Issue 2, 2004   

Knowledge Is Power. Who Commands the information Society?

Gerd Mielke, Waiting Voters. Opportunities for a New Party on the Left, FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 6-21.

Electoral outcomes for the German Social Democrats (SPD) have been poor recently. The author argues that this indicates a structural loss of electorate as the party changed its fundamental orientation. The new position of the Social Democrats under chancellor Gerhard Schröder and the new party Secretary General Franz Müntefering leaves some space on the party spectrum as traditional social democratic voters do not feel represented any more by the SPD. Gerd Mielke discusses the resulting chances for a new party on the left.

Rainer Kuhlen, Sustainability and Inclusion. Positions of Civil Society for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 22-36

Rainer Kuhlen discusses the role of civil society in the context of the UN-World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva in December 2003. Formation of identity and a common perspective took place during the global and controversial discussion on the regulation of copyright and use claims on knowledge and information in 2002/2003. Fundamental problems have become clear during this discourse.

Katja Mruck, Stefan Gradmann, Günter Mey: Open Access: Science as Public Good, FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 37-49.

In comparison with the the international Open Access-Movement and its discussion on public access to knowledge German science is lacking behind, but the 'Berlin Decleration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities' shows some movement in the community. The easy access to scientific results intends also a reduction of the information gap. As open access archives and open online journals mushroom these ideas are by no means marginal. Commerical publishers, and copyrigth or patent interests have to be overcome by scientists to gain control of their publication activities. Principals of sustainability, inclusion, fairness and justice are the basis for the Charata on Civil Rights for a Sustainable Knowledge Society, which was influential on the WSIS-process. The basic outline of this charta is explained and future tasks for the second WSIS in November 2005 are discussed.

Uwe H. Bittlingmayer, Ullrich Bauer: Inequality in the 'Knowledge Society'. Diagnosis between technique development and invisible class conflict, FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 50-65.

Knowledge society has become a fashionable label of our time, which hides questions of 'interests' and power. Persistent inequality in access to education and the gaps in education which remain in spite of educational expansion. The current discourse on knowledge society is connected to a neoliberal interpretation. By highlighting the label knowledge society a transformation of the dominant discourse has taken place, while social inequality remains unchanged.

Barbara Körffer: Transparant Government Action and the Discussion on Freedom of Information, FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 66-79.

The Right on Freedom of Information is to guarantee the right of individuals on information from public administration. Everybody would be able to demand information regardless of any concern or other precondition. Barbara Körffer describes the German discussion on this right in internationally comparitive perspective. Germany, especially the federal level, is a laggard in Europe. The author presents problems for legal implementation concerning personal, economical and public security aspects and discusses possible solutions. Empirical evidence shows that warnings concerning right on personal data, workload for administration or misuse are inadequate. Information access is crucial for political participation, control of public action and for establishing the information society.

Matthias Adam: New Routes in Funding Research? The 'Research Dialogue Future', FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 85-90.

The Research Dialogue Future was initiated by the federal ministry on education and research as a participative process to discuss future developments on science, technical development and society. By wide participation a competition between opposing interests should become obvious and the power of singular stake holders were to be reduced. The author decribes the process in critical perspective as especially decision finding remained intransparent.

Manfred Redelfs: Right on Open Access to Information. The Open Socitey Still has Animies, FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 90-94.

A regulation of open access to adiminstrative information is still missing in Germany. The author decribes the difficult process of the federal government internal discussion of a proposal, claims by civil society, and the difficult transposition of laws in four Länder. Counter arguments are not striking and the implementation of open access is necessary.

Thomas Kunz: Criticizing the Critique on Home Security Policy, FJ NSB 2/2004, pp. 94-100.

The author describes the discours on public security. Though conservative and 'critical' arguments can be opposed some striking similarities arise concerning arguments and basic assumptions. Taking the movement background of the critical discourse and the participation of the Greens in the government into account, the author comes to a critical overall assessment.