HXWG Meeting updates

White Paper outline and progress

sankarshan  Sovrin Ecosystem governance Framework

Hannes Hahkio - based in Finland work for small consulting company called Hi Gear, Public sector companies are a focus of ours especially Citizen ID & SSI.  Act as consultants for gov & public sector.  Promoting SSI.  Aiming to understand landscape and then join some TF's and WGs.

Thomas Robin, works with Sezoo, based in Australia, specialising in digital trust & SSI models.  Where are the weaknesses to ensure we don't repeat the mistakes.

Update from sankarshan “Open Loop is a global program that connects policymakers and technology companies to help develop effective and evidence-based policies around AI and other emerging technologies.”

https://openloop.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AI_Impact_Assessment_A_Policy_Prototyping_Experiment.pdf

Consider the ID of things (algorithms) and new TF in ToIP related to AI.

HXWG Meeting updates

sankarshan  Sovrin Ecosystem governance Framework https://sovrin.org/, now 2 governance framework with Layer 1 utility GF and L4 ecosystem GF.  The problem of ecosystems, lack of balance between big and small players.  Fairness, transparency and accountability plus collective ownership - require balance of these forces.  Prevents innovation and creates collusion, commercially unbalanced solutions and inappropriate evolution.  Sovrin is a lived reality.  

We would like to request you to go through the SEGF available from https://sovrin.org/library/sovrin-governance-framework/ (see section "Proposed Revisions/new documents") Additionally, there is a document which contains a list of suggested additional reading - we think that this compilation would be helpful in understanding the context

Also see this white paper from EFWG Trinh Nguyen

Feedback from grassroots research ref identity, personal data and harms

Major regional meeting last week with 10 countries across Asia with reps from 15 indigenous groups, main progress was to look at a framework for 

What is identity to you as an indigenous person

Ability to identify themselves with land & territory which was consistent across all groups, doesn't begin to define how they interact 

Identity linked to environmental ecosystem, e.g. different languages inside forest and outside forest, how they defined their connection to territory that were linked to landscapes that were precious to them many under threat, deep spiritual connection, so when you remove natural resources they loose their community and their ability to communicate.

Difficulty in interacting with society at large mainly because of lack of recognition - main barrier is driven by western centric way identity is laid out.   they are defined by those that colonised them, not applicable in Asia as colonised by other non-western nations, so distinct hard lines that don't necessarily reflect indigenous people and identity.  Their identity doesn't reflect their connection with nation, negotiating access to services e.g. if transboundary territories, e.g. China / India - how do they negotiate across these boundaries.  Even if they are able to self-assert, how is that recognized across those national boundaries.  EG in vietnam it is illegal to identify as indigenous.   Discrimination is then based on the assertion of indigenous - especially if mixed race children of ethnic mother, no option for dual nationality so children are appropriated to national identity and lose their culture and ancestral knowledge.  How do you prevent these harms if you can identify.

EG caste system in India, 6 ethnic groups from India, if indigenous not part of caste system are below / beyond untouchable.  They are not even recognized as a person.

HOW TO!?  Self-determination, no discrimination, being recognized, traverse admin national boundaries and engage w/society at large. 

Cambodian communities most fragmented, colonised by Khemir and gov has systematically tried to expunge indigenous identity & culture, Exceptionally fractured and deteriorated by lose generational knowledge, and loose language and culture.

Jo Spencer - ecosystem must be well defined scope & common objectives - having defined and being able to self-determine, link between national & cultural definition ask IS THIS USEFUL.  With SSI this is possible, but whether it is worth doing is the question.

Pyrou - in Cambodia high % of people have smart phones but not indigenous people, don't even have power & connectivity despite progress on SDGs and resilience in face of covid - tech itself is alien to them.  How do you address this & scale?

Hannes - Differences with meaning and words even if same language - same in Europe, different slang different language.  How do you convey meaning.  All these elements need to be represented to convey meaning, that way everyone can ensure they convey meaning .  Tied deeply to HX, how do you represent yourself and understand eachother, how do you resolve disputes?

Pyrou - we struggled with different languages - much gets lost in translation.  I am hopefully we can decolonise the tech ?  Many elders don't necessarily want tech in their community, so another barrier especially thinking about life and spirit, computers don't have that.