[WSIS CS-Plenary] THETHA - "World Summit on the Information Society" - 30 July 2003

[dbarnard at sangonet.org.za]

THETHA - THE SANGONeT ICT DISCUSSION FORUM

"World Summit on the Information Society"

30 July 2003

On 27 March 2003 the Southern African Non-Governmental     
Organisation Network (SANGONeT) launched Thetha: The 
SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forum, a new one-day discussion 
forum initiative focusing on the role and relevance of ICT-related
issues to the South African CSO sector.

The Thetha forums provide an opportunity to both CSOs which are
ICT-enabled, as well as those organisations which are considering
introducing ICT solutions to their work, with an opportunity to
discuss issues of common concern and learn from one another’s
experiences.

The next Thetha will be held on Wednesday, 30 July 2003  
(09h00-16h30) at the Parktonian Hotel, 120 De Korte Street, 
Braamfontein.

The theme of this Thetha will be the "World Summit on the  
Information Society".

The objectives of this Thetha will be to provide South African
CSOs with an opportunity to develop an understanding and reflect
on the focus and objectives of the WSIS and related processes, 
and to discuss the position of the South African government and 
civil society in this regard.

The Summit will be held in two phases, namely from 10-12 
December 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and from 16-18 November 
2005 in Tunis, Tunisia. The preparatory process involves two 
mechanisms, namely regional conferences and Preparatory 
Committee meetings (PrepComs). 

The African regional conference was held in Bamako, Mali, in May
2002, while 2 PrepComs have taken place in Geneva in July 2002
and February 2003. A third PrepCom will be held from 15-26
September 2003 in Geneva, while a special Intersessional Meeting
will be held from 15-18 July 2003 in Paris, France.

Representatives of various local CSOs which have participated in
the WSIS process during the past year are involved in the planning 
of the Thetha, and will provide input and feedback during the 
meeting. These organisations include SANGONeT, Media Institute 
of Southern Africa (MISA) - South Africa, National Community 
Radio Forum (NCRF), Link Centre at Wits University, Freedom of 
Expression Institute (FXI), Association for Progressive 
Communications (APC) and Women’sNet. 

During the next few weeks SANGONeT will distribute information 
on various aspects of the WSIS to assist CSOs in preparing for the
Thetha, as well as to learn about the WSIS process in general.

If you are interested in participating in this Thetha, please contact
Matsela Mosoetsi or Malefu Thibedi at SANGONeT before 25 July 
2003 on:

Tel: (011) 838-6943
Fax: (011) 492-1058
E-mail: matsela at sangonet.org.za / malefut at sangonet.org.za

Participation in the Thetha is free of charge.

For more information on Thetha - The SANGONeT ICT 
Discussion Forum, please contact Eric Muragana, SANGONeT's  
Media Coordinator at - mediatec at sangonet.org.za - or visit the  
SANGONeT website at -  http://www.sangonet.org.za

"Come Thetha with us"