[IGFmaglist] MAG Virtual Meeting - Main Session discussion
Flávio Rech Wagner
flavio at inf.ufrgs.br
Mon Jul 3 10:37:44 EDT 2017
Dear Lynn
Thank you very much for your careful analysis of the situation. I fully
support your "Straw Chair Proposal".
Best regards
Flavio
> Dear MAG members,
>
> at our next virtual MAG meeting we are scheduled to finalize the Main
> Sessions.
>
> We made some good progress at our last MAG meeting and after carefully
> reviewing the transcript and the Adobe Connect chat log, I have tried
> to capture the current state below. Apologies for the length of this
> email, but I thought it best to pull all the threads together.
>
> _Back to the Beginning_
> _
> _
> So we know what we are working with:
>
> "Day 0” 2017 is slightly unusual. Given the IGF is being held late
> in the year, the IGF meeting schedule was advanced one day. This
> means that Day 0 is on a Sunday (not Monday). This complicated some
> of the Day 0 events. This combined with the Swiss government’s desire
> for the Host Country opening and ceremonial sessions to be more
> interactive and more integrated with the rest of the IGF program, led
> to a new proposal. It was proposed that the Opening session (Monday
> afternoon) include a topic-based discussion among high-level speakers,
> tentatively titled, ‘What rules for our global digital polity?’ This
> would be followed on the second day of the IGF meeting with a
> high-level thematic (Main) session on (again tentatively titled) 'the
> Impact of digitization on politics, public trust and democracy’.
> These sessions would be multistakeholder in nature with participation
> from all SH groups. After some discussion within the MAG, it was
> agreed to proceed, despite there being some concern re setting a
> precedent and using an additional Main Session slot. At the same
> time, many welcomed the innovative approach noting it addressed
> concerns heard in many of the previous years. So, this is a pilot.
>
> _Where are We?_
>
> Given we have the Opening and Closing Ceremonies/Sessions and the
> "High Level Thematic” Session, this leaves five (5) 3 hour Main
> session slots (see attached grid).
>
> Coming out of the MAG meeting we have:
>
> a) 6 Main Session proposals remaining: 1 - Gender Inclusion and
> Future of the Internet (2 hours), 2 - Human and Social Dimensions of
> the Internet (1.5 hours), 3 - Creating an Inclusive Workforce in a
> Digital Economy, 4 - Empowering Global Cooperation, Cybersecurity for
> Sustainable Development and Peace, 5 - Data for Sustainable
> Development Roadmaps, 6 - Local Interventions, Global Impacts, How
> Can International Multistakeholder Cooperation Address Internet
> Shut-downs, Encryption and Data Flows?
>
> b) a request from the DCs for a 1.5 hour Main session slot - Title:
> TBD (preference was for a 3 hour slot, but recognizing various program
> constraints this was reduced)
>
> c) a request from the NRIs for a 3 hour Main session slot: ‘Rights in
> the digital/online world’ (separate document has been sent by the NRIs
> to the MAG)
>
> d) the Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion(s) Phase III has said
> they will work to integrate their activities into the overall IGF Program.
>
> And, to be discussed separately from Main Sessions, we also have a
> request from the NRIs for 6 - 12 thematic Workshops.
>
> MAG members made several suggestions regarding Main Session
> selections, notably to look at possible mergers as well as to shorten
> requested durations. The first pass of this was done during the MAG
> meeting.
>
> One proposal (supported by several MAG members from different SH
> groups) was to select a small number of main themes to align/develop
> Main Session proposals around (something we lost when we moved to the
> community “tags” process for the workshops). Suggestions were:
> Cybersecurity, Gender, Digital Economy, and a Technical Subject ("such
> as the merged proposal on the local interventions, multistakeholder
> cooperation on Internet shutdowns, encryption and data flows"). If
> the MAG decides to go forward with this approach we would
> align/develop the Main Session proposals above with these 4 themes.
> This will require either consolidation or potentially moving some of
> the Main Session proposals above to a WS slot if the MAG feels this is
> appropriate.
>
> There was also a proposal made by a MAG member that there were
> overlaps (“super-positions of subjects”) between 3 Main Session
> proposals: "Creating an Inclusive Workforce in the Digital Economy”,
> "Human and Social Dimensions of the Internet", and "Data for
> Sustainable Development Roadmaps” and that these should be factored
> down to (2?) main subjects. I believe this proposal complements the
> one above.
