[discuss] [bestbits] FW: [governance] FW: Towards an Internet Social Forum

parminder parminder at itforchange.net
Sat Jan 31 10:54:55 UTC 2015


On Saturday 31 January 2015 04:21 PM, parminder wrote:
>
> On Sunday 25 January 2015 11:31 PM, Avri Doria wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> There have been a lot of criticisms of NMI based on its lack of 
>> transparency and top down decsion making. It appears to be trying to 
>> fix itself, but does not seem to having great success at this point.  
>> How will the ISF distinguish itself in this respect.
>
> Avri
>
> ISF (Internet Social Forum) submits to WSF 

Should have made clear -- WSF is the World Social Forum ...

> thinking and processes - which one must say are quite demanding inter 
> alia with regard to openness and transparency, since  right now I am 
> responding to a question on these points. At the same time, as has 
> happened with regard to many WSF linked initiatives, that may produce 
> document outcomes etc, like the intended People's Internet Manifesto, 
> the ISF process would also go beyond what is 'WSF proper' which is 
> clearly not an outcome producing forum. How this will be done would, I 
> understand, be figured out collectively by the actors who join in this 
> initiative, but obviously it cannot do anything that goes against WSF 
> thinking and its extreme accent on openness and transparency. ISF 
> would build on similar initiatives that have earlier formed under the 
> umbrella of the WSF - of which there happen to be a considerable 
> number. We are already in touch with a number of such groups/ 
> initiatives.
>
> As to the key operative phrase above, about 'the actors who join in 
> the initiative' ,  ISF will be working under WSF rules and criteria, 
> which are listed on the WSF 2015 website on the unambiguously titled 
> page 'criteria of participation 
> <https://fsm2015.org/en/criteria-participation>'. . As you will see, 
> one of the criterion is adherence to the original Charter of 
> Principles 
> <http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/main.php?id_menu=4&cd_language=2> of 
> the WSF.
>
> Now, if some people consider these criteria too exclusionary well that 
> is what the WSF is, and ISF is working under the WSF umbrella . It is 
> possible, just to give an example and no offence intended, that some 
> anti abortionists may find some women's rights groups too 
> exclusionary, but that is how it is. In my experiences any serious 
> political work requires some boundary laying.
>
>>
>> Also, I do hope the ISF takes more pains than the NMI has in terms of 
>> appearing to challenge the existence of the IGF.
>
> I responded on this to Wolfgang (whose response BTW I still await). 
> Unlike NMI, the ISF has no claim to be multistakeholder. It is 
> out-and-out a civil society initiative (Please see WSF criteria above) 
> . In the circumstances, I do not understand what conflict it presents 
> with the IGF, In fact I asked Wolfgang and I ask you Avri, why and how 
> does a civil society initiative present questions about 'challenge to 
> the existence of the IGF'?
>
> And again, we welcome all progressive groups and individuals who 
> subscribe to the WSF thinking to join us in the ISF initiative. And 
> this is a public pledge that the group working on this initiative will 
> always holds itself highly accountable to the public, and will always 
> respond to questions that are posed to the group.
>
> If this response is not found satisfactory with respect to the 
> original question, please do not hesitate to ask again or if needed 
> re-frame the question or get more specific. If we do not have an 
> answer right now, that too we will tell you.
>
> parminder
>
> Disclaimer: Above are just my views about what the ISF should and is 
> likely to , and there is still no definitive articulation of the 
> issues and processes discussed above by the collectivity behind the 
> ISF initiative.
>
>>
>> avri
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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