[tbc]
Class Description by Jeremy Malcolm
The multistakeholder model is regularly extolled as a unique feature of Internet governance that enables the perspectives of diverse stakeholders to be brought into policy processes, to produce more inclusive and better informed outcomes. But what theory underlies this multistakeholder model, and how are the stakeholders who participate in multistakeholder processes qualified to do so?
Unfortunately, the lack of understanding of these basic questions can conceal deep differences between different multistakeholder processes, that can result in considerable divergence in their diversity, their accessibility, their vulnerability to capture, and the quality of their outputs.
This session will seek to unpack the term "multistakeholder" in order to provide a solid conceptual footing of the concept. This knowledge in turn can assist those seeking to apply this innovation in governance without falling prey to its traps, as well as those criticizing or seeking to improve its application in existing institutional contexts.
Topics to be discussed in this class include:
- History and development of the multistakeholder model
- How does the model relate to government and democracy?
- Who are the stakeholders in multistakeholder Internet governance?
- What are the appropriate boundaries for the application of the multistakeholder model?
References
Jeremy Malcolm, Multi-Stakeholder Governance and the Internet Governance Forum, 2008.
Jeremy Malcolm, Internet Governance training session, Center for Internet and Society, presentation material, 2014.
Jeremy Malcolm, Biography, 2015.
Jeremy Malcolm, Criteria of Meaningful Stakeholder Inclusion in Internet Governance, IGF, 2015.
2016-06-11