[NCUC-DISCUSS] Statement from APC re coup in Brazil vis a vis communication issues

[DeeDee Halleck]

*The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) firmly condemns the
decision of the Brazilian Senate to dismiss President Dilma Rousseff.* This
decision deeply undermines the democratic system in Brazil, as well as the
political stability and the development of progressive and inclusive
policies for the country. It also has negative effects for peace and
integration in the Latin America region. APC sees the ousting of President
Rousseff as a parliamentary coup in which not only the judicial power is
implicated, but around which mainstream private media played a critical
role, bypassing the public interest, destabilising democratic processes
<https://www.apc.org/en/node/21570/> and manipulating public opinion to
privilege specific political and economic interests.

We are deeply concerned about the implications that the current situation
will have for the possibility to reinforce the use of the internet as a
platform for public deliberation and debate, accountability, and dissent,
and for the realisation of human rights. Earlier in 2016, we watched with
concern the attempts by Brazilian legislators to undermine the rights
guaranteed by the Civil Rights Framework for the Internet (Marco Civil da
Internet), such as free expression online, net neutrality, user privacy and
access to information, among others; and the serious legislative setbacks
being proposed by the parliamentary Inquiry Commission on Cybercrimes which
would criminalise the practices of ordinary internet users
<https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/joint-statement-brazilian-congress-drop-dangerous>
under
the pretext of preventing cybercrimes.

We are also concerned about the threat to the multistakeholder nature of
the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee
<http://bestbits.net/cgi-br/> (CGI.br)
and the substantive activities it has been developing which are vital for
the internet and its development in the country.

Brazil has been a paradigm for pioneering progressive internet policy
development and its Civil Rights Framework for the Internet has been and
still is an inspiration around the world in the struggle for a free
internet for social justice, human development and democracy. APC stands
with the civil society organisations and activists in Brazil who are
defending the social and political achievements aimed at guaranteeing a
free online and media environment, and we express our solidarity and
support for them, particularly to our member and partner organisations
Nupef, the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, Coding Rights, IDEC,
Intervoces, Artigo 19, and many other civil society organisations we work
with in the defence of human rights online and offline.

We reaffirm the importance of strengthening popular and community media as
well as public communication mechanisms to provide alternative views of the
situation in the country. The internet could play a key role in giving them
greater visibility, to counteract the discourse of mainstream private media
and respond to the manipulation of public opinion with other
interpretations of reality. The plurality of media offered by community
initiatives and the internet are critical to reinforce democratic values in
society.

APC underscores its commitment to social justice and will keep working for
a diverse and open online environment which serves the public interest, the
enjoyment of human rights, peace, regional integration and the
reinforcement of democratic institutionality.

APC is a member-driven organisation with over 70 members from 36 countries
across the world, mostly from developing countries. Our mission is to
empower and support organisations, social movements and individuals in and
through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to
build strategic communities and initiatives for the purpose of making
meaningful contributions to equitable human development, social justice,
participatory political processes and environmental sustainability.



-- 
http://www.deepdishwavesofchange.org
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