[lac-discuss-en] some reasons for lack of participation

Lance Hinds lhinds at gol.net.gy
Thu Nov 6 19:28:26 EST 2008


Jackie, Scott

I agree with this approach as well but I rather suspect that the first stage
of distillation would have to be done at the level of ALAC. All policy
should first have specific reference and/or implications to the at-large
then we drill down to the RALOs.  

My two cents 

Lance 

-----Original Message-----
From: lac-discuss-en-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org
[mailto:lac-discuss-en-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of
Jacqueline A. Morris
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 9:05 PM
Cc: lac-discuss-en at atlarge-lists.icann.org
Subject: Re: [lac-discuss-en] some reasons for lack of participation

Thanks Scott
So basically, if there's a small sub-group that takes a policy document, 
such as RAA, and looks at it in terms of "What does it mean to users in 
LAC" and they post that document as an adjunct to the translated 
document and the online briefing, that more people, like yourself, for 
example, would be able to and would comment on the policy issue?
In that case  - LACRALO needs to create such working groups... it's a 
good idea.
Jacqueline
Scott S Robinson wrote:
> Estimados colegas,
>
> Jacqueline's comment and call for more participation provokes me
> to reflect on some reasons for our list passivity and lack of substantive
> discussion.
>
> El comentario de Jacquelina referente a la ausencia de una participación
> activa y sustantiva en esta lista me provoca algunas reflexiones sobre 
> las
> posibles causas de esta situación.
>
> Methinks it boils down to a power divide, if you will, between 
> national level Ministry,
> commericial ISPs or even NAP senior staff or tech executives whose 
> skills and understanding of the complex ICANN-related issues have 
> evolved over the past 15 plus years, AND those few of us in the 
> budding RALO network who come from the IT activist
> communities in our diverse set of countries.
>
> Pienso que vivimos una brecha del poder, si me permiten, entre los 
> colegas hoy día
> funcionarios de jerarquía en Ministerios, ISPs comerciales, hasta 
> NAPs, cuyo oficio o amplia experiencia es fruto de 15 años 
> administrando redes, Y LOS DEMÁS, que somos pocos, quienes procedemos 
> de ONGs y un activismo a favor de la inclusión digital.
>
> And in most of our countries, IT-related public policies were NOT THE 
> RESULT OF BOTTOM UP, amply discussed initiatives, such as national 
> telecenter programs with non proprietary tools, but rather sweetheart 
> contracts between public officials and the mega consortia bent on 
> expanding market share, reinforcing branding and general profiting 
> from the digital divide narrative.  Our respective lower cost more 
> community anchored initiatives (with vanguard IT tools and open source 
> software) were largely ignored while small mom and pop cybercafés 
> filled village and town squares offering few incentives for the 
> brilliant young women and men denied higher educations for diverse 
> reasons.  Our vision of digital inclusion was largely unacceptable to 
> national elites nervous about an well-informed public demanding 
> services and accountability.
>
> En la mayoría de nuestros países, las políticas públicas relacionadas 
> con TICs NO FUERON producto de consultas públicas o la apropiación de 
> pilotos e herramientas de vanguardia, sino el producto de contratos 
> frutos de un capitalismo de compadres donde los consorcios conocidos 
> ampliaron sus mercados, reforzaron sus marcas y logos, y lucraron con 
> la narrativa de la dichosa "brecha digital".  Nuestra propuestas más 
> baratas, con tecnologías de punta y software de código abierto, fueron 
> ignoradas mientras las plazas se llenaron de cibercafés, micronegocios 
> sin subsidios, que ofrecen pocos incentivos para las y los jóvenes 
> brillantes, frustrados ante las pocas opciones para seguir 
> estudiando.  Nuestras propuestas no cuajaron, fueron inaceptables para 
> las respectivas elites nacionales nerviosos ante la posibilidad de un 
> pueblo bien informado y exigente de cuentas claras.
>
> Thus, it should not surprise us that our list and RALO reflects the 
> polarity of this decision making process in most if not all of our 
> countries.  I suggest the more technically proficient have a 
> responsibility to parse the social, user freedom and intellectual 
> property implications of the several ICANN reforms...
>
> Entonces, no debe de sorprendernos que nuestra lista y RALO es un fiel 
> reflejo de la actual polaridad en el actual proceso de la toma de 
> decisiones hoy en casi todo sino todos nuestros países.  Sugiero que 
> los participantes con mayor oficio técnico comparten una 
> responsabilidad para desglosar las implicaciones sociales, derechos de 
> los usuarios y de propiedad intelectual inherentes a las muchas 
> reformas presentadas al ICANN.
>
> Saludos,
>
> Scott S. Robinson
> www.vinculart.org.mx
> www.uam-antropologia.info
> México
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> lac-discuss-en mailing list
> lac-discuss-en at atlarge-lists.icann.org
>
http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/lac-discuss-en_atlarge-lists
.icann.org 
>


_______________________________________________
lac-discuss-en mailing list
lac-discuss-en at atlarge-lists.icann.org
http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/lac-discuss-en_atlarge-lists
.icann.org




More information about the lac-discuss-en mailing list