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Information as a global public good: Oxfam campaign proposal Danny Yee>> Free Software AdvocacyInformation as a global public good:a right to knowledge and communicationThis was an (unsuccessful) proposal for an Oxfam International advocacycampaign, to run 2002 to 2004: its layout follows that requested in thecall for submissions, hence some of the odd terminology and "internal"references.The current Oxfam Make Trade Fair campaign covers some "information"issues, in particular concerns about patents."More stringent protection for patents will increase thecosts of technology transfer. Developing countries will lose approximately$40bn a year in the form of increased licence payments to Northern-basedTNCs, with the USA capturing around one-half of the total. Behind thecomplex arguments about intellectual-property rights, the TRIPs agreementis an act of institutionalised fraud, sanctioned by WTO rules."Read more[DEAD http://www.maketradefair.com/stylesheet.asp?file=03042002154412].Oxfam International campaign proposal (May 2000) ================================================================ You will note that this document is written in plain ascii, rather than being a Word document as requested. If there is to be genuine grass-roots participation in Oxfam International campaigns, all the communications and information required for such participation must be available to everyone -- not dependent on access to proprietary software which costs more than the annual income of a quarter of the planet's population. ================================================================1. Name of CampaignInformation as a global public good:A right to knowledge and communication2. Proposed by / Contact detailsRonni Martin - ronnim@caa.org.au acting advocacy coordinator, Community Aid Abroad Oxfam AustraliaDanny Yee - danny@www.caa.org.au webmaster, Community Aid Abroad Oxfam AustraliaGeorge Grisancich - georgeg@caa.org.au information technology manager, Community Aid Abroad Oxfam Australia3. Proposition'Knowledge is now the critical component to production, and access toit represents a key divide between rich and poor.' (OI ACC PlanningPapers). Increasingly, information and tools for manipulating andcommunicating information are controlled ("owned") by individuals orcorporations rather than being public goods available to everyone.The Oxfams should work to change policies of governments, multilateralsand companies which are driving this appropriation, in order to avoidthe creation and exacerbation of inequalities in access to information.This is essential to ensure that women and men world-wide, now and in thefuture, are able to play a full part in the global society and economy.4.Goals of Campaign * to pressure governments and multilateral organisations to adopt policiesand legislation that favour the maintainance of public informationresources and free and open communications.* to encourage attempts to build and maintain open information resources,as public goods freely accessible and usable by all.* to promote the sharing of information through global campaigningnetworks.5. Link to Strategic Change Objectives (SCOs)This proposal specifically addresses the OI Global SCO 4.1: Achievementof civil and political rights; effective voice in influencing decisions;support to exercise these rights effectively.The proposal will also contribute to achieving other SCOs. Global SCO1.2: Paid employment, dignified working conditions, labour rightsand opportunities to benefit from alternative economic models.There is a direct connection through employment increasingly movingto information-based sectors of the economy, but the appropriation ofbasic scientific and cultural information, changing them from publicgoods into private property, threatens traditional ways of lifeand the autonomy of both workers and consumers.6. Nature and scale of the problem An increasing portion of the world's production and trade involvesinformation and the exchange of information. Traditional media (film,publishing, music) have been joined by a rapidly expanding Internetsector. And increasingly "old" and "new" media are coming together,in such events as the recent AOL-Time Warner merger.The changes brought by an information economy are profound, arguably assignificant as those wrought by the industrial revolution. They willaffect the lives of everyone, even those not immediately involved. Finally, the core product in this sector - information - has unique attributes, not shared by others. The steel used to construct a building, or the boots worn by the workers constructing it, cannot be consumed by anyone else. Information is different. Not only is it available for multiple uses and users, it becomes more valuable the more it is used. The same is true of the networks that link up different sources of information. We in the policy-making world need to understand better how the economics of information differs from the economics of inherently scarce physical goods - and use it to advance our policy goals." The Secretary General's Millenium Report (159) http://www.un.org/millenium/sg/report/And information and communications are also an essential component ofthe development process itself. As the United Nations SustainableDevelopment Networking Program says: "Information and CommunicationTechnologies are now fundamental to dealing with all development issuesin developing countries."But who will control the critical components of the information economy?A good deal of the world's primary resources are located in the poorercountries of the world's "South", even if their exploitation is often inthe hands of external corporations. Systems for controlling informationand its distribution, on the other hand are (like possession of capital)overwhelmingly centralised in the rich "North". And the trend of changesin international and national intellectual "property" law has beensteadily towards favouring large corporations: in practice, for example,copyright law is only a useful tool to those with the resources to use it.Some of the key areas involved are:* the Internet as a public communication systemThe Internet is an example of a communications system built on openrather than proprietary protocols and technology. While barriers toInternet access are a major problem, these are far less of a problemthan they would be if key elements of Internet technology were owned byindividual corporations. It is vital that this openness be protected,otherwise those currently without access may find it priced forever outof their reach.