Chapter 02 Part 3-1 - Authenticity, Openness and Trust

Notes

1. Openness and accountability = foundations of Western culture
2. Online culture reflects those values which are prized in Western life
3. Issue of fake blogs

Last three  sections below relevant for this discussion but may fit better in next section re conversation and democracy?

1. Asian values are different - saving face, greater respect for authoritarian figures
2. Issues re online engagement in Asia reflect those Asian values eg Burma, China, Malaysia.
3. Asian citizens struggling for free expression, individualisation nonetheless

Research

# Principles of openness and accountability in Western public life

o American Declaration of Independence - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" - http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html

 

- Informed consent = fundamental principle of Western democratic model and Western private life.

 

In terms of national governance: The governed cannot give consent where the government governs in secret and hides pertinent facts from the people. That's why a free press is important as a check and balance to abuse of power.

 

In private life, a minor cannot give consent to sexual relations = statutory rape; a drugged woman cannot give consent to sexual relations = rape.

- Declaration goes on to list injustices and despotic actions of English King. Culturally, in Europe back then the despotic, authoritarian, feudal model was typical and entrenched. Unrest during next 150 years from French Revolution, inspired by the US,  through to 1848 etc in Europe showed a continent evolving into modern times.

- 200 years later, Europe has come a long way, see European Commission principles of openness and trust below.

 

 o European Commission principles - The European Commission and Civil Society online paper - http://ec.europa.eu/civil_society/apgen_en.htm - "gives an overview on the Commission’s framework of consultation and dialogue with civil society and other interested parties." This includes the principle of openness and transparency

 

o Civil Society =  http://ec.europa.eu/civil_society/consultation_standards/index_en.htm#_Toc46744741

 

"White Paper on European Governance

"Civil society plays an important role in giving voice to the concerns of the citizens and delivering services that meet people's needs. [.] Civil society increasingly sees Europe as offering a good platform to change policy orientations and society. [.] It is a real chance to get citizens more actively involved in achieving the Union's objectives and to offer them a structured channel for feedback, criticism and protest."

 

"Problems can arise because there is no commonly accepted - let alone legal - definition of the term 'civil society organisation'. It can nevertheless be used as shorthand to refer to a range of organisations which include: the labour-market players(i.e. trade unions and employers federations - the "social partners (7)");organisations representing social and economic players, which are not social partners in the strict sense of the term (for instance, consumer organisations); NGOs (non-governmental organisations), which bring people together in a common cause, such as environmental organisations, human rights organisations, charitable organisations, educational and training organisations, etc.; CBOs (community-based organisations), i.e. organisations set up within society at grassroots level which pursue member-oriented objectives, e.g. youth organisations, family associations and all organisations through which citizens participate in local and municipal life; and religious communities (8).

 

"So 'civil society organisations' are the principal structures of society outside of government and public administration, including economic operators not generally considered to be "third sector" or NGOs. The term has the benefit of being inclusive and demonstrates that the concept of these organisations is deeply rooted in the democratic traditions of the Member Sates of the Union."

 

 

 

o The Commission adopted, on 11 December 2002, a communication ‘General principles and minimum standards for consultation of interested parties by the Commission’ COM(2002)704. http://ec.europa.eu/civil_society/consultation_standards/index_en.htm#_Toc46744760. Extract below from the European Commission paper on those standards of consultation.

 

"Openness and accountability

"The[European] institutions should work in a more open manner [.] in order to improve the confidence in complex institutions (19)."

 

The Commission believes that the processes of administration and policy-making must be visible to the outside world if they are to be understood and have credibility..... /// Thus consultation processes run by the Commission must also be transparent, both to those who are directly involved and to the general public.

 

It follows that interested parties must themselves operate in an environment that is transparent, so that the public is aware of the parties involved in the consultation processes and how they conduct themselves.

Openness and accountability are thus important principles for the conduct of organisations when they are seeking to contribute to EU policy development. It must be apparent:

 

• which interests they represent

 

• how inclusive that representation is."

o Threatened by sleaze and corruption scandals, reported widely in global news. One of the "problems" of a free press. Now with YouTube, gaffes and misbehaviour (Sarkozy apparently drunk; US politician blowing a gasket) all get transmitted. Leaders are cut down to size; danger of losing respect and moral authority.

# Fake Blogs

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Mention here but discuss in detail in next section re conversation and democracy?

# Asian political and business cultures different from the West

o greater respect with authoritarian model

o saving face