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

[Robert Guerra]

Wolfgang:


why just physical meetings? shouldn't we try to use ICT4s to help reduce 
distances and costs for us all to meet, discuss and try to move forward?

a couple of comments:

(1) IAMCR meeting:

Instead of the IAMCR meeting, i'd suggest having the WSIS session at
OURMedia IV, which is being held just before IAMCR.


Details:

Puerto Alegre, Brazil July 22-25
<http://www.ourmedianet.org/eng/conferences.html>

(2) Ways of participating virtually should be on the agenda as well. Not 
only for the meeting you mention, but days in between.

Thus, i'd suggest having an virtual "informal" meeting before the march 
UN ICT Task force meeting in New York. Planning ahead, and devising an 
agenda and our own "road map" of activities would - be a positive thing.

possible dates: March 19,20,21, 22 or 23
where: online - i can setup a IRC channel and a Java based applet so 
that  one can enter the virtual room with just a browser.

i'd suggest  1 or 2, 2-3 hr sessions where we'd conduct a virtual 
plenary.

comments?

Robert

--On Wednesday, March 10, 2004 12:07 PM +0100 wolfgang at imv.au.dk wrote:

> dear list,
>
> to bring more balance into meeting places I would like to propose to
> use two forthcoming ICANN meetings in developing countries (July in
> Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia) and December in Cape Town/South Africa) for
> special WSIS coordination meetings and /or regional meetings. A third
> relevant world conference is organized by the "Internaitonal
> Association for Media and Communication Research" (IAMCR) in July in
> Porto Allegre/Brazil. The IAMCR will have a number of smaller
> workshops and a "big plenary", probably with high officials from the
> UN and from UNESCO, on itd agenda. Also here, additional reigonal
> meetings (in the local language) could be organized to promote more
> civil society interaction between North and South.
>
> best
>
> wolfgang
>
>   -- Original Nachricht--
> Von: Sasha Costanza-Chock <schock at riseup.net>
> An: Nnenna <nne75 at yahoo.com>,plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Senden: 09.03.2004
> Betreff: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: Requests/demands for CS participation
> in Tunis phase
>
> 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
>>
>>
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