[E-rundbrief] Info 1425 - Internet Social Forum Call for a People's Internet - WSF 2015, Tunis

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 1425 - Internet Social Forum: Tunis Call for a 
People's Internet, Draft for the workshop “Organising an Internet 
Social Forum – A Call to Occupy the Internet” at the WSF/ World Social 
Forum 2015 in Tunis.

Bad Ischl, 6.4.2015

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

================================================

Tunis Call for a People's Internet

(Draft for the workshop “Organising an Internet Social Forum – A Call 
to Occupy the Internet” at the World Social Forum 2015 in Tunis)

26.3.2015

We, participants of the Workshop “Organising an Internet Social Forum 
– A Call to Occupy the Internet”, held in Tunis as part of the World 
Social Forum, declare our commitment to a common goal of building a 
people’s Internet from below and beyond borders: an Internet that 
works in the public interest and solidarity, where control is in the 
hands of people; an Internet based on human dignity, equality, social 
justice, freedom and people's communication rights.

We join our voices to the Call to hold a global Internet Social Forum 
as a space to debate the Internet we want and how to build it, before 
the knowledge and access-to-information revolution is irretrievably 
captured by corporate interests and security agencies that will deepen 
the nexus of corruption between politics and money.

The Internet today has become an integral and essential part of our 
daily lives; more and more of our activities are organized through and 
around the virtual spaces, the networks, online services and the 
technology it comprises. It has restructured the very way in which we 
live, work, play and organize our societies. In many aspects, this is 
so even for people who at present have no direct Internet access.

At the same time, we are alarmed to see how both our private and 
public spaces are being co-opted and controlled for private gain; how 
private corporations are carving the public Internet into walled 
spaces; how our personal data is being manipulated and proprietised; 
how a global surveillance society is emerging, with little or no 
privacy; how information on the Internet is being arbitrarily 
censored, and people's right to communicate curtailed; and, how the 
Internet is being militarised. Meanwhile, decision-making on public 
policy matters relating to the Internet remains dangerously removed 
from the mechanisms of democratic governance.

We hereby launch a call to all those who share these goals to 
participate in drafting a People’s Internet Manifesto over the coming 
months, with the goal of seeking consensus on the basic principles 
that must underpin an Internet oriented to social equity, human 
solidarity and justice.

The Internet is an indispensable tool and workspace for building 
social struggles and interconnections among movements. We call on 
social movements and organizations gathered here in Tunis to take on 
this issue as an essential part of their action agendas, including, 
among others, the following goals:

We demand decisive action to curb the indiscriminate mass surveillance 
being implemented by corporations, security agencies and governments.

We defend decentralization --to the greatest extent possible-- of the 
Internet's technical, data and economic structures; and access to a 
net-neutral Internet, as a right, which would include support for 
community-owned networks and public infrastructure. We also defend the 
freedom of people-to-people communication.

We are committed to harnessing the Internet revolution to build global 
solidarity among people's movements, and enable them to share their 
experiences globally and learn from one another.

A people's Internet must be driven first and foremost by the people. 
An Internet driven by big business, hand-in-hand with big government 
does not represent the public interest.  We will defend the right of 
grassroots organizations and social movements, alongside other civil 
society actors, to have a seat at any global negotiations on the 
governance of the Internet.

www.internetsocialforum.net


-- 

Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
Spenden-Konto Nr. 0600-970305 (Blz. 20314) Sparkasse Salzkammergut,
Geschäftsstelle Pfandl
IBAN: AT922031400600970305 BIC: SKBIAT21XXX

--

Ausgezeichnet mit dem (österr.) "Journalismus-Preis von unten 2010"

Honoured by the (Austrian) "Journalism-Award from below 2010"