[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: Cultural Diversity Coucus

[K. FUJII]

Dear Mr. Stefano Mannacio

I read your email (CC to me) with my personal interest.
I co-organise work with OIDEL sometimes including the event during WSIS
which is the matter concerned here.

What you wrote is a new information to me, and it sounds interesting and
significant. Certainly valuable work.
Based on this impression of mine, here the following is my comments and
request for your understanding on a "CAUCUS".
In fact this concerns with not only "Cultural Diversity" but also many other
fields that caucusES are working on more or less in similar/same titles of a
collective body of organisations and individuals...

- "CAUCUS" is NOT an organisation.
- In general terms or according to customary use of the term particularly in
the international community in the last few years (indeed the word "caucus"
began to be used as such since only a few years ago as I recall), any
organisation or association or individual should be free to join/
participate meetings or events of a caucus, or leave it anytime they wish to
do so without any condition or official rule except social/organisational
courtesy and/or protocol, as long as it is a "caucus".
- Any activities of A caucus are A collectivity of activities of each
participating individual/ organisation/ association WHILE those
participating persons and bodies may continue to do their own activity in
the same domain of the caucus that the caucus is FACILITATING for each other
among the participants.
- If such an assembly as a caucus sets up one particular dynamic campaign as
well as "regulations" and "conditions" or "rules and procedures", it must
start to consider not to call it anymore a "CAUCUS" but give it an official
name of a "(collective) ORGANISATION" or "(collective) ASSOCIATION" such as
a Federation of xxxxxxx, otherwise such as international initiative,
coalition, or campaign, like the scale as you describe CDC that does not
sound anymore just a "caucus".  And the result is just like this confusion
as you described....
- In this sense, it is a bit surprising when you said it has been YEARS!!
that your CDC (a caucus) has been in existence as a caucus as such.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION.

I have seen and heard of A cultural diversity "CAUCUS" at several big events
such as World Conference against Racism in Durban, Johannesburg World Summit
on Sustainable Development, World Civil Society Forum, and some regional
conferences, as well as at some national level meetings.  Maybe some of them
that I heard or the people of which I saw were the caucus you were working
on, but I assure you, some others had absolutely nothing to do with you or
your CDC, and they were absolutely a "CAUCUS" as such.  In a sense, caucuses
are like mushrooms as they sprout and disappear soon after or grow into
another step than a simple caucus, described once an English friend of mine,
internationally experienced person in such fields.

I believe, as my personal impression please allow me, from what you
explained in your communication, that the work of "caucus" CDC so you call,
is growing and  needs to be given a more formal and organisational framework
for the sake of more efficient and great impact in result of the important
work of your CDC, as I described above with some examples regarding the
name/ title of the grouping of participating organisations and individuals,
and rules and regulations as well.
By doing so, other organisations in other countries or cities,
internationally and without confusion as you said, can facilitate collective
efforts of organisations and individuals as "a caucus" on a particular
subject, avoiding inconvenient confusion of identity with other collective
initiative like yours.

Please allow me to emphasise  that "CAUCAS" does not mean a single
organisational identity such as a Federation or a Coalition rather than a
assembly on a certain regular basis, without specific rules and regulations,
of independent organisations and individuals, as long as it calls itself a
"CAUCUS" as such.

I am not quite sure of the bodies and participants what OIDEL calls Cultural
Diversity Caucus, however you must understand that several organisations and
individuals who wish to work on and are interested in the value of cultural
diversity among themselves but cannot or do not associate the one you are
working on, but very much as "a caucus".  For them it is a caucus that they
gather together while maintaining their own autonomy and independence in a
ORGANISATIONAL sense.

Given what you expressed in your communication, a better way needs to be
found in one way or another, as a value creating means.  I would suggest
OIDEL to call it "Cultural Diversity Caucus, Geneva" or in other way.
As far as the title is made with "CAUCUS" this sort of inconvenience happens
time to time.  This is not the first time but at least 3 times I ever heard
in the last 5 years with regard to inconvenience of "the same title" of a
"CAUCUS" in different fields.  Those very few people who had inconvenience
were using the word "CAUCUS" without knowing what the word was supposed to
mean.

I hope the work of us all will be mutually contributory and constructive for
peace.
With my respect and wish for your continuation of significant work,

Sincerely yours,

Kazunari FUJII
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Cobase
  To: cobase at tin.it
  Cc: Delgado SITA Integrated Information and telecommunications Services
Rosa M. ; Docip ; Martin du Theil, Jean Marc ; Dumont Jean-Noël ; Ecole la
Garanderie ; ELSA ; EPA ; Espinosa Ricardo ; FEDE Lyon ; Federazione delle
Opere ; FIAN ; Franciscans International ; Fuji, Kazunari ; Institut de
Drets Humans Catalunya ; Leurinda Ana ; Roman, Gloria ; Mabut Jean-François
; MERS ; Mettan Guy ; OIEC ; OIDEL Royaume-Uni ; Ricou, Lionel CSP ; Rizzi
Felice ; Sevet, Dominique AEDH ; Tanaka, Atsuko IMADR ; Stuckelberger
INSTITUT DE MEDICINE SOCIALE ET PREVENTIVE Univérsité de Genève Astrid ;
Verzat , Xavier ATD ; Bridel, Danielle ZI ; de Boccard Jeannine ICW ;
Ras-Work Berhane IAC ; Kirkyacharjan, J J ARF ; Poncini Conchita IFUW ;
Polonovski Vauclair Brigitte ICW ; plenière société civile PREP COM 3 ; Sow
, Abdoulaye
  Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 5:27 PM
  Subject: Cultural Diversity Coucus




  Dear OIDEL,

  You have already been told that the Cultural Diversity Coucus (CDC) exists
since several years and has been constituted and recorded  further to 1992
Rio Summit.



  The CDC is made up of several people and organizations and is managed and
coordinated by COBASE. It  has participated to the works of  CBD, UNFCCC,
UE, CCD, UNCHR, WSSD, WCAR etc. and organized numerous conferences and
interventions with the participation of governments and international
organizations.



  All meeting of the CDC has been always organized by COBASE and its
components, mainly inside the framework of the WSIS.



  The CDC promotes the creation of a legal instrument for the protection of
the cultural diversity.



  The CDC rejects  every form of racism, anti-semitism, inculturalization,
transculturalization and evangelization.



  One of the main CDC  reference point is the document “Resolution of Rome.
Guidelines for the the Protection of Cultural Diversity” that is an open
working document.



  The CDC develops the projects Diversity as Resource, Diversity and Peace
and Poverty Information.



  If your Organization wishes to join to the CDC must adopt the document
“Resolution of Rome” and  declare to inspire itself to the principles
aforementioned.



  In case you are not willing to join to the CULTURAL DIVERSITY CAUCUS we
invite you  to avoid the use  of expressions or titles that create confusion
and  could disturb our work.



  We are looking forward your earliest reply.



  Best regards



  Stefano Mannacio

   CDC COBASE






















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