another suggestion: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Civil Society Press Release: lastest version

[adel.elzaim at canti.com]

Hello,

I suggest also to add the word "Open" to free software.
So, it will be "Open and free software" 




On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 02:58:13 -0500
 "Valeria Betancourt" <valeriab at apc.org> wrote:
> Text of press release 
> 27 September 2003
> 
> WSIS process at PrepCom III
> 
> Civil society has come here to share with the governments
> our own 
> vision for an Information Society. We want an information
> society 
> based on human rights. This provides a unique chance for
> the 
> extension of all the values of Civil Society around the
> globe.
> 
> Over the past two weeks, Civil Society has proven that it
> is a 
> vibrant force in the preparation of the World Summit on
> the 
> Information Society. Civil Society has engaged in
> dialogue with 
> government and business, and has expressed visionary
> ideas and a 
> strong position in the negotiations. 
> 
> According to Beatriz Busaniche, a civil society bureau
> member:  "A 
> few days ago I met an indigenous person from Ecuador, who
> is here in 
> Geneva at a  UN. working group on Indigenous Peoples,
> fighting here 
> for rights for self-determination of his people. He told
> me that his 
> community is not here asking for their rights, nor to
> seek 
> affirmation. They are already living them. They are here
> for the 
> international community to recognise the fact."
> 
> In a similar way, civil society has already been building
> the 
> information society, defending our rights to achieve
> social, 
> educational, political, and economic benefits.
> Communication rights 
> are part of human rights. Human rights must be the
> framework for the 
> Knowledge Society. Without this, the WSIS vision of an
> information 
> society is meaningless. Even if the outcomes of the WSIS
> does not 
> reflect, at the end of the process, our principles,
> visions and 
> perspectives, we will continue being key actors in the
> definition of 
> the nature and direction of the Information Society, one
> whose focus 
> would be people's rights.   
> 
> For instance, free software has not been highlighted as
> we would like 
> in this process, though each day more communities are
> adopting it 
> with all the philosophy it entails.  While the spirit of
> the 
> documents is market focused, civil society and some
> governments, 
> especially from the south, will continue supporting the
> rights of 
> citizenship and promoting the concept of cooperation
> instead of 
> competition. 
> 
> As delegates from Civil Society we believe that every
> stakeholder 
> should have an equal voice, and a right to the benefits
> of the 
> Information Society, whether in education, work, leisure,
> and 
> communications. Hence we are disappointed by the
> continuing 
> resistance of some governments to include specific text
> that ensures 
> support for community based media initiatives - which
> will facilitate 
> the inclusion of hitherto marginalized communities from
> the 
> Information Society. To date, there has been an
> overemphasis on 
> computers and the Internet, to the exclusion of analogue
> and 
> traditional media.
> 
> In this process, for first time, Civil Society has been
> directly 
> involved in the negotiations.  A special effort has been
> made by 
> Civil Society to communicate its philosophies and methods
> to 
> governments and the business sector. Even though the
> process has been 
> fraught and inconsistent, with civil society included and
> excluded at 
> the whim of governments, our experience has been one of
> closer 
> engagement than has been the case at other United Nations
> 
> conferences.  We hope that this is an experience that can
> be built on 
> to ensure much closer involvement of civil society in the
> design and 
> development of the Information Society.
> 
> We now have a stronger position, because as the days have
> progressed 
> meaningful communication has emerged. But much remains to
> be done. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Plenary mailing list
> Plenary at wsis-cs.org
> http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary

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Adel El Zaim, PhD
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