[WSIS CS-Plenary] Opening Ceremony Speaker PCT proposal : Richard Stallman

Thu Nov 6 13:27:45 GMT 2003

To be honest, and with no disrespect to Richard Stallman, I would 
much prefer to have the opening speaker (5 minute slot) be someone 
who speaks on overarching issues: basically on rights essential to 
information society.

Ideal would be someone on human rights (Mrs. Ebadi if available), or 
perhaps gender and disabilities. I think it's important that we do 
not begin the Summit by endorsing WSIS as a technical activity and 
technical process onward to Tunis, it is the wrong message. 
Stallman's one of the leading technologists of our age, having him 
speak at the opening ceremony would send this wrong message.

In any other speaking slot but this one, perhaps most effective in 
the General Debate?

Thanks,

Adam

At 1:53 PM +0100 11/6/03, Dr. Francis MUGUET wrote:
>Dear Jean-Louis  :
>>  OK Francis
>>  George Stallmann is a repectable man as are your suggestions.
>>  But, what about Linux, GPL, open and/or free software etc if there is still
>>  no access to any network for billions of people in underserved areas in the
>>  North and in DCs in the South ?
>I totally agree with your preoccupations
>Firstly,  I would stress that Free Software does play a significant part
>in network infractures, lowering significantly the overall cost
>of operation. For example most DNS (and also mail ) servers are running
>either under GNU/Linux or FreeBSD
>Secondly, as we suggested, Richard is going to talk about all those
>issues, in most part of his talk, with the help of a text compiled
>by the C&T
>Only the last part will be devoted to Free Software / Software patents
>issues
>
>Friendly regards
>
>Francis
>.
>
>
>>  Friendly yours
>>  Jean-Louis Fullsack
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>  From: "Dr. Francis MUGUET" <muguet at mdpi.org>
>>  To: <plenary at wsis-cs.org>
>>  Cc: <ct at wsis-cs.org>
>>  Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 6:36 PM
>>  Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Opening Ceremony Speaker PCT proposal : Richard
>>  Stallman
>>
>>
>>
>>>Hello everybody
>>>
>>>  Besides the selection rules that have been just proposed by the C&T
>>>  for discussions and that of course we fully intend to abide,
>>>  it has been recognized that the discussion concerning
>>>  the Opening Ceremony speaker has already started and obviously
>>>  this choice requires a very broad consensus. Therefore the
>>>  PCT group is setting forward a proposition for discussions.
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>Our propositions is based both
>>>on the merits of the speaker
>>>as well as the purpose and usefulness of his intervention.
>>>
>>>Without Richard Stallman, the information society would probably be the
>>>dominion of ruthless monopolies, leaving little practical possibilities
>>>for any freedom at all. Without the Free Software movement, without the
>>>GPL, there would have been probably no GNU/Linux operating systems that
>  >>now running on the vast majority of Web servers. Richard Stallman is
>  >>well versed with all the
>  >>technical, legal, economical and philosophical aspects of the issues of
>>>the Civil Society.
>>>
>>>It is proposed that the first part of his speech (about 2/3 ) should
>>>convey the declarations that would have prepared by the various
>>>thematics groups of the Civil Society as compiled by the C&T drafting
>>>group.
>>>
>>>In the last part, Richard Stallman should focus on the issue of Free
>>>Software and Software patents. As all of you are aware, the fight
>>>against software patents is a crucial issue, and a decisive battle is
>>>now been fought in Europe that is going to have worldwide consequences.
>>>It is proposed that in the name of the CS; Richard Stallman
>>>would publicly challenge Mr. Frits Bolkestein, the European
>>>Commissioner to accept the decision of the European parliament and
>>>not to try to remove the patent directive,
>>>as he threatened he would do, from the authority of the European,
>>>parliament to put it under the authority of
>>>governments as a technocratic re-negotiation of the European Patent
>  >>Convention, in order to that software patents be approved despite
>  >>the vote of the parliament.!
>>>
>>>The exact text from Frits Bolkestein
>>>http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/bolkestein/index_en.htm
>>>http://swpat.ffii.org/players/bolkestein/index.en.h is :
>>>
>>>"Now if we fail in our efforts to achieve a harmonization of patent law
>>>relating to
>>>computer-implemented inventions in the European Union,
>>>we may well be confronted with a renegotiation of the European Patent
>>>Convention.
>>>And if I may be blunt, President, the process of renegotiation of the
>>>European Patent Convention
>>>would not require any contribution from this parliament. So the
>>>situation is clear:
>>>there is a single objective but a choice of means. Either we proceed
>>>using the community method,
>>>or we take a back seat and watch while member states go via the route of
>>>an intergovernmental treaty.
>>>
>>>Such a provocative undemocratic statement shall not
>>>be tolerated by the CS. The message is that the Information Society
>>>shall not be ruled by technocrats but with respect of the democratic
>>>rights. This is a question of basic rights.
>>>
>>>Therefore the purpose of the end of Richard Stallman intervention should
>>>be dual :
>>>1/ Help to remove the threat of software patent over Europe and over the
>>>world.
>>>2/ Reaffirm the rights of the people in front of an arrogant
>>>technocracy at the service of special interests.
>>>
>>>--------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------
>>>Francis F. MUGUET Ph.D
>>>muguet at mdpi.org   muguet at ensta.fr
>>>
>>>MDPI Foundation   http://www.mdpi.net
>>>
>>>World Summit On the Information Society (WSIS)
>>>Civil Society Working Groups
>>>Scientific Information :  http://www.wsis-si.org  chair
>>>Patents & Copyrights   :  http://www.wsis-pct.org co-chair
>>>------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Plenary mailing list
>>>Plenary at wsis-cs.org
>>>http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
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>>  Plenary at wsis-cs.org
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>>
>
>
>--
>
>------------------------------------------------------
>Francis F. MUGUET LMA/ENSTA
>32 Blvd Victor 75739 PARIS cedex FRANCE
>Phone: (33)1 45 52 60 19  Fax: (33)1 45 52 52 82
>muguet at ensta.fr   http://www.ensta.fr/~muguet
>
>MDPI Foundation   http://www.mdpi.net
>muguet at mdpi.org   http://www.muguet.org
>
>World Summit On the Information Society (WSIS)
>Civil Society Working Group
>Scientific Information :  http://www.wsis-si.org  chair
>Patents & Copyrights   :  http://www.wsis-pct.org co-chair
>------------------------------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________________
>Plenary mailing list
>Plenary at wsis-cs.org
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