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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I have been a lurker on this list for a
long time but Jeremy's post and Stephanie's that followed spurred
me to action. Stephanie is so correct when she says that no
organization can survive with almost no funds, no staff, and no
one before this year to head the organization. The IGF has had
very few ways to assist its numerous volunteers. We need to push
for strengthening the IGF and not putting it down. The new IGF
Association is one step forward to helping provide the financial
contributions that are needed and that the UN system has not been
providing. The IGF has piloted several new programs, most notably
the Best Practice Forums this year and let's give these a chance
to grow and take hold.<br>
<br>
I agree with Marilyn’s important point: we need the IGF and need
to support its continuation and evolution. I would add that the
cannot be expected to address everything related to Internet
policy globally - but it can and should be a place where these
people and many different institutions come to talk about the work
they are doing and to help contextualize the Internet-impacting
issues without attempting to replace or duplicate action that is
being done in other places. <br>
<br>
Our priority should continue to be how can we strengthen the IGF
as the forum that other initiatives related to Internet governance
feed into. Let's hope that the WEF's NMI can elevate and support
awareness of Internet Governance and the value of the IGF and if
it can then lend financial support or come up with other ideas of
how we strengthen the IGF, all the better. What I hope will not
happen is that too much time at the IGF will be spent discussing
the outcome of this WEF initiative and take away from the focus of
how we can strengthen and improve the IGF.<br>
<br>
Cheers!!<br>
Judith Hellerstein<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="80">_________________________________________________________________________
Judith Hellerstein, Founder & CEO
Hellerstein & Associates
3001 Veazey Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 362-5139 Skype ID: judithhellerstein
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Judith@jhellerstein.com">Judith@jhellerstein.com</a> Website: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.jhellerstein.com">www.jhellerstein.com</a>
Linked In: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jhellerstein/">www.linkedin.com/in/jhellerstein/</a>
Opening Telecom & Technology Opportunities Worldwide
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On 8/21/2014, 2:03 PM, Stephanie Perrin wrote:<br>
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<blockquote cite="mid:53F6345E.9010406@mail.utoronto.ca" type="cite">
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I don't know Jeremy, I don't think you are being cynical enough; I
agree with your blog. Where oh where is civil society on the WEF
website? I confess little or no expertise on the IGF, having last
attended in person in 2006....but how does anyone think the IGF is
going to get this issue back? If civil society is prepared to
admit that IGF is the walking dead, what does anyone realistically
think government and industry are likely to say?<br>
Personally, I don't think a fair bargain has been struck for the
first ten years of IGF. No organization can survive with almost
no funds, no staff, and no means off assisting its volunteers to
attend and build initiatives. This is what we need to push for.
That and getting the WEC to restrict its activities to fundraising
among its members, to fund IGF. <br>
Cheers Stephanie Perrin<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 14-08-21 1:30 PM, Jeremy Malcolm
wrote:<br>
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<blockquote cite="mid:53F62CC2.8050807@eff.org" type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On 21/08/2014 10:18 am, Avri Doria wrote:
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<pre wrap="">Web site updated.
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.weforum.org/issues/global-internet-governance">http://www.weforum.org/issues/global-internet-governance</a>
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<pre wrap="">Before seeing this I blogged with my personal thoughts about the
Initiative at
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://igfwatch.org/discussion-board/the-netmundial-initiative-exposed">http://igfwatch.org/discussion-board/the-netmundial-initiative-exposed</a>,
being my usual cranky self. Having now read the website update, I
wouldn't change much in what I had written, but I am pleased to read
that "there will be a six month period of
consultations with a broad range of stakeholders and experts regarding
whether and how to establish a dedicated organizational structure to
support these activities going forward, whether or not connected to the
Forum."
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