Transnational Advocacy Networks in the Information Society: Partners or Pawns? (Information Technology and Global Governance),Used

About the Author Derrick L. Cogburn is Professor at American University in Washington, DC, USA. He has a joint appointment in the School of International Service where he serves in the International Communication and International Development Programs; and in the Kogod School of Business where he serves in the Department of Information Technology & Analytics. He also serves at the founding Executive Director of the AU Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP), is Faculty CoDirector of the Internet Governance Lab (IGL), and is Director of COTELCO the Collaboration Laboratory. Product Description This book examines the role of transnational advocacy networks in enabling effective participation for individual citizens in the deliberative processes of global governance. Contextualized around the international conference setting of the United Nationssponsored World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003 and 2005, the book sees epistemic communities and information and communication technologies (ICTs) as critical to the effectiveness of this important organizational form. Historically, governments have dominated the official conference diplomacy surrounding these World Summits. However, reflecting the UN General Assembly resolution authorizing WSIS, transnational civil society and private sector organizations were invited to participate as official partners in a multistakeholder dialogue at the summit alongside the more traditional governments and international organizations. This book asks: are transnational advocacy networks active in the global information society influential partners in these global governance processes, or merely symbolic tokensor pawns? Cogburn explores the factors that enabled some networkssuch as the Internet Governance Caucusto persist and thrive, while others failed, and sees linkages with epistemic communitiessuch as the Global Internet Governance Academic Networkand ICTs as critical to network effectiveness. From the Back Cover This book examines the role of transnational advocacy networks in enabling effective participation for individual citizens in the deliberative processes of global governance. Contextualized around the international conference setting of the United Nationssponsored World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003 and 2005, the book sees epistemic communities and information and communication technologies (ICTs) as critical to the effectiveness of this important organizational form. Historically, governments have dominated the official conference diplomacy surrounding these World Summits. However, reflecting the UN General Assembly resolution authorizing WSIS, transnational civil society and private sector organizations were invited to participate as official partners in a multistakeholder dialogue at the summit alongside the more traditional governments and international organizations. This book asks: are transnational advocacy networks active in the global information society influential partners in these global governance processes, or merely symbolic tokensor pawns? Cogburn explores the factors that enabled some networkssuch as the Internet Governance Caucusto persist and thrive, while others failed, and sees linkages with epistemic communitiessuch as the Global Internet Governance Academic Networkand ICTs as critical to network effectiveness.