Please forgive me, I am by no means a "learned man". As a "passive" North American observer, as an "aside", and against my better judgement... I would like to offer some objective thoughts on the matter of the WSIS-CS and its place in Internet Governance.
To a large extent, I think what is happening as far as the WSIS-CS is concerned, is that its being told to keep "its eye on the ball". By doing so, it is missing the larger picture of "the game". My belief, and I may be wrong, is that to have any real stake in "Internet Governance", Nonprofit/Voluntary/and Civil Society sector organizations must assume the responsibility for thier own corner of cyberspace... themselves. But first we must 1. look at where we were, 2. look at where we are now, and; 3. look to where we are going. PRETEXT I think that everyone will agree that there are three main pillars of society in a democracy. These being - the Private sector(Industry), the Public sector(Government), and the Nonprofit/Voluntary/and Civil Society sector. Each sector to some degree is autonamous of the other, and the result provides complement of "non-competing", "arms-length" services to the public. Argueably, the latter(the Third sector) has kept the first two in check, and is the catalyst(or governor if you will) for the "peaceable" operations of a balanced democracy. WHERE WE WERE Approximately 60% of the funding for the Nonprofit/Voluntary/and Civil Society sector is brought about by government(federal, provincial, or regional). The other 40% is through private foundations(a very adequate tax deferal mechanism for those that can afford it - to a large degree belonging to the families of those coporate magnates of private industry), private industry themselves, and to a lesser degree(at least monitarily), donations made by the general public. Recently there has been a marked shift. A trend is surfacing that must be recognized and addressed. Together, government and private sector interests have been putting "the squeeze" on the Nonprofit/Voluntary/Civil Society sector as a whole. With reduced funding from Government, and increased competition from the private sector, the Nonprofit/Voluntary/Civil Society Sector is effectively being "hollowed out". WHERE WE ARE NOW Cost accounting principals and practices are being adopted to figure out the "cost" of our democratic "Social Capitol". These "methods of justification" for "financing", are being applied to Third sector organizations by governments and private interests(funders and benefactors alike), and being used as a lever to change and divert the original intent of these organizations missions. As a result, one-by-one, religious, political, civil rights, civil justice organizations(among others) that operate under the umbrella of the Nonprofit/Voluntary/Civil Society sector, are being dimished and thier voices are being subverted and denied. WHERE ARE WE GOING... (and who is taking us there?) Just what is Social Capitol? - Social Capitol is to a large degree, a collective social response to burdensome, failed social policies(however well intentioned) that create undue hardships on societies. It is that response of reciprocity that comes in the form of the general publics time, effort, and resources. In general this is a positive outlet, to which a resulting sence of inclusiveness and accomplishment comes - from being able to meet societies needs where others have failed(these being government and private industry). This is where we shine the most. THIS IS IMPORTANT We must recognize the importance of the Third sectors contribution and power base. We must also recognize and put forward, that the sum of Social Capitol is inversely proprotional to the effective Civil rights of a Nation or region. It seems that society has lost sight of the fact that Civil Society organizations serve as a bellweather for pervasive society as a whole. Without Third sector organizations, there is only Public(Government) and private (Industry) sectors interests. Effectively, this is the formula for a police state. A "police state" does not represent a democracy. For most(if not all) Dictatorships, autocracies, and "underdeveloped" nations, the Civil Society sector seems to be the missing element. Why is this? Is it because the "law of brute force" has not allowed "a culture of trust" and "peaceable initiatives" to issue from thier respective societies? THE KEY FOR THE THIRD SECTOR... Effective "self governance" of IT/IM infrastructures for Third sector organizations, is the key for this sector to retain its autonamy. To insure this, Third sector organizations MUST BE PROVISIONED BY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SAME SECTOR. Incorporating and provisioning IT/IM management resources through telecentres/datacentres also seems to be a logical conclusion and follow-through. THE ALTERNATIVE. A Zero-Sum game - for any one sector to gain, it must do so at another sectors expence. As far as IT/IM management in the Third sector, "get a grip" and hold on tightly. If you surrender it, you'll loose your stake in its governance, AND your say in society. Ken Montgomery - the opinions expressed are my own. http://www.cift.ca _____________________________________________________________________ Thought of the day... It has been said... Those who seek to be equal with another... lack ambition. ________________________________________________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - Community Internet Filtering Technologies Inc. This information is privileged, and is intended only for the persons named above. Any other distribution, copying or disclosure is not intended and is strictly prohibited. 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