[APCPress] New APC book on WSIS: Time for lessons learned

[Analia Lavin]

APC launches new book on WSIS, developing countries and civil society: 
Time for lessons learned
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5202187

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY, September 12 2007 -- The World Summit on the 
Information Society (WSIS) has been roundly criticised in the past and 
this new study from APC concludes that the summit “is not the best 
starting point for new action.” So, what is the point of looking at how 
developing country delegations and civil society fared at the summit? 
Because, says the author “it is always important to learn from 
experience – particularly where it did not deliver up to expectations.”
The book “Whose Summit? Whose Information Society? Developing countries 
and civil society at the World Summit on the Information Society”, 
commissioned by APC and written by David Souter draws on participants’ 
observations, detailed interviews with forty key actors and case studies 
of experiences rooted in five developing countries.

WSIS holds many lessons for developing countries and civil society 
organisations aiming to exert greater influence in international ICT 
decision-making fora. Some lessons demonstrate what worked well – such 
as the highly successful, multi-stakeholder Internet Governance Forum 
(IGF). The majority illustrate what did not work so well – not least, 
holding a four-year long meeting on such a fast-changing topic.
Read a one-page introduction:
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5202193

Interview with “Whose Summit? Whose Information Society?” author David 
Souter to discuss the study’s findings, as well as what lessons can be 
gathered from the WSIS experience – for developing countries, civil 
society, and in general by APCNews:
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5202194

Download the full book here [in English; pdf format]:
http://rights.apc.org/documents/whose_summit_EN.pdf

Download the abridged versions (part of APC's Issue Papers series) in 
English, Spanish and French:

In English
http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_EN.pdf
In Spanish
http://rights.apc.org/documents/whose_summit_ES.pdf
In French
http://rights.apc.org/documents/whose_summit_FR.pdf

Five case studies of experience in five developing countries were 
commissioned for the main report:

Bangladesh case study
http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_bangladesh.pdf
Ecuador case study
http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_ecuador.pdf
Ethiopia case study
http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_ethiopia.pdf
India case study
http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_india.pdf
Kenya case study
http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_kenya.pdf