Schools of Government: a retro blog post on an Advance Resolution that I introduced at the International Model United Nations at the UN, NY, in 1991

This was my second Advance Resolution at the International Model United Nations held at the UN General Assembly Hall, New York during July 29 - Aug 2, with the theme "The Age of Global Citizenship" organized by the Junior Chambers International, This was under the Agenda Item: The Role of Human Development. Was relatively well received and was incorporated in a Joint Resolution by the delegations of from Japan, United Kingdom, India and Peru.

Back home I was inspired to write a letter to the Chariperson of a foundation in India

IMUN/EC/B1.d/1

29 or 30 July, 1991

ADVANCE RESOLUTION SUBMITTED BY THE DELEGATION FROM INDIA FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE AGE OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

AGENA ITEM B1: THE ROLE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Fully believing that the world is made or broken by the leaders,

Deeply conscious that there are very few institutions in the world that make men and women fit and proper to rule,

Affirms that those who rule the world should be qualified and able,

1. Solemnly affirms that the United Nations should found International Schools of Government, of the highest standard, improving upon the course methodologies of the best schools of Gvoernment and the best Schools of Economics and Political Science :

a) The International Schools of Government will prepare young men and women or the highest offices in their respective countries and in International Affairs;

b) The International Schools of Government will be geographically spread, at least 10 schools all over.

29 or 30 July, 1991

Adopted Clauses

Agenda Item B. 1:
The Role of Human Development

Date: August 2, 1991
Adopted without a vote

.....

Realiazing a need for developing able, effective and qualified democratic leaders,

.....

7. Recommends that the United Nations should found an International School of Government of the highest standards for the top offices of the the respective Member States;

...




..

Stateless State: a retro blog post on an Advance Resolutions that I introduced at the International Model United Nations at the UN, New York in 1991

At the International Model United Nations held at the UN General Assembly Hall, New York during July 29 - Aug 2, with the theme "The Age of Global Citizenship" organized by the Junior Chambers International, I introduced this Advance Resolution under "Economic Development" as one of the four delegates from India. My fellow participants were S Rajendranath Pai, then National President of Indian Junior Chamber, Surender Bantia and Ashok Shetty. Also from India, but as a Vice Chairman on the committee on the Future of Children was Sunil Kumar, then Executive Vice President of Junior Chamber International.

I chose to take part in the Economic Development sessions and introduced this draft resolution which had its own flaws and errors in expression and this was one of the reasons why it was highly misunderstood, ferociously debated, with a lot of emotion. I wasn't politically observant to note where the opposition came from, but it sounded like the entire house was against it. I proposed in writing two amendments to clarify (which follow the original advance resolution printed below), but in the end the a watered down summary was incorporated in a Joint Resolution by the delegations of Japan, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Sri Lenka, Mongolia and Malaysia, which is at the end of the post.



ADVANCE RESOLUTION SUBMITTED BY THE DELEGATION FROM INDIA FOR CONSIDERATION B THE COMMITTEE ON ECONONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE AGE OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

IMUN/EC/C.I/1
29 July, 1991

Recognizing that the United Nations, originally founded with 51 member states now embraces 159 nations,

Taking note that the United Nations has played the role of an arbitrator whenever there have been major international conflicts,

Noting that the United Nations presently is a body enjoying the status of an association of Nations and as a forum for international conflicts,

Noting further that the United Nations presently is not a super-national body,

Mindful of the fact that the United Nations does not have an elected Supremo and President, suitably designated and placed higher in rank than the Head of Government and Head of State of its member states,

Recalling that the United Nations Secretary General's efforts to resolve the Gulf conflict through peaceful means failed and a war was declared,

Noting with disapproval tht the United Nations does not have a geographical territory, not even the size of the smallest state in the world, namely, the Vatican City,

Also noting that there is no permanent international land territory, directly under the control of the United Nations, ith its on political boundary and economy,

Having examined that the United Nations receives contributions from its Member States, and does not generate a significant level of income by itself,

Taking note that the United Nations does not have vast natural resources at its disposal and that it does not produce, does not trade and does not earn profits,

Noting further that the United Nations is entirely dependent on contributions from its member states,

Having heard tht there is a provision in the constitution of the United Nations to maintain an army,

Fully aware that the United Nations does not have any army and depends entirely on its Member States whenever there is a need to deploy an international army,

Having heard that the United nations is sometimes regarded as an outside agency by some of the Member States,

Deeply regretting that some of these Members States do not fully realize that they are part of the United Nations,

Welcoming that during the last decade several nations have taken firm steps to embrace their neighboring nations in some form, which would utlimately lead to the Unification of the World,

