[WSIS CS-Plenary] ACSIS is One !

[Nnenna]

The Africa Civil Society for the Information Society – ACSIS: 

Once upon a time ... one year ago

In the beginning was Africa, then its Africa Information Society Initiative – AISI, the powerful team at the Development Information Services Division of the Economic Commission for Africa (DISD-ECA) and the Bamako Bureau which came out of the very first Regional Preparatory Conference in preparation for the World Summit on the Information Society – WSIS.

Discussions that started in Bamako continued online with central issues in the use of Information and Communication Technology – ICT for Development. In November 2002, the online discussions led to a face to face meeting in Addis Ababa for the Civil Society stakeholders of the ICT4D. This occasion, offered by the Association for Progressive Communication - APC and the ECA, was used for training on ICT policy for the stakeholders. 

The fire had been kindled, and could no longer be quenched! Discussions on the AISI Civil Society discussion list became not only exchange but real preparations towards the WSIS. With little means, the Africa Civil Society did its best to contribute to the process and the outcome of the first phase of the WSIS. 

Through the first phase of the WSIS it was clear that there needed to be more structure, the vision needed to be clearer and the plane needed a crew. So the great opportunity offered by the summit in Geneva in 2003 could not be missed. The Africa Media village, apart from being the hottest spot in the ICT4D Platform, became a real village where all sons and daughters of the continent could come "home". By the time Geneva 2003 was over, the Africa Civil Society had a clear knowledge of the crew.

But it was in the very city of Tunis - Cartage, where the word "Africa" was born, on the 13th of April 2004 that the Africa Civil Society for the Information Society - ACSIS was launched, thanks to the support of the ECA and the hospitality of the people of Tunisia. 

Between then and now ….

ACSIS has come a long way!

Constitution, Action Plans

The Constitution of the institution is ready and discussions are ongoing for a host country. