Diversity reconsidered in a global multi-stakeholder environment: insights from the online world

Diversity is a crucial element in development policies and capa- city-building strategies. It is central to the very idea of empowering local and trans-local communities, as a core principle that guarantees their needs and aspirations are taken into consideration and effectively addressed. Diversity in the Internet Governance (IG) discourse can be conceived of in terms of content, channels and organizational structures. Broadly concerning communication processes, it is also normally understood in terms of the different voices, issues and cultures that should be heard, addressed and promoted. But one of the peculiar features in the development of IG discourses and practices in recent years, has been the explicit recognition that the sole involvement of governments and intergovernmental organizations in managing global resources of common interest is no longer acceptable or effective: different forms of knowledge, specific competencies and perspectives should contribute to the regulation and management of Internet resources. In other words, a diverse plurality of nongovernmental actors from the private sector, civic organizations and epistemic communities should be included, through appropriate mechanisms, in governance processes. This chapter proposes a critical approach to a better understanding of multi-stakeholderism.