Approving with satisfaction that Western Europe is being united,

Expressing its appreciation over the unification of the East and est Germany to form a United Germany,

Having heard that the United States is in the process of evolving a plan to economically unify to a considerable degree, the United States of America, Canada and Mexico,

Observing that the political and ideological differences between the East and West are disappearing,

Keeping in mind that communication no is globalized to a remarkable extent,

Viewing with appreciation that international trade is growing,

Bearing in mind that international travel is becoming easier and is increasing,

Convinced that one international language is emerging and is spoken by more people than in any preceding decade,

Fully believing that more such steps must be taken to further internationalize the world,

Emphasizing that all barriers must be removed totally an completely ithin the next few centruries,

1. Trusts that it is no longer necessary for Member States to distance themselves from one another;

2. Emphasizes that it is prejudicial to internationalism for Member States to be nationalistic and patriotic;

3. Urges the member States to regard United Nations more as a broader state of hich the Member States are integral parts;

4 Calls Upon the Member States to look beyond their national interests;

5. Further resolves to found a geographical territory for the United Nations:

(a) The geographical territory would be called "Stateless State' or 'Central State' or 'Global State' or 'Super-national State'

(b) The geographical territory, called hereinafter in this text as 'Stateless State' ould have a boundary which would eventually enlarge to ultimately cease, initially bordering an area of not less than 100,000 hectares granted on a 499 year lease the United States by broad-minded Member States;

(c) The Stateless State would be a central state and the property of all the nations, governed by the United Nations through a Government headed by a Supremo elected for a predetermined period by all the Member States;

(d) The Stateless State is not an authority over all the member states;

(e) The geographical territory forming the Stateless State may expand gradually over the next few centuries to become larger and larger and to ultimately be the whole world;

(f) The Stateless State would grant International or Stateless citizenship to men and women who immigrate to the land;

(g) The citizens of the Stateless State would be deemed to have renounced the citizenship of the countries they belong to, but may have permitted to retain their properties and other interests in their countries;

(h) The citizenship laws of the Stateless State would be framed so as to be beyond religious, lingual, regional, communal or ideological considerations;

(i) The Stateless State would found the Central Bank of the World to issue the World Currency;

(j) The World Currency would be a freely-convertible currency, which would eventually become the international monetary standard;

(k) The Stateless State would be a Free Trade Zone;

(l) The Stateless State would have a form of Government improving on the best forms of Governments in the world;

(m) The admitted population of the Stateless State comprising the men and omen granted citizenship to the Stateless State, would be expanded in proportion to the geographical expansion and economic growth of the Stateless State;

(n) The Stateless State would build and maintain a police force and a military, as it is necessary to maintain some repository of force in the background;

(o) The police force and military would be employed only hen it is absolutely necessary with utmost restraint;

(p) The Stateless State over the next few centuries would politically and economically embrace the Member States ultimately to render all Member States stateless, hence global.


Amendments proposed:
31 July 1991 12.00 Noon

Clause to be deleted

Recalling that the United Nations Secretary General's efforts to resolve the Gulf conflict through peaceful means failed and a war was declared,

Having heard tht there is a provision in the constitution of the United Nations to maintain an army,

Fully aware that the United Nations does not have any army and depends entirely on its Member States whenever there is a need to deploy an international army,

Having heard that the United nations is sometimes regarded as an outside agency by some of the Member States,

Deeply regretting that some of these Members States do not fully realize that they are part of the United Nations,

Clause to be amended

Preambulatory Clause 8 Noting with disapproval tht the United Nations does not have a geographical territory, not even the size of the smallest state in the world, (to delete "namely, the Vatican City")

Operative Clause 5 (a) to be replaced with " The geographical territory would be called the 'Stateless State'

Operative Clause 5 (C) The Stateless State would be a central state and the property of all the nations, governed by the United Nations through a Government headed by a President elected for a predetermined period by all the Member States;

Clauses to be added

5 (c 1). The government of the Stateless State would be a highly evolved democratic form of government;

5 (c 2). The powers of the Executive, Judiciary and the Parliament of the Stateless State would be separated and balanced;

5 (c 3). The Stateless State would not be another member state of the United Nations, as it is non-national;

5 (c 4). The Stateless State would initially enjoy a special international observer status at the United Nations

5 (c 5) The constitution of the Stateless State would be so framed as to contain the Stateless State from becoming an individual Super Power and [instead] promote its growth only as an international power;

5 (c 6) The powers of the Stateless State would be suitably balanced by the United Nations

5 (c 7) The United Nations would so constitute the Stateless State to guarantee that the formation of the Stateless State would not result in any abuse of its Special Status;

6. Affirms that the concept of this international state would become more and more relevant and desirable over the next few centuries

Adopted Clauses

IMUN / GA / EC /C -2

Agenda item C:
Age of Global Citizenship
Date: August , 1991
Adopted without a vote

The IMUN General Assembly,


....


