While some may view it as a little late, Slovenia’s ambassador to Japan has apologized to her children and her nation for signing Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which has been condemned for opening the door to Internet censorship and government abuse. Helena Drnovsek Zorko appears not to have read the law very carefully and only later read the criticism from Slovenian citizens.
Here is her statement:
I signed ACTA out of civic carelessness, because I did not pay enough attention. Quite simply, I did not clearly connect the agreement I had been instructed to sign with the agreement that, according to my own civic conviction, limits and withholds the freedom of engagement on the largest and most significant network in human history, and thus limits particularly the future of our children. I allowed myself a period of civic complacency, for a short time I unplugged myself from media reports from Slovenia, I took a break from Avaaz and its inflation of petitions, quite simply I allowed myself a rest. In my defence, I want to add that I very much needed this rest and that I am still having trouble gaining enough energy for the upcoming dragon year. At the same time, I am tackling a workload that increased, not lessened, with the advent of the current year. All in line with a motto that has become familiar to us all, likely not only diplomats: less for more. Less money and fewer people for more work. And then you overlook the significance of what you are signing. And you wake up the following morning with the weight of the unbearable lightness of some signature.
First I apologised to my children. Then I tried to reply to those acquaintances and strangers who expressed their surprise and horror. Because there are more and more of them, I am responding to them publicly. I want to apologise because I carried out my official duty, but not my civic duty. I don’t know how many options I had with regard to not signing, but I could have tried. I did not. I missed an opportunity to fight for the right of conscientious objection on the part of us bureaucrats.
She has called for protests against ACTA and joining the growing number of people demanding action to protect free speech. To her credit, as opposed to most politicians, she had the courage to admit her mistake and call for the protection of Internet free speech.
Source: Boing Boing
Sounds like Susan G,. Komen fiasco, didnt read their own ruling carefully, or Penn State would also have had their minies pulled, and realized their ‘error’ when they read citizen’s complaints and criticisms.
I doubt something as noble as this would EVER happen in the US. Instead, they would just blame somebody else for the problem (probably the opposing party) or say they were lied to by The President or some other nonsense.
Better late than never.
Honesty is so strange. Don’t see a lot of it here in Bernaysia do we?
Only if there were more people like her who would accept their mistakes so that hopefully they will do a better job in the future. She may have been watching US mainstream media and didn’t know what she was signing
I suppose that is what Obama will say with SOPA….
Can she like pull her signature, and unsign it?