* biotechnology (and pharmaceuticals)The Green Revolution clearly demonstrated the hazards of allowingagribusiness to dictate development policy and control agriculture.Like the Green Revolution, biotechnology promises great benefits at nearlyno cost, but threatens to increase inequalities and reduce the autonomy offarmers. Biotech firms and pharmaceutical companies are identifying andthen patenting indigenous knowledge and Southern biodata: this "ownership"of information appropriates what was previously common knowledge andturns it the private property of an elite. Particularly preposterousis ownership of genetic code and the uncompensated appropriation of seedvarieties from the locals who have developed them over generations.* free softwareNGOs and Southern people's organizations are often forced to utilizeillegally copied proprietary software, leaving them vulnerable tointimidation and manipulation through corporate and government threatsto 'enforce software licenses'. Such software also creates long-termdependencies for support, maintainance and upgrades. With freesoftware, in contrast, users have the freedom to make modificationsto suit their own needs, to build new tools using existing ones, andto share with others. The free software movement has demonstrated,through the creation of systems such as GNU/Linux and others, that thereare alternatives to proprietary software systems that force users intorelations of dependency.* databases and public vs private informationInformation on the Internet is mostly freely accessible; libraries holdlarge quantities of information which they can make available to allcomers. This information is often essential for communities, activists,and researchers. But corporations are attempting to restrict publicinformation and the freedoms to use information, in order to createinformation monopolies that can be used to extract larger profits.For poor women and men, often the only information they will be able touse is that that is public or available under universal access rights(or potentially that obtained by illegal copying and use): the pricingfor proprietary information invariably places it out of the reach ofthe poorest.* predatory patents The patent system is out of control. Companies are being granted patentson ideas which are obvious and then using them to suppress competitionand monopolise ideas, in a manner totally at variance with the originaljustification for patents. And the WIPO Patent Law Treaty will, if notstopped, force Northern patent systems on the rest of the world. We needto make sure that patents are not used to 'own' ways of doing thingsthat are central to production, communication, culture, or basic science.7. Political analysis We need to ensure that the foundations of the info-systems that willdominate the coming century are open, are genuine "global public goods"and not the property of individuals or corporations.It is important to ensure that access to information is equitable toprevent a concentration of information power which could dominate allcommunities financially and politically. This concentration is presentlybeing assisted by a global trade and investment framework which favourslarge monopolistic northern companies. In particular, WIPO supportsthe agenda of powerful companies who want to appropriate traditionalknowledge and public information goods for their own commercial gain. This is the context for intellectual property rights enforcement. This world market in knowledge is a major and profoundly anti-democratic new stage of capitalist development. The transformation of knowledge into property necessarily implies secrecy: common knowledge is no longer private. In this new and chilling stage, communication itself violates property rights. The WTO is transforming what was previously a universal resource of the human race - its collectively, historically and freely-developed knowledge of itself and nature - into a private and marketable force of production. [Allan Freeman, in "Fixing up the world? GATT and the World Trade Organisation".]UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for the formation of a UNTechnology Service to give training in Internet use in his "Millennium"report. Some donors are already funding projects in this area. USAIDis spending $15 million over 5 years on the Africa Global InformationInfrastructure Project. And the World Bank's InfoDev project isdriving the uptake of information and communication technologies inthe developing world. By 2002 much of the world may already have thecommunications infrastructure in place. But we need to monitor thisprocess and take action to ensure that with access to the Net come therights to access and use information -- for everyone, not just an elite.8. Change Objectives 8.1. To ensure that fundamental scientific and cultural informationremains a public good, without being commercialised or access and useof it otherwise restricted.* to ensure that governments and multilaterals framing copyright laws andtreaties for the next millennium e.g. WIPO treaties and agreements (suchas TRIPS), various "Digital Millennium Copyright Acts" do not compromisethe rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens and organisations actingin the public interest.* to obtain reform of patent legislation, national and international:to prevent patenting of genomes, plant varieties, and traditionalmedicinal products by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; toprevent appropriation of algorithms and ideas through software patents.