Keeping in mind that the advancement of new technologies in communications and transportation has heightened the awareness of being citizens of the world,


Aiming for the gradual development of a global community within the next few centuries,

.....


2. Calls upon the Member States to look beyond their national interests;

3. Further calls upon the Member States to strengthen the United Nations:

....


.

Rajiv Gandhi School of Government: a retro blog post on a letter that I wrote to Mrs Sonia Gandhi in 1991

I dusted up my old papers and found this letter that I wrote in 1991. The ideas expressed remain, and I after all these years I find it even more relevant for India to take this up. (Mrs Gandhi did respond with a letter that said that the focus of the Foundation at that point of time was on Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies and had enclosed some information about the Institute. I did not follow up on that to press further)

Sivasubramanian M

1291 A, P.K.M.Road
Theni 626531, T.Nadu
Phone: 045546-2237
(address and phone as on 1991)

(Sent on 14 October, 1991)

[Mrs Sonia Gandhi]
The Chairperson
Rajiv Gandhi Foundation
New Delhi, India

Dear Madam

I am a 27 year old businessman thinking more and more about India and its problems.

I am writing to outline a specific proposal to solve one of the most fundamental problems India has been living with

This may please be treated as a proposal submitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

I propose that a school be built to raise a new generation of politicians, committed and capable.

The Late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi dreamed of a new India which is taking a lot of time to build, for want of qualified and capable men and omen devoted to such a mission.

India does have men and women who would gladly commit themselves to build a new India Some wouldn't enter public life waiting for reforms in the Indian politics, reforms that can only happen after their entry into public life. Yet others need to be discovered and brought into politics.

What needs to be done is to build a school that would discover such men and women and raise them as capable and committed politicians.

Please allow me to call this school as "Rajiv Gandhi School of Government"

It should be a school that would surpass in its standards renowned schools such as the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the Woodroow Wilson School of Government in Princeton and the London School of Economics.

We do have the Delhi School of Economics and the Administrative Staff College of India, but those institutions have contributed more to the industry and bureaucracy than to representative government. Same could be said of the Kennedy School or Wilson School as not all their graduates go to Parliament.

Rajiv Gandhi School of Government may be conceived as a school that would contribute mostly to the representative government by having as its primary object, enabling worthy mean and women thoroughly prepare for careers in politics.

The school should find intelligent men and women who show signs of sincerity and commitment to public life and build them up as politicians of competence and high ethical standards.

The school should not be a stereotype school teaching political theory and quantitative techniques., but should emphasize more on implementing a deep sense of commitment and ethics in the minds of the students. The school should also tech them skills that even Harvard takes for granted that the students already possess: the fundamental and most essential skills that one starts learning from childhood butt never seems to master - reading, writing and speaking skills, not to mention goo behavior and etiquette.

If I may dream a little, I would visualize Rajiv Gandhi School of Government located at a place of climate congenial for education. The school would be copiously funded and uncompromisingly managed. It would have plenty of resources and have in its premises the most eminent academicians and politicians.

The school should be of unsurpassed standards, standards that are never for once compromised for any reason. It should have a small class with faculty drawn from the best schools in India and abroad. The school may frequently or regularly invite Past Presidents and Past Prime Ministers of various countries to spend a day or two with the students.

The primary purpose of the school should be to build better men and women to build a better nation of India. In addition the school can do research on topics such as alternative forms of government, electoral reforms an bureaucratic reforms. It could also explore was of solving specific problems the country is facing in international relations.

The school could also offer intense training for newly elected Members of Parliament. Though the Government of India may not be able to make it mandatory for a person seeking elections to the parliament to be qualified, the government could be persuaded to make it obligatory for newly elected Members of Parliament to undergo the necessary orientation program that the school could offer.

It may take a few more years for our nation to prescribe minimum qualifications or those who are seeking elections to parliament, but if we have enough men, fit and proper, bright and qualified, the political parties would rather opt for them in the elections to come. It would eventually become a convention, though not mandatory that qualified men and women go to parliament.

I appeal to you, madam, as Chairperson of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, to consider founding this school.

Should you require me to elaborate on this proposal, I would so so eagerly.

Very Sincerely,
Sivasubramanian M.
Madras

14 October 1991.

..

