[IRP] Problem of abject poverty and hunger (was Re: Call notes...)

[M.I.Franklin]

Dear Norbert

This analysis along with Parminder's is one I agree with in the broader 
sense. If I could clarify a couple of points though.

My idea that this coalition might want to take an opportunity to show some 
solidarity with a humanitarian crisis that is happening in the host-country 
is not to imply that attending the IGF contributes to the crisis. Nor am I 
implying that IG issues and the deeper causes of this crisis are 
synonymous. And nor am I suggesting that te coalition should respond to 
every crisis that occurs around the world; this delineation we made clear 
when deliberating over what to do when the Tunisian and Egyptian events 
occurred. We have a clear focus and agenda and limited resources.

However, given the scale and proximity of the famine and refugee flows to 
the IGF and the sharp contrast between the situation in the camps to the 
venue - catering, hotels, and other privileges we enjoy whilst there -- I 
personally feel that to do nothing would be a shame.

Of course if others in the coalition think that this idea is completely 
irrelevant and not something for us to be concerned with, that too I 
understand.

best
Marianne F.


--On Wednesday, August 10, 2011 9:54 +0200 Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch> 
wrote:

> Parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
>
>> Yes, we need to show that we do notice abject poverty and hunger, and I
>> am not sure there will be any other clear initiative at the IGF to do
>> so. And of course, in any case, civil society should stand up first in
>> case of such issues.
>>
>> However, perhaps by habit trying to be a little difficult :), could we
>> actually look at what is happening in that part of the world and what
>> are the normally recognised causes for it, and see where does global
>> governance, and if indeed it does connect, Internet governance, figure
>> in. And accordingly, what a meet on global Internet governance cna and
>> should say to these people facing such trying conditions. That I think
>> would be even more appropriate. Just my 2 paisa.
>
> Strongly seconded. We need to engage with the real problems,
> and their systemic causes, and figure out in what (small or
> perhaps bigger) ways we can contribute to actual progress
> towards the problems getting solved. The internet and IG are
> not magic bullets, and by just participating in the IGF we're
> not doing anything that contributes to these problems going
> away. But there is something that we have that I believe is
> of value with regard to these challenges: In the ICT world,
> systemic processes are more easily visible and they occur on
> a faster timescale than most physical-world development and
> economic decay processes. So maybe internet governance could
> be seen as a kind of laboratory that is valuable for learning
> important lessons about systemic phenomena, lessons that are
> important for addressing the problem area of poverty?
>
> So what IMO should be done is to really work on understanding
> the systemic processes in internet governance and in physical-
> world development and economic decay, analyzing parallels and
> differences, and looking for what can be learned from the former
> that may possibly be applicable to the latter.
>
> Greetings,
> Norbert
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Dr Marianne Franklin
Reader/Convener of the Transnational Communications & Global Media Program
Media & Communications
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
London SE14 6NW
United Kingdom
Tel (direct): #44 (0)207 919-7072
Fax: #44 (0) 207 919-7616
email: m.i.franklin at gold.ac.uk
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/media-communications/staff/franklin.php
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/pg/ma-transnational-communications-global-media.php