[WSIS CS-Plenary] WSIS Videoconferences Bring Developing Nations Voices to Geneva

[Robert Guerra]

The two video conferences I helped CPSR and the development
gateway organize on for WSIS PrepCom3 are now  online for your viewing
pleasure.

The accompanying text is still being worked on, however you now have the
chance to see and listen to the discussion.

look forward to your comments, questions .. as well as any sugestions you
might have for future video conferences.

regards

Robert


http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/133831/
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/B-SPAN/sub_wsis_video.htm

Two international videoconferences connected about 100 information society
stakeholders from 13 countries to attendees at the third Preparatory
Committee Meeting for the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) last month in Geneva. Supported by the Development Gateway, Global
Development Learning Network, and other partners, the videoconferences
were dedicated to the theme: "WSIS: Promoting National Action for a
Dynamic and Inclusive Information Society." The videoconferences provided
a first-hand account from PrepCom-3 attendees in Geneva as they also
facilitated the sharing of experiences and ideas among the participating
countries on how information and communication technologies (ICT) can
support development efforts. In addition, they helped advance work by
multi-stakeholder focus groups in each country on action plans for active
national participation in WSIS in December and helped connect local
communities to the WSIS process. There was a strong consensus among
participants on the need to move from ICT pilots and visions to
large-scale implementation in order to bring the fruits of the information
revolution to the masses. There was similar consensus on the need to fully
engage women, disabled, and youth in this process. The following countries
participated: Bolivia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, India, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia,
United States, and Venezuela. Among the participants were representatives
of government, the private sector, donor agencies and civil society ?
especially organizations working with women, indigenous leaders, youth,
and the disabled. The first videoconference, in Spanish on September 16,
gathered participants from five Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The second, in English on September 17, included five countries in other
regions. Several Country Gateways facilitated the videoconferences locally