ITU: the Communications Wonderland

(as published in CircleID)

I kept wondering if all that I had said about Dr Toure was fair—I hadn't met him before and had written so much to comment on the transcript of his speech at ICANN, Cairo . My discomfort was short-lived and even before a month elapsed I met him at the Internet Governance Forum, Hyderabad. Exchanged pleasantries before saying "I wrote some strong comments about your speech at Cairo". Dr Toure looked happy to see me, beamed with a bit of surprise and said he read my comment, he tried to find me and I was charmed by his unassuming manners and the spontaneity and the responsiveness with which he offered to clarify a few points about his speech and the ITU. I was even more happy to meet him and it was instantly agreed that we would meet the following day at 11 30 hours. In between Dr. Toure visited a Diplo Foundation meeting, he conversed a little and was warm and friendly, it was pleasant to talk to him and he again confirmed the meeting.

Contrary to my expectations of a Diplomat who is very calculative and careful about what he says or does, I found an approachable gentleman, who is spontaneous and speaks without hesitation and with a simplicity that charmed me.

The tête-à-tête on the next day near the ITU booth in the IGF Village was informal and lasted 45 minutes. ITU has a rare Secretary General who has chosen not to be detached at a level that is inaccessible. Dr Toure would not wait for the General Body of members to identify issues, debate and escalate them to his office, but would rather break conventions to set a new style, take the initiative and pro-actively tackle issues. That is very positive. One has to congratulate the ITU on its good fortune of having Dr Hamadoun Toure as its Secretary General.

I had earlier said "Dr.Toure is a diplomat. Every word in his speech has a specific weight". I wondered if it was right to assume an overall design behind everything that he had said at Cairo. It is with the positive doubt that some of his earlier remarks at ICANN were harmless that I listened to the Secretary General attentively and with openness.

Dr Toure, with all his charm, keeps his focus on the ITU agenda. He did not deviate from what he said at the ICANN and maintained that there is no reason for ITU and ICANN to fight each other. He is only bringing up points for discussion, the issues need to be discussed. Did we say we wanted to take over Internet Governance anywhere? The ITU mandate was renewed sometime last year for the next four years. His plate is full. ITU depends on voluntary subscriptions, and where will he find funds if he takes up some thing new? Why is ITU misunderstood?

He talked inspiringly of the 143 year old organization, and in particular of the unanimity at the ITU between member governments. I intervened to ask if the unanimity between ITU member governments is possibly due to the inability of most member states to disagree: no member state can afford to dissent because if it does, its communications with the rest of humanity would be cut off? (What I implied was that Syria votes along with US because Syria can't afford to find its phones off-line.) He said, no, it is both ways, when Iran or Syria proposes something US agreed with it. Just as Syria or Iran agrees with the US. I said that is good, that is positive.

ITU is committed to multi stakeholderism. Any organization has a membership form and somebody has to approve it. ITU also has a membership form for Civil Society participation. To avoid bogus Civil Society members it insists on a certification from the local government for approval. When I agreed that due diligence is important, and gently suggested that there could be alternate ways of verifying the authenticity of Civil Society member-applicants rather than seek a government approval, he didn't get into the point, probably because it was time to go.

There were other points brought up, there were some comments about the early history of the Internet, about the Secretary General's meeting with the ICANN CEO Paul Twomey, about the good work that ITU did in Africa.

I was charmed, I liked Dr Hamadoun Toure. He didn't quite look like Sir August de Wynter, but whenever I think of the ITU I am reminded of The Avengers

The script, largely printed here verbatim, but rearranged with some insertions introduces Sir August de Wynter as a millionaire who owns half of the Highlands. Former head of Special Projects at the Ministry. A recluse with a wife called June. And a daughter somewhere—Julie. June, July ... August: The family does seem to be somewhat meteorologically inclined. Sir August de Wynter was associated with a next generation climate engineering project called The Prospero Project. The plan was to manipulate weather by injecting a chemical cocktail into the atmosphere by laser and satellite. Sir August de Wynter also happens to be the Chairman of BROLLY (British Royal Organization for Lasting Liquid Years), which is profoundly concerned about atmospheric Security, that the weather has been tampered with by aliens.

It all takes shape as the Wonderland Corporation whose line is "Be natural. Act natural. Think natural. The natural beauty of Wonderland Weather." Natural weather delivered to your door on demand. Down your phone line. As real as you wish. Hot or cold. Humid or dry. Anything with reason. People expect weather to be free. They're used to it. They buy water, electricity, gas. Why shouldn't they be able to buy their own weather if they want to?