* to encourage legislative support for open protocols and free software(cf proposed French law at http://www.osslaw.org/pr_en.html)* to encourage and publicise initiatives by NGOs to build alternativeinformation resources that are public goods, e.g. local seed-banks,generic pharmaceuticals, open human genome projects, the free softwaremovement, project Gutenberg.* to encourage the adoption and extension of ethical trading andappropriate technology policies which cover informational products.8.2. To promote participation by civil society in multilateralintellectual property processes and by southern individuals andorganisations in NGO forums and processes.* Demand open disclosure of all WIPO and WTO processes and activities.* Support and advocate for extension of existing programs to increaseaccess to information and communication technologies in the South(eg the UNDP's Sustainable Development Network Programme initiative,IDRC's Bellanet, PAN).* Assist Southern organisations to access information on, and participatein, existing NGO forums and other consultation processes.* Set up and maintain issues-based forums and discussion lists whichinclude partner organisations and other Southern activists. Activelyrecruit and encourage women to participate, perhaps through womens'discussion groups.9. Influencing opportunities * WIPO meetings* WTO meetings - annual * ITU meetings - global and regional* OECD - active in intellectual property* WSSD 10 year review in 2005 * Decade for Eradication of Poverty 1997-2004- reporting processes. * UN days - e.g. World Telecommunications Day, International Literacy Day. * regional meetings - APEC Tel Working Group, EU* the ICANN domain name governance process10 Victims* Information-poor women and men, and organisations and communities,deprived of the opportunity to fully participate in the governance,economy and communication systems of their communities. Their optionsnow and in the future will be circumscribed if critical portions ofhuman knowledge are proprietary.* Indigenous and other people whose traditional knowledge is appropriatedby others for commercial gain, often without compensation.* NGOs, both North and South, who can't learn from each others'experience.11 Villains * WIPO, WTO, governments implementing intellectual "property" legislationand treaties that favour large corporations (e.g. the WTO Trade relatedIntellectual Property Agreement, TRIPs).* "information hoarders" - corporations trying to obtain total controlover key intellectual properties in order to control entire markets:e.g. pharmaceutical, biotechnology, software, and media companies.The lobby groups of such corporations.* Repressive governments and other elites unwilling to allow opencommunication.12 Heroes Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation and the GNUProject.Indigenous rights movements.Librarians.13. Potential allies * indigenous rights movements* seed-banks and heritage varieties conservers, organic farmers * companies hurt by the information monopolies of others, seeking a genuine "level playing field" in which to compete.* the Free Software Foundation * scientists doing open, public research; community-based participatory research approaches* Freedom of Information activists * the UN Sustainable Development Networking Programme (UNDP/SNDP)* NGOs and development organisations creating and providing access to information resources (e.g. PAN networking - IDRC)* UNESCO Communication Information and Informatics Group* The Internet Society (ISOC) * Global Internet Liberty Coalition (GILC)* Association for Progressive Communications14. Advocacy targets and decision makers Multilateral organisations, most notably the World Intellectual PropertyOrganisation (WIPO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).Funders of development programmes such as the World Bank's InfoDev.Governments, especially those of the European Union and the United States.Large corporates.15. Potential opponents Transnational companies who are profiting from controlling andcommercialising information - and their organised lobby groups. (Possibleexamples: Monsanto, Microsoft, the Business Software Association, theRecording Industry Association of America, ...) Multilaterals andgovernments relying on secrecy or control of information for theirpower, or in the pockets of large corporations and their lobby groups.Elites in southern countries.16. Global salience Existing Oxfam supporters will be enthusiastic about the campaign as theissue is one common to North and South: the maintainance of a centralcore of public information freely usable by all is also critical forunemployed, rural people, and women (among others) in the developed world.Campaigns around the MAI and Jubilee 2000 have demonstrated that thereis widespread concern around the world about the way the global economicsystem is functioning -- and also the power of open communication systemsin activism. This campaign would build on this, targeting multilateralssuch as WIPO as well as the WTO, WB, and IMF.This campaign has significant opportunities to reach out to newsupporters, financial and ideological, in the ICT industry - bothworkers and businesses. It should also appeal to younger people whoare accustomed to using Internet communication. The practical aspectsof Oxfams 'leading by example' provide many opportunities for volunteerinvolvement in developing and implementing systems, providing training,and in participating in discussion forums. These activities will createa motivated constituency for external activism.The campaign has the potential to create the OI vision of a global popularcampaigning network, linking our advocacy and program work and positioningus as a global movement for participatory sustainable development.---------------------------------------------------------------------------Contributions by: Mike Gifford James Howison Richard StallmanNote: this is not a formal Oxfam Community Aid Abroad document. There was some discussion of this on Slashdot.Free Software Advocacy <<Danny Yee |
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