[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: Requests/demands for CS participation in Tunis phase

[Sasha Costanza-Chock]

Hi nnenna, thanks for your message. I hope you don't mind that I CC this 
to the Plenary.

I hope you could see from what I wrote that I am not proposing 
confrontation for confrontation's sake, and that I also believe holding 
the summit in Tunis is better for Tunisians and for African civil 
society in general than holding it again in Geneva, NY, or another place 
in the 'North.'

At the same time, I am also sure that we do not want a repeat of what 
happened in Geneva, where in political terms civil society was 
unorganized, took very few strong positions, failed almost completely to 
engage social movements of the base, missed many opportunities to 
advance discourse, critique, alternative solutions. We were organized 
enough to produce a wonderful consensus document, but not enough to make 
demands for basic necessities (for example, a dedicated physical space 
to meet and take decisions) or to make strong symbolic presence felt 
within the space.

The reality is that the summit _does_ need the participation of CS: it 
needs us for purposes of legitimacy. They are desperate to find an 
alternative to the 'global governance' model that sees every meeting of 
high level government officials behind high fences, with thousands of 
riot police gassing and beating tens or hundreds of thousands of 
citizens in the streets below, opposing the current version of 
globalization and proposing alternatives.

They hope that by including 'civil society' they can avoid this 
situation and make decisions seem legitimate.

This means they must open the door, at least a crack, to our participation.

It then becomes our task, not to be joyful for a seat in the peanut 
gallery, but to make our participation meaningful: to insist. To make 
demands. To take stands where we need to.

I only mean to say that I hope we will be organized enough during this 
next phase to avoid bestowing the cover of legitimacy, unless we receive 
more concessions than a fistful of 'overpasses' so we can take turns 
sitting in the back row and listening to the powerful make empty promises.

Sasha


Nnenna wrote:

> Hi Sasha
>  
> Thanks for your thoughtful message.  The Tunisian system is different.  
> It is different from the US,  China, Nigeria or anynother country.  I do 
> not judge systems the way some people did recently.  I would rather 
> speak with those on the ground.
>  
> I did speak with Tunisian CS members.  I can agree that that there is a 
> possiblity that all of them are pro-regime.  You understand?
>  
> Then I went to see ex-colleagues at the African Development Bank.  They 
> are people with diplomatic status. They are not afraid of the 
> regime. They are still new to the system and they can still see the 
> difference.  I was there the whole of Thursday.  I spoke with them at 
> length.
>  
> And my personal perspective is that what needs to be changed is the 
> system.  But you don't change systems overnight.  You lay the foundation 
> for it.
>  
> That is why I belive tha the WSIS in Tunis should be a good oppurtunity 
> to help lay foundations for a better freer Tunisia.  Support and 
> reeducation is needed, not noisemakling and boycotting.
>  
> On a final note, the ITU SG made it clear that the WSIS was a gorvenment 
> stuff.  CS is only "invited"!  We can only contribute.  This is a good 
> chance for the CS  to  make good use of the oppurtunity.
>  
> Yes, I believe we should draft a position paper, enjoining the Tunisian 
> government to enable a freer environment  : political, social and economic.
>  
> That, I agree.
>  
> Very best
>  
> Nnenna
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Search - Find what you’re looking for faster. 
> <http://search.yahoo.com/?fr=ad-mailsig-home>