Wonderland has the technology, equipment and power to make or destroy local weather systems. Wonderland could zap a thousand Chernobyls into the air. If you can control the weather, you control the world

The World Council ministers assemble: slick pin-striped suits or African robes, Chinese Mao-suits, Indian Nehru-jackets, all distinguished men and women, surrounded by fussing officials, minor dignitaries, and butlers, bowing and weaving a web of diplomatic protocol. Sir August de Wynter causes a sudden extreme climate change to coincide by setting off sudden storms and snow blizzards. Outbursts of rain, scattered hailstorms and freezing fog ... Chaos. Transport paralysis. Crop failure. Economic disaster. Frostbite or sunburn ... on a massive scale.

The council is perplexed at the extremely destructive climate change and realizes that there is no magic umbrella to shield the world. Sir August de Wynter arrives to say "Now is the winter of your discontent! You will buy your weather from me! And by God you'll pay for it.”

...

Overture to Take Over Internet Governance: ITU at ICANN Meeting, Cairo

( reposted as published at CircleID )

ITU is 143 years old and it has done a lot of good work. But it is so huge and powerful that it has been monopolizing (or mono-unionizing) Telecommunications for the last 143 years. ITU's hold over communications has been sweeping. But during the last ten years, ITU's member Telcos have seen several challenges from the open Internet architecture. Alternate telecommunication technologies such as email and Internet telephony have been formidable challenges to the ITU.

Despite Internet's dependence on phone lines, ITU hasn't been able to rule the Internet the way it has ruled traditional telecommunications. ITU hasn't been able to block the progress of Voice and Video Chat or Internet Telephony and the business models of those who provided these services online threatens the traditional business models of ITU's Telecom members.

Its program: a very attractively dubbed "Next Generation Networks" design that will pave way for a tiered, non-neutral internet, away from Internet's end to end principle, meant to optimize the Internet for exploitation by the Telcos and susceptible for interference by Governments. The Gameplan: Take over Internet Governance.

ITU and the Internet organizations did not quite get along for this and several other reasons Especially the ITU has had its share of differences with the ICANN. Dr. Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the ITU addressed the ICANN Annual Meeting at Cairo on 6 November 2008. Here are some excerpts from the Secretary General's speech with my comments. I have already posted it on the Internet Governance Caucus mailing list, In these comments, I have not included positive remarks that are due: It is positive as a gesture on the part of the ITU Secretary General to have extended an arm to work with ICANN and to pronounce a desire to be committed to the mutli-stakeholder approach. What I have done instead was to read between the lines of the Secretary General's speech transcript, just to raise some points for discussion.

I was not there at Cairo to "feel" the Secretary General's Speech, these comments are based on impressions from the transcript. And these comments are my own and do not represent the views of any organization.

Hammadoun Toure: since 1865, since the creation of the telegraph. And we are very proud of the way the organization has been able to adapt itself over the years and decades and centuries, from telegraph to telephone to teletypewriters, to radio and television. We are talking about digital broadcasting now. And very soon, 3D television. We are talking about the emergence of new technologies

My comment: # ITU adopts itself to own all inter-human communication in any form.

Toure: I was telling to many people from developing countries who were fighting for Internet governance: "Before you get the governance, get the Internet first."

# Yes that allows various interests to give shape to the internet in a manner that is most advantageous for commerce and government. After that any process of debate on Governance wouldn't be able to reverse the practices established.

Toure: ICANN is just ten years old but it's done a great job.

# Yes, ITU is older. We notice that the ITU has governed Communications around the world for over 143 years.

Toure: we had a very successful WSIS. For the first time, a UN body was organizing a summit, where you didn't have demonstrations outside.

# Business and Government kept the Civil Society locked out in several international conventions that were either in the Governments' Diplomatic Territory or Business' Commercial Territory. The Internet is Civil Sphere and the Governments were the latecomers. What ought to have been said here is that the Civil Society included Government and Business and not vice versa.

Toure: Every time a Web browser establishes a secure connection to a server, ITU's work on PKIs, public key infrastructures, and encryption keys, is used. Our pioneering work on electronic authentication enabled jurisdictions around the world to recognize e-mail as legal documents and to give legal studies to electronic signatures.

# I can't help notice that most of the work that the ITU has done relates to "authentication", "security" etc. to enable "jurisdiction". Isn't the ITU working on making the Internet what it is not?

We [ITU and ICANN] just have to learn to know each other better so that we can like each other and work together. And the main reason why I'm here is that is my motto: "

# This sounds dangerous. The DOC-supervised ICANN and the inter-governmental ITU aligned together !

Toure: IGF is just going around and around, avoiding the topics, and becomes sometimes a waste of time.

(In the words of someone, "Dr.Toure is a diplomat. Every word in his speech has a specific weight. Some of it is designed to trigger a reaction, some of it is designed to undermine, some of it is a smoke-screen, and some of it is designed to instill more confidence between the two organizations. Some of it is a specific warning, and some of it is an open hand to make peace." Why would he say something as bizarre as "IGF is just going around and around, avoiding the topics, and becomes sometimes a waste of time"?)