>
> Also there was considerable interest in the proposal on "Data for
> Sustainable Development Roadmaps” but a number of MAG members felt
> this was better suited to a WS format rather than a Main session.
>
> _Straw Chair Proposal_
>
> Building on the suggestions above and in order to help focus our
> discussions, I would like to put forward a 'Straw Chair Proposal’,
> subject obviously, to the MAG's approval.
>
> Chair Proposal: We go forward with the 4 themes proposed (tentative
> Main Session alignment below):
>
> Four (4) Themes:
> Cybersecurity - (4) Empowering Global Cooperation, Cybersecurity for
> Sustainable Development and Peace
> Gender - (1) Gender Inclusion and Future of the Internet (2 hours)
> Digital Economy - (3) Creating an Inclusive Workforce in a Digital
> Economy,
> Technical Subject - (6) Local Interventions, Global Impacts, How Can
> International Multistakeholder Cooperation Address Internet
> Shut-downs, Encryption and Data Flows?
>
> This leaves 2 Main Session proposals: 2 - Human and Social Dimensions
> of the Internet (1.5 hours), and 5 - Data for Sustainable Development
> Roadmaps to either be integrated into other Main sessions or perhaps
> moved to a WS slot if the MAG feels this is appropriate.
>
> Going forward with the 4 Themes above leaves us with the following
> slots: 1 x 3 hour Main session, and 1 x 1 hour Main Session slot (as
> the Gender Main session is requesting 2 hours). Total Available: 4 hours
>
> The DCs have requested a 1.5 hour slot (title: TBD), and the NRIs have
> requested a 3 hour slot titled: ‘Rights in the digital/online world’.
> As agreed, the NRIs will speak to this in our upcoming MAG meeting.
> Total Requested: 4.5 hours
>
> My reading of the discussions in the MAG meeting and on the MAG
> mailing list with respect to the importance of all the Intersessional
> work is that there is substantial support for Main session slots for
> the DCs and the NRIs (from several SH groups). At the same time there
> were questions raised by some MAG members and alternative proposals
> put forward; and these are under review by the NRIs and the MAG.
> Note: there has not yet been a consensus call within the MAG, this
> will take place at our MAG meeting next week. Also, please note:
> while I am personally very supportive of giving the DCs and the NRIs
> Main Session time, I am only trying to reflect what I hear from the
> MAG overall. If someone sees a different 'emerging consensus',
> please say so.
>
> If the MAG approves the 4 Themes approach above, and *if* the DC and
> NRI requests are approved *as they stand*, we will be over the
> available time by 30 minutes - so I see a few possible paths: 1 - the
> MAG asks the Main session proposers (and NRIs) if anyone could make a
> *2.5 hour split* Main session slot work (that is a 1 hour slot
> followed by a break and then a 1.5 hour slot or vice versa (giving 2.5
> vs. 3 hours), 2 - another alternative is the NRIs have a 1.5 hour slot
> mirroring the DCs or, 3 - one of the "4 Theme” sessions above reduces
> their time to 1.5 hours (allowing the NRIs a 3 hour slot). Note: if
> Option 2 is selected (a 1.5 hour slot for the NRIs), we still have a 1
> hour slot available (perhaps for either the CENB program or one of the
> other 2 proposed Main Sessions?).
>
> I very much appreciate the clear intent from everyone to work together
> to build a great IGF program. Clearly, there is work to be done going
> forward to weave all the IGF activities together and this work will be
> undertaken in the MAG WGs (and are open to non-MAG members).
>
> Thankfully, there are a lot of creative people on the MAG. So please
> review this carefully and send in any comments or suggestions,
> preferably ahead of next weeks MAG meeting so we can close
> expeditiously on this topic.
>
> Best,
> Lynn
>
>
>
>
>
>
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--
Prof. Flávio Rech Wagner Tel: +55-51-3308 9494
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Fax: +55-51-3308 7308
Instituto de Informática E-mail: flavio at inf.ufrgs.br
Porto Alegre, Brasil URL: www.inf.ufrgs.br/~flavio
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