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

[Enrique A.Chaparro]

On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 11:10:43 -0800
Sasha Costanza-Chock <schock at riseup.net> wrote:


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

Confrontation is just another resource. Sometimes, you're forced to
use it. Let's imagine that none of the current human rights issues
in Tunisia is solved by the time of WSIS-2. Would we still go there?
Would we still legitimate an oppresive regime with our silent
presence?

[...snip...] 
 
SCC> The reality is that the summit _does_ need the participation of CS:
SCC> it needs us for purposes of legitimacy. [...snip...]

I fully agree with you analysis. They need a `legitimacy' blanket
from the `civil society'. Let me point out that the CS organizations
participating in the WSIS process are far from representing a 
substantial portion of the actual CS [1].


With regards to Nnenna's message you quoted, 
SCC> Nnenna wrote:
SCC> 
SCC> > Hi Sasha
SCC> >  
SCC> > Thanks for your thoughtful message.  The Tunisian system is
SCC> > different.  It is different from the US,  China, Nigeria or
SCC> > anynother country.  I do not judge systems the way some people did
SCC> > recently.  I would rather speak with those on the ground.

I try to avoid quick judgements. However, there are some _facts_ that
seem unacceptable to me:
- A large number of political and conscience prisoners
- Banning of some political parties
- Banning of human rights organizations
- Harassment of human rights activists
- Severe restrictions to freedom of press
- Censorship on Internet
- Banning of encrypted communications

[...snip...]  
SCC> > That is why I belive tha the WSIS in Tunis should be a good
SCC> > oppurtunity to help lay foundations for a better freer Tunisia. 
SCC> > Support and reeducation is needed, not noisemakling and boycotting.

Sometimes you can help thru support and reeducation (whatever you tried
to mean with that term). Sometimes you can't, and `noisemaking' and
boycotting are legitimate weapons. I feel we should be prepared for
asking our governments and the private sector to avoid attending the
meetings in Tunisia unless a substantial improvement in the human
rights front happens before the scheduled WSIS-2. After all, we can
still lobby the governments and parliaments of democratic countries,
and show the private sector that attending WSIS-2 could be seen by
their customers and their shareholders as an endorsement of Tunisian
human rights policies. Please rest assured that many corporations
in the IT world do not like that kind of counter-advertising.

Regards from the Far South

Enrique

Note:
[1] No pun intended; just the naked truth. How many people do our
    organizations actually represent? 

:::Español:::
Acepten mis disculpas por no proveer una versión completa del mensaje
en español. La respuesta esta tan entremezclada con el texto original
que resultaria un galimatias redactarla en ambas lenguas. Lo que sigue
es una sintesis:
Respondiendo a Sasha, la confrontacion es solo otro recurso. A veces,
no queda otro remedio a emplear. Imaginemos que ninguna de las 
cuestiones de derechos humanos en Tunez se resuelve para la CMSI-2;
Iremos aun en ese caso? Legitimaremos a un regimen opresivo con nuestra
presencia silenciosa?
Acuerdo con Sasha en que necesitan de la sociedad civil para lograr un
manto de `legitimidad'. Pero tambien hago notar que las organizaciones
de la s.c. que participan en el proceso CMSI estan muy lejos de
representar a una parte sustancial de la sociedad civil.
Respecto del mensaje de Nnenna que cita Sasha:
Trato de evitar los juicios apresurados. Sin embargo, hay ciertos
_hechos_ que me parecen inaceptables:
- Un gran numero de prisioneros politicos y de conciencia;
- prohibicion de algunos partidos politicos;
- prohibicion de organizaciones de derechos humanos;
- abusos contra activistas de derechos humanos;
- serias restricciones a la libertad de prensa;
- censura en la internet;
- prohibicion de comunicaciones cifradas
A veces se puede ayudar mediante apoyo y `reeducación' (cualquiera sea
el significado que Nnenna quiso asignarle a esa palabra). A veces, no
se puede. Y entonces el `hacer ruido' y el boicot son armas legitimas.
Creo que deberiamos estar preparados para pedir a nuestros gobiernos y
al sector privado que se abstengan de concurrir a las reuniones en
Tunez si no se producen sustanciales mejoras en el campo de los
derechos humanos antes de la proyectada CMSI-2. Despues de todo, aun
podemos presionar a los gobiernos y los parlamentos de los paises
democraticos, y mostrar al sector privado que su participacion en 
CMSI-2 puede ser vista por sus clientes y accionistas como un apoyo
a las politicas tunecinas de derechos humanos. Tengan por seguro que
a muchas corporaciones del mundo de la TI no les simpatiza ese tipo
de contrapropaganda.

Saludos desde el Lejano Sur,

Enrique

-- 
``Izena duen guzia omen da.''
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