# For the Internet Community, the IGF process is in a sense a huge distraction away from the policy changes and new Internet legislations that get enacted in bits and pieces (leading to an untold comprehensive whole) in different parts of the world — e.g. the move by UK to direct ISPs to retain traffic records for two years. IGF perhaps requires a complete re-redesign.

Toure: Next year, ITU will organize the World Policy Forum, which addresses a number of Internet-related public-policy issues, ranging from cyber security and data protection to multilingualism and the ongoing development of Internet.

# World Policy Forum? For the ITU to psychologically claim its stake as the ICT super-authority?

Toure: I hope you will not tell me here, "Don't talk about Internet." .... we need to talk about it. And you shouldn't see us as an enemy. I always said that I have enough on my plate in ITU and there is no need to add more.

# I don't get the feeling that ITU is content with its sphere of influence.

Toure: If you want an Internet connection for a business or a house, they will ask you first if you have a telephone line.

# Why do I need an ITU regulated and monitored phone line to qualify for Internet Access? Why isn't the Community doing enough to bring in alternate technologies?

I am reminded of the mythical "Breakages Limited of George Bernard Shaw's Apple Cart. Breakages Limited is a draconian monopoly that would suppress any new technology that would threaten its revenues. For instance it would suppress inventions such as unbreakable glass. If that is myth from English Literature, the War of Currents has been closer to home and is better understood: Edison did everything to malign and suppress alternate (pun intended) technologies in order not to lose revenues from his Direct Current architecture...

Toure: During the debates of the WSIS, when people were talking about Internet governance, I was telling them, "Get Internet first before you talk about getting the governance of it." I was giving simple example, comparing Internet and telecommunications to trucks or cars and highways. It's not because you own the highways that you're going to own all the trucks or cars running on them, and certainly not the goods that they are transporting, or vice versa. It's a simple analogy.

# Great. The road analogy isn't all that perfect as an analogy for the Internet. I will let it go to say that those who own the roads get to decide who rides and who doesn't and gets to decide what to charge as toll fee.

Toure: … the relationship between the Internet and the telecommunication world… And they are condemned to work together. It's a condemned marriage. So better enjoy it. If you know that you're not going to get divorced in any case because you're condemned to live together, you better find a way to enjoy each other, and have kids in the process.

# The Internet CAN technically divorce the telecoms or even scale up to include telecoms services as part of the internet. It is a condemned marriage alright, but if one partner is too difficult and drives the other to the wall, a divorce isn't technically infeasible.

Toure: It has been alleged in some corners of the ITU that ITU wishes to govern the Internet. And I have specifically said that I categorically deny that.

# When someone in government or someone connected to government "denies" something, it is always true.

Toure: And I say today again to you, it is not the case. My intention as Secretary-General of ITU is not to govern the Internet. But we need to work together, because there are developing countries that are in need of access. At the end of this year, we'll have four billion mobile telephones in the world. While we try to bridge the gap in telephony, we have to ensure that no new gap is created in Internet and no new gap is created in broadband for us to help other sectors to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Therefore, there is a need for these two societies to work together. Almost half of the people in this room are very active participants in the ITU. And, therefore, I think there is room for us to know each other and to understand.

ITU's role as a multilateral forum for debate is to serve as a source of impartial expert information and guidance, just as we have done for nearly 145 years. We strive to help all parties work together to clarify the issues and build consensus on the most effective ways of promoting the evolution and uptake of this powerful resource. And we have that capability. We are proud of that culture. It's the only organization where you will have countries that are at war on other fronts, are supporting each other with common resolutions, without the people supporting those resolutions being fired. I'm proud to say that we are the only organization where you have Iran supporting "his friends", I quote, of the United States, or vice versa and the people who have supported that are still alive. It happens on a daily basis. We never had any Palestinian-Israeli crisis inside the ITU. They share spectrums. So we are in a position to work with everyone, because we have a technical approach to issues.

# Impressive. But aren't you bidding to take over the internet by saying all this?

Toure: ITU is also actively encouraging the industry-wide move to IPv6. Again, looking on the Web all of last week, I've seen numerous attacks on the ITU for having pronounced the world IPv6.This is a concern for all of us. Every mobile phone will have an IP address, every fridge, every car, it's an inevitable thing.

# What concerns me is the possibility that everything that I ever say on the Internet could be linked to my IPv6 address. My computer will have an IPv6 address. My refrigerator and my MP4 player will have traceable IPv6 addresses. Where is my privacy? (Unless I have the good fortune of being connected to technical experts who would point me to RFC 4941 "Privacy Extensions or Stateless Address Autoconfiguration in IPv6 " and other resources and manage to enhance my computer for privacy). Perhaps I will be able to borrow my refrigerator's IPv6 address to send an email to my top secret girl friend and in case my wife gets hold of that message I could blame it on the refrigerator?

