Dossier
Many Worlds, Many Nets, Many Visions
Critical Voices, Visions and Vectors for Internet Governance
The Internet is a place of contrasts. Consider this: In 1996 John Perry Barlow wrote in his Declaration on the Independence of Cyberspace that
“We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth.”
A world that all can enter on an equal footing? Without privilege or prejudice? Has such a world emerged? A world where discrimination and fear has no place, where freedom of expression reigns? How can these beautiful words be made to fit the lived experience of so many all across the world?
The Internet we have does not fulfil the emancipatory promise some have ascribed to it: a medium to change the world and end all injustice. The Internet has transformed the world, but it has fundamentally destabilized or even challenged key societal power differentials. Or has it?
The Internet Governance Forum 2019 in Berlin is committed to "One World, one Net, one Vision". We beg to differ. We have invited experts and activists from all over the world, representing all stakeholder groups to present their ideas on how the Internet Governance discussion should be further developed regarding marginalized groups and communities.
In partnership with the Dynamic Coalition on Gender and Internet Governance (DC-Gender), the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), netzforma* e.V., the Gunda-Werner-Institute and the Centre for Internet and Human Rights we developed a short catalogue of visions on an internet without discrimination: “Many worlds, many nets, many visions” which will be published at the event on 26th November 2019.
