[WSIS CS-Plenary] RE: [governance] need of a description for capacity building?

[Parminder]

Dear Ken, 

If you ask my opinion, it will be a mistake to load the agenda of a public
policy forum too much with the technical function of 'capacity building'.
Especially so, when it directly serves the objective and strategy of those -
like the governments of the North and the private sector - who want to
restrict public policy influencing possibilities of IGF. 

We all know how important it is to build capacity in developing countries,
and among the CS, on difficult and fast changing issues connected to IG.
However, I will prefer that this important function is organized more
outside the IGF. It is a public policy neutral function (or at least, it
should be)and we should have a separately organized effort to get academic
institutions, donor, experts etc together and pool in their efforts for this
purpose. Have something like an IG capacity building forum. And work hard on
this issue.

IGF should also keep an eye on this important function, but if we put it
substantially on its agenda as the first few issues that it should take up -
this issue will only serve the need of tokenistic co-opting of developing
country agenda, without giving quarters on the real, and strongly contested,
public policy issues that concern developing countries. 

I keep repeating the WIPO example, but it is so important that I will re
state it. At WIPO the technical assistance/ capacity building activity is
often used to obfuscate real policy issues. Developing countries and CS have
seen through this ploy at WIPO and openly scoff at such attempts now. Lets
not have to re-learn this important lessons once again at IGF. 

Another point of relevance here is that thought we of course admit lack of
capacity in developing countries,  parading it too much at forums where
important public policy contestations are to be made serves the purpose of
dominant interests who directly or in-directly are apt to say that - well,
you do not really understand all the implications involved here. That is
really a typical look-down approach we can do without. We know enough when
it comes to judge how issues affect developing counties interest, and we are
up to representing them. We don’t need advice on this. Certainly not from
those with whom we are contesting on many of these issues. 

I hope I have been able to make my point without giving the impression that
capacity building is not important.

Best regards
Parminder  
________________________________________________
Parminder Jeet Singh
IT for Change
Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities 
91-80-26654134
www.ITforChange.net 
-----Original Message-----
From: governance-bounces at lists.cpsr.org
[mailto:governance-bounces at lists.cpsr.org] On Behalf Of Ken Lohento
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 9:51 PM
To: Governance
Cc: NANA Delphine
Subject: [governance] need of a description for capacity building?

Dear all

Do you think it's still necessary to suggest capacity building and provide a
description for that theme?
I was about to do that (notably on behalf of the African Civil Society) but
when I read again the synthesis of written contributions (below) re-sent by
Robert Guerra, and since this theme is as an overarching theme (sic), I
suppose it will be chosen anyway?

Would appreciate to read your suggestions.

Best

Ken Lohento
www.cipaco.org
www.panos-ao.org

-----Message d'origine-----
De : governance-bounces at lists.cpsr.org
[mailto:governance-bounces at lists.cpsr.org]De la part de Robert Guerra
Envoyé : jeudi 23 mars 2006 15:42
À : Governance; plenary at wsis-cs.org
Objet : [governance] IG Public policy issues - approx 7 days left to
deadline.. [March 31/06]
Short synthesis of written contributions and discussions.
http://www.intgovforum.org/brief.htm


The questionnaire responses and the discussions during the consultations
indicated an emerging consensus that the activities of the IGF should
have an overall development orientation.  It was equally recognized that
capacity building should also be an overarching priority.  Capacity
building should enable meaningful participation in global Internet
policy development which includes both assistance to attend meetings and
training in the subject matter.

In addition to the overarching development and capacity building
priorities, a review of the questionnaire responses and the transcripts
of the consultations shows the following as the top ten most frequently
mentioned public policy issues:

   1. Spam
   2. Multilingualism
   3. Cybercrime
   4. Cybersecurity
   5. Privacy and Data Protection
   6. Freedom of Expression and Human Rights
   7. International Interconnection Costs
   8. Bridging the Digital Divide: Access and Policies
   9. Bridging the Digital Divide: Financing
  10. Rules for e-commerce, e-business and consumer protection.




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