This report sets out to examine whether governance processes and institutions hinder or
constrain transnational civil society organisations (TCSOs) in their use of information
communication technology (ICT) for networking purposes. The focus is on the impact of
governance on ICT access and use, in so far as these are used by TCSOs in their networking
activities. Although it is a precise and quite a narrow issue, its examination requires
consideration of a number of important adjacent areas. The goal is to explore these constraints
and the underlying trends, to examine their impact on networking, and to consider what might be
done about this.
Our conclusion, taking into account current dynamics, paints a complicated picture. There is
considerable freedom for many TCSOs to engage in networking. At the same time, large
numbers confront serious constraints that can be attributed directly or indirectly to governance.
These can be grouped into three layers: physical access, content and control.[...]