Toure: In 2005, WSIS mandated ITU to take a lead role in building confidence and security in the use of ICTs. I put in place a high-level expert group last year to study the issue and report to the council, with the final report this year. We are gaining a momentum as we move steadily towards agreements on an international set of principles and best-practice approaches that countries around the world can follow to promote cybersecurity.

# Security concerns are center stage on the ITU agenda, pushing the need to build (user) Confidence out of view. What has ITU done on the privacy front, to protest against legislations such as directives by UK to ISPs to retain email logs for two years or directives by governments to facilitate recording of mobile phone conversations?

Toure: Estonian network was down for two days… And during the uprising between Georgia and Russia, we have noticed a large number of botnets or cyber attacks between the two countries. That is scary.

# Thank you for drawing attention to the fact that it is sometimes Governments that cause or engineer some of the major cyber incidents?

Toure: Our children, who spend most of their time in cyberspace, are not taught the basic behaviours in the cyberspace. When they go out in the street, we tell them, "Be careful. Don't talk to strangers, don't accept candy from someone you don't know. It could be a drug that could kill you." But they're out there in cyberspace without telling them what to do or how to behave.

# Yes, in such a way that they don't become paranoid in the process.

Toure: The potential of the Internet to accelerate social and economic development in the world's poorest regions is perhaps its greatest asset. I hope you will support ITU in our ongoing effort to see that everyone everywhere has a chance to benefit from that potential for the betterment of our planet, and for humankind, for all humankind.

# Sounds rhetorical.

Toure: We will never counter terrorism if we don't have a harmonized way of tracing back the IP address. ...

# How would I trust the Law and Order agencies to restrict use of these technologies only against terrorists and criminals and not against the unsuspecting citizens?

Question from Zahid Jamil, DNS Resolution Center Pakistan:

Q: I am a lawyer from Pakistan. Your Excellency, I heard you talk about the important role that ITU can play in everything from IPv6, the coordination of the IP-based networks, cybersecurity, privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, cyberterrorism, multilingualism, IDNs, a whole bunch of things. My only question is, to what extent do you think ITU would have any restrictions, because it seems it would probably become the regulator in convergence of everything. So is there a limitation you can see as far as the ITU's scope?

# Touche'

Question from WOLFGANG KLEINWÄCHTER, University of Aarhus:

Q: what is the future of civil society in the ITU? ITU has nearly 200 member states and more than 700 private sector members. When civil society becomes an equal partner in this setting?

# Is it really possible to believe that the Civil Society would be represented at the ITU so broadly as to balance the 191 member states and 700 private sector companies? ITU is ITU. It could come to the IGF to represent business and government. If Civil Society focuses its effort on getting better represented at the ITU, some day the IGF could become a part of the ITU.

Dr. Toure: Government is in an advisory role. Advisory role! You advise me and I am free to take your advice?

# Advice from Government always comes with the subtle posture of "it is just an advice or a suggestion—but remember where it comes from."

Dr. Toure: During the WSIS process, we had a problem that some member states have genuinely raised. We have countries like China. During a PrepCom in Japan we spent three days out of four not working because there were some so-called civil society, NGO that were government officials from Taiwan. The Chinese delegation came with their photos and information on them from the Web that they are government officials, and they registered as NGOs. It's a problem.

# Thank you for bringing that up. This is really an issue about how the Civil Society is constituted at least in parts. We need to clean up a little bit.

Dr.Toure : Now, let's be clear. Government cannot get into individual people's privacy.

# Please, don't.

Dr.Toure: I'm telling you my intention is not, from ITU, to try and take over Internet.

# When someone in government or someone from an inter-governmental organization talks of an absence of an intention, there is always an intention.

Dr. Milton Mueller of the Internet Governance Project has published a blog post that gives a clear analytical summary on Dr Toure's speech here.

....

On Alexandria

The Project Proposal

(sent as an entry for the Digitial Media Learning Competition of the McArthur Foundation)

The space between Chennai and Arizona / Illinois is zero. In Illinois a 21st Centrury Classroom is being designed. Elesewhere in America and Europe Advanced Digitial Learning environments, modules and methods and lessons exist. These are technologies and trends that are equally applicable with transformatory effect in a rual Indian Classroom.

Alexandria would bring in these technologies to enable an initial group of 1000 studnets to learn participatorily and share experience with the rest of the world. The project would collarborate with other groups by taking and providing intputs to create a model to bridge the gaps in quality of education in schools around the world.

