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CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE INTERNETEnhancing Promotion of the Rule of Law
Brian D. Anderson and Howard N. FentonClaude W. Pettit College of LawOhio Northern UniversityAda, Ohio, USA
THE INTERNET AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGS.
Core principles of democratic governance and rule of law
Internet and ICT use by CSOs can enhance promotion of good governance and the rule of law
Transparency Accessibility Accountability
Government communication through Internet
use and access to information laws
Greater Accessibility
through the use of the Internet and
ICT
CSOs embracing the Internet and ICT to promote
access and accountability
CSOS + ICT AND THE INFORMATION CIRCUITMeaningful government interaction with citizens involves:
• Individuals, commercial entities, and CSOs use ICT to facilitate citizen-government communication
• End Result: meaningful ROL interaction
• Internet and ICT with help of CSOs to inform public
• Internet and ICT for public to obtain Information
Government Information is Disclosed
Disclosed Information
Reaches the Public
Public processes
and reacts to information
Government Officials
respond or are politically sanctioned
CHALLENGES TO EMBEDDING AND EXPANDING THE INTERNET IN THE RULE OF LAW
• ICT/Internet Challenges: Bridging the ‘Digital Divide’
• CSO Challenges: equalizing access and resources
• Government Challenges: Adopting and implementing meaningful access to information laws
INTERNET CHALLENGES
• Overall lack of access• Developing or upgrading
infrastructure is cost prohibitive
• Privatization increases access only insofar as users can afford it
• Predominantly wired technologies have limited capacity to bridge the digital divide
• Rural and remote areas remain largely unconnected
Bridging the ‘Digital Divide’ and Providing Equal Access to the Internet
INTERNET CHALLENGES
• Limitations of existing Internet connections:• Fibre optic & undersea cables must be integrated into infrastructure to
reach rural inland areas• High fixed costs for development of infrastructure passed to consumer
Bridging the ‘Digital Divide and Providing Equal Access to the Internet
INTERNET CHALLENGES
• Socio-Economic barriers
• Geographic limitations and urban-rural divide
• Conflicting societal gender roles
• Inequality in educational opportunities and societal class distinctions
• Disparity of wealth
Bridging the ‘Digital Divide and Providing Equal Access to the Internet
CSO CHALLENGES
• Small indigenous / national CSOs• Play a critical role in assisting citizens with accessing and
understanding information• Encourage accountability and facilitate communication between
citizens and government
compete with
• Large CSOs in primarily urban areas• Well-established and staffed with foreign staff and local elites• Favored by international donors
Overcoming inequality amongst CSOs
GOVERNMENT CHALLENGES
• Despite growth of Access to Information laws, best
practices not always followed
• Legal and political barriers constrain efforts to seek information
• Exceptions in laws often prevent disclosure of information
• International efforts are largely aspirational
Institutional Barriers to Accessibility and Transparency
OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPANDING THE ROLE OF THE INTERNET IN PROMOTING THE RULE OF LAW• ICT / Internet Opportunities:
• Increase use of existing effective projects• Expand new mobile technology
• CSO Opportunities:• Strengthen local indigenous organizations
• Government Challenges: • Meaningfully expand access to information laws• Limit use of exceptions and expand judicial enforcement
INTERNET OPPORTUNITIES
• ICT / Internet Opportunities:
• Increase use of existing effective projects• Telecenters targeted to provide service in
poor dense urban areas and rural areas
• Expand new mobile technology• Cost effective and widely adopted• Widely accessible• Suitable platform for Internet and
e-governance initiatives
Building on existing and new technology
CSO OPPORTUNITIES
• CSO Opportunities:
• Strengthen local indigenous organizations
• Expanded Internet opportunities will enable local CSOs to expand their reach
• Local access for marginalized citizens to receive services from CSOs
Empowering small rural and indigenous organizations
GOVERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES
• Government Opportunities:
• Meaningfully expand access to information laws
• Limit the use of exceptions in existing laws
• Expand judicial enforcement to provide meaningful opportunities to access information
Promoting greater transparency in all development
Brian D. Anderson
Reference Librarian & Assistant Professor
Taggart Law Library
Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
Howard N. Fenton
Director of the LL.M. Program in Democratic Governance and Rule of Law and Professor of Law
Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
Please contact us for questions, discussion, and collaboration!