[Advisors] Canada UPR submission - can we endorse
michael gurstein
gurstein at gmail.com
Mon, 8 Oct 2012 20:11:16 -0700
Hi Shawna and all,
(I'm leaving on Thursday for work/travel and won't have much time until I
get back mid-November to discuss this further...
However, one suggestion would be to set up an email list specifically to
discuss and extend the document, the follow-on, and Internet policy in
Canada from a civil society perspective; what changes might be needed in it
if it is to move forward (I'm unclear whether this input is a once for all
or can be modified/added to for a future contribution); and invite all and
sundry to join and contribute (while making some specific invitations to
seed the discussion).
I would suggest that the e-list begin with the same set of initial
sponsors/endorsees as for the document. (If there are problems with the
mechanics of an e-list (as there often seems to be), I could set one up more
or less instantaneously through Vancouver Community Net who currently host
the half-dozen e-lists that I'm currently responsible for.) (I could set one
up like this myself, and have done so in the past but my feeling is that it
should be done as part of a coalition building exercise and should have
multiple initial sponsors and some initial dedicated time resources put into
it to make it fly. Something which has not, for various reasons, been
possible to date...
I would also like to see some sort of formal convening at some point (a face
to face Civil Society conference on Internet policy issues in Canada
sometime over the next year). I think it would make considerable sense to
do it in conjunction with the Open Data/Open Government Data folks--there
isn't as much overlap of individuals between these two communities as there
should be but there is certainly an overlap in overall policy orientation.
What role APC, a relatively new (but of course --Web Networks--something of
a founding) player on this block could play I'm not sure, but sometimes
new/old kids can unfreeze a situation that has become rather stale... so go
for it...
Anyway you asked.
M
-----Original Message-----
From: Shawna Finnegan [mailto:shawna@apc.org]
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 6:06 PM
To: gurstein@gmail.com
Cc: Lisa Cyr; Tamir Israel; advisors@tc.ca; Anriette Esterhuysen; Joy
Liddicoat
Subject: Re: [Advisors] Canada UPR submission - can we endorse?
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Dear Michael and all,
First, I would like to introduce myself: I am the assistant for APC's
Internet Rights are Human Rights project.
Michael, I completely agree on the need for a process of inclusion. As Lisa
said, APC primarily works in developing countries, and so while we did our
best to reach out to various networks, our contacts for this submission were
rather limited.
However this submission is only a small part of the UPR process. We would
ideally like to build a more inclusive coalition to inform follow-up
activity, including the review in Geneva in early 2013.
I am including in this email a final copy of the submission, which we would
be very happy for you to circulate to your networks. Although it is
unfortunately too late for the official submission to include contribution
from a wider group of stakeholders, feedback from these would be extremely
valuable.
Perhaps we could also take this opportunity to discuss how APC can support
the organizations and coalitions that are working in this area.
All the best,
Shawna
- --
Shawna Finnegan
Internet Rights are Human Rights
Association for Progressive Communications www.apc.org @shawnafinnegan
+2049516369
skype: shawnafinnegan
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: "michael gurstein" <gurstein@gmail.com> Date: October 8,
>> 2012 10:31:15 AM MDT To: "'Lisa Cyr'" <Lisa@apc.org> Cc: "'Tamir
>> Israel'" <tisrael@cippic.ca>, "'Marita Moll'"
>> <mmoll@ca.inter.net>, "'TC Advisors'" <advisors@tc.ca>, "'Gareth
>> Shearman'" <shearman@victoria.tc.ca>, "'Thompson, Darlene'"
>> <DThompson1@GOV.NU.CA>, "'Anriette Esterhuysen'"
>> <anriette@apc.org>, "'Joy Liddicoat'" <joy@apc.org> Subject: RE:
>> [Advisors] Canada UPR submission - can we endorse?
>>
>> Hi Lisa and all,
>>
>> First let me repeat that I think that this is an excellent document
>> and feel free to add my name as an endorser of the document as an
>> individual (please use the sig at the bottom of this note) and I
>> believe that there was sufficient support (and no negative comments)
>> on the Telecommunities Canada list that an endorsement from TC can
>> also be included.
>>
>> That being said a couple of other comments.
>>
>> It isn't a matter of individuals being included or excluded but
>> rather of a process of inclusion which by it's very nature uses
>> crowdsourcing to strengthen the content of the document, enhances the
>> impact of the document (with additional endorsements), helps to
>> create an inclusive process of support for the document with
>> potentially significant effects on those so engaged, and perhaps most
>> important sews the seeds for follow-up processes and initiatives.
>>
>> A document such as this one has, from my experience, relatively
>> little impact in itself, but rather the impact comes from the process
>> of its development and the outcome that emerges from this process and
>> so I think that a significant opportunity was missed here,
>> inadvertently I'm sure. And yes, given the current situation in
>> Canada in the areas covered by this document there is a very
>> considerable need for concerted action and widely inclusive
>> coalitions to be built and leadership from any direction in these
>> matters is to be welcomed.
>>
>> All that being said it would appear to be too late now to circulate
>> the document for additional sign-ons (an endorsement or endorsements
>> from First Nations and Francophone organizations would I think have
>> been particularly useful in this instance) but I will take the
>> opportunity to circulate this to various groups and lists where there
>> may be an interest.
>>
>> And I would also welcome and support any indication of a follow-on
>> initiative that might move this discussion and related actions
>> forward.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> Michael Gurstein, Ph.D. Executive Director: Centre for Community
>> Informatics Research, Development and Training (CCIRDT) Editor in
>> Chief: Journal of Community Informatics Adjunct Professor: School of
>> Library and Archival Studies University of British Columbia
>> Vancouver, BC CANADA tel/fax: +1-604-602-0624 email:
>> gurstein@gmail.com web: http://communityinformatics.net blog:
>> http://gurstein.wordpress.com twitter: #michaelgurstein
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Lisa Cyr [mailto:Lisa@apc.org] Sent: Monday, October 08,
>> 2012 6:05 AM To: michael gurstein Cc: Tamir Israel; Marita Moll; TC
>> Advisors; Gareth Shearman; Thompson, Darlene; Anriette Esterhuysen;
>> Joy Liddicoat Subject: Re: [Advisors] Canada UPR submission - can we
>> endorse?
>>
>> Hi Michael,
>>
>> My colleague Shawna and I work for APC, and have been working on the
>> UPR submission. Initially it was something we wanted to work on
>> because we felt, as Canadians, it was important to do, and we did not
>> know of anyone else working on this. We also felt working on it as a
>> coalition would be much more effective because we are not experts on
>> the matter, and many members of the lawful access list are much more
>> knowledgeable in this area than we are.
>> The more heads that come together, the better. In this networked
>> world, we are looking to work together with people on common goals.
>>
>> So this really was perhaps more a scrambled attempt to get as many
>> voices together as possible, in a very short period of time, rather
>> than a deliberate attempt to exclude anyone. The problem is probably
>> more related to the fact that I (and/or Shawna) am not particularly
>> well networked in this area and was not entirely sure who to reach
>> out to. The list seemed ideal.
>>
>> APC would welcome a centralized list - we are not necessarily looking
>> to take leadership in the ICT policy area in Canada - work is
>> primarily focused in the global South; but given everything that is
>> happening in Canada, we also feel it is important to take a stand.
>>
>> I am attaching the final version, which must be submitted tomorrow at
>> the latest. We would love it if you would also endorse it, but
>> unfortunately, it is too late for changes at this
>> point. We do not currently have Marita on the document, or
>> Telecommunities Canada but would love to include you.
>>
>> Please do let me know by the end of today,
>>
>> Best,
>
>
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