Alexandria / Nalanda will have as infrastructure, a connected learning atmosphere, visualized as built 'around' a 21st Century Participatory Learning Library as Physical Space at Chennai. This 'library' would admit 1000 underprivileged students studying at insufficiently funded schools after a careful admission process to assess their commitment to learn. These students would be a heterogeneous group from different schools, different grades, of age group 15-21 and would include some well connected students from Premier Educational Institutions who are committed to the purpose of participative learning Carefully selected Teachers are to guide the participants in using the wealth of online multimedia tools and content, continuously bibliograph suitable resources, organize and facilitate expert interactions The facility will operate in a cost effective building with a scientific design, with digital facilities, connected classrooms, a Digital Internet Auditorium and a library of books.

The design of the facilities would be by learning and collaborating with MacArthur's ongoing projects such as Arizona State University's 21st Century Classroom and its Colloborative Learning Project , take inputs from the Consortium for School Networking, and from the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design's Schools in the Digital Age project, with inputs from other MacArthur projects and external projects. These are initial leads found at the proposal stage and the project would devle deeper for resources such as listed at http://learning.asu.edu/application.html

The idea is to Create a Digital Bridge to cover the 'fundamental divide' in quality of education between underprivileged students of low budget schools and the fortunate students of renowned educational institutions.

The project would work to percolate the technical advances down to a rural India setting. The dual objectives are 1) raise the 1000 beneficiaries to the level of students of an affluent school. 2) create a Digital Design for the Government to emulate.

The goals of the project in the first twelve months is to physically establish the learning center, admit 1000 participants, place people in required teaching/ assisting positions, draw up a list of International Resource persons for Internet Classes, begin work on bibliographing available online courses and websites that are suitable for participative learning for the given target participants, ensure that each of them are scheduled for 100 course sessions, review, report and share. During the first year, elaborate work would be carried out to expose the project to inspire others to follow this model, as also to explore further funding and support to continue / scale up this project, possibly with Government participantion in the form of land allocation and other support.

Participatory Learning

The project plans to significantly bring up the knowledge levels of about 1000 students who would otherwise complete their school education as inadequate school graduates, passed out, but way below in knowledge levels / comprehension / self-confidence from the levels of a school of International School standards.

The group would be a heterogeneous group of students from different schools, different school grades, a mix of 90 : 10 underprivileged average students to privileged bright students committed to the idea of sharing their knowledge. Alexandria would offer them a world class school atmosphere with built in exposure to proper methods of learning, Internet, Online Content and participative tools as also to high quality instruction / guidance.

The project would achieve results by offering an uncompromising participative learning atmosphere complete with computers with broadband connectivity, adequate guidance to expose them to well organized online multimedia lessons, specially organized Web sessions handled by teachers from around the world, local participative learning sessions to interact and understand the context of the school syllabus ( Students are taught programming languages or theories in physics without first making them understand the context on which this knowledge is to be used. This is one of the reasons why there is a wide spread tendency to memorize the lessons without understanding and take exams

India has Institutions as renowned as that of the best of European and American Institutions. But in a developing country with a population of 1.13 billion, not all institutions are so fortunate, so the majority of students, especially in a rural setting do not get good education.

The larger portion of the student population do not continue education beyond school level. Statistics indicate that only seven per cent of the country’s youth, in the age group of 14 to 25, had access to higher education. This is true of almost all states in India.

In the State of Tamilnadu, in the southern region which has a total population of 62, 405, 679 . There are 13, 702 urban schools and 34,658 rural schools. The proposed Participatory Learning project is to be implemented in a limited geographical region in this State.

Time Line

15 Nov - 15-Dec 31 Open discussions to further fine tune the project plan, identify supplementary supportive sponsors, explore the possibilities of Government Contribution in the form of allocation of land, explore the possibilities of leveraging this project to make it even more resourceful. Draw up a detailed plan for implementation, invite resource persons to join the think tank to arrive at solutions and call for volunteers to join the project implementation.

1 Jan – 31 March: Construct a building, set up the network and other infrastructure, consult teachers, identify and engage full time faculty and part time faculty, guest speakers, guest international teachers for online classes, identify beneficiary institutions, invite applications and select students with the primary criteria of commitment to participatory learning.

1 April – 31 Dec: First batch of 1000 beneficiaries provided facilities and classes; Schedules are drawn up to spread their sessions to maximize the use of facilities. Gradually connect them to relevant participatory learning groups worldwide and orient them towards interaction with the other groups. the Constantly explore ways of continuing the project on to the next two years, scale up the project, expose the project to inspire other organizations / corporations / Government.

...

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