:39 +0100, Jeanette Hofmann escribió:

> I'd wish we would stop this discussion. To me it seems quite destructive 
> and seems not lead anywhere.


Dear Jeanette

It seems that you are not alone in this feeling.

Over the last few days, I have received private e-mails of support from
several people who seem not to know each other, telling me that the IG
caucus didn't send all the topical caucus' nominations to Kummer, but
rather one-sidedly put them under the "connector" label, and that the
only formal candidates for the WGIG came from the IG caucus, LAC (not
the official, but the closed one), and arab caucus.

What is surprising and sad about these e-mails is that these people seem
not to dare express their view in public, and honestly, judging from the
public response we have gotten from some members of this list, trying to
discredit the PCT caucus candidates as extremist loons for example, I
can't say that I blame them.

I would like this discussion to end, too. But I think that saying that
the *discussion* is destructive, is misleading. It's the make-believe
democratic process through which the WGIG was selected that is
destructive. It's the bait-and-switch operation of first taking PCT
issues out of the agenda, then bringing them back. It's the lack of
ability for self-criticism of the people involved in the process that is
destructive. It's the unprovoked name-calling that is destructive.

We started this process as a diverse group of motivated allies trying to
help shape WSIS in a way that would be good for the people, not just
corporations and governments. Yet over the last few years, we have
managed to create an invisible power structure that intimidates
participants and effectively suppresses dissens, all the while
preserving the illusion of participatory, egalitarian cooperation.
Watching this mess all around me, I can't help it feeling ashamed for
all of us. 

So maybe we should just stop this discussion dead on its track. But if
we do, if we just let things like this happen... what exactly are we
here for?

Abrazos.