Concise Description:
The Internet's present governance structures grew out of certain historical ontexts, as well as some new socio-political realities around the Internet. In the context of rapid changes that the Internet has wrought, the key and emerging issues related to its governance could not have been anticipated by anyone. One thing however is clear by now; the Internet is not just a technical artifact, requiring technical governance with regard to keeping it running smoothly, but a key socio-political phenomenon requiring participative, inclusive and ccountable political governance, which includes its transnationalization. It isimportant to analyze the needs of evolution and transnationalization of internet governance from various standpoints and the direction in which we might move from here.
The workshop will briefly review both existing structures and current gaps in Internet governance, then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of alternative models and present some institutional possibilities of what to do next.
a) Provide the names and affiliations of the panelists you are planning to invite. Describe the main actors in the field and whether you have you approached them about their willingness to participate in the proposed workshop.
See panelist list below. We have included different voices in addition to the traditional main actors in order to stimulate new discussion and viewpoints. Confirmation of names is in process.
Moderator: Ian Peter, Internet Government Caucus, Internet pioneer, Internet historian (confirmed)
Speakers, panelists, discussants
Wolfgang Kleinwachter, International Communication Policy and Regulation (confirmed)
Janna Anderson, Imagining the Internet and Pew Internet, Internet research (confirmed)
Miguel Alcaine, Deputy Permanent Representative, Mission of El Salvador to the United Nations Office at Geneva, (confirmed)
Robert Kahn, Internet co-Founder, Technical Community (confirmed)
Isaac Mao, Chinese activist, Blogger (confirmed)
Jeremy Malcom, multistakeholder governance, Internet governance (confirmed)
Robert Pepper, Cisco Business and technology (pending confirmation)
Elena Pavan, ICT politics and processes, communications rights (pending confirmation)
Audience Q&A and interaction, as they are invited to join the discussion: 30 minutes.
b) Describe how you will take steps to adhere to the multi-stakeholder principle, including geographical diversity.
Our panelists include geographic diversity (China, North America, Europe, Australia, South America, Africa) and stakeholder diversity (academia, journalism, education, technical community, government, civil society, business). The panelists have differing viewpoints, allowing for discussion on different possibilities.
c) Does the proposed workshop provide different perspectives on the issues under discussion?
Yes it does. Speakers will address existing structures and Gaps, and the WSIS alternative overview structures, models in transnational governance that might be applicable or tech us something – e.g., Red Cross, WIPO, Treaty on Oceans, other types of international structure, a review of literature on internet governance structures and prospective models presenting viewpoints from academia, journalism, futurists, sociology, and new government attitudes, in order to stimulate new ideas and viewpoints.
The audience will be invited to interact as discussants in order to bring out possibilities and new facets of the issue, rather than presenting only the "traditional" viewpoints already aired in previous panels.
If so, who would you approach as co-organizers ? If not, who do you think should organize it?
Internet Governance Caucus would like to organise this workshop, inviting other players as appropriate. We expect that speakers will include
Imagining the Internet and Pew Internet Survey
Prominent academic writers on the subject
Civil society voices from around the world
Parliamentarians
Industry and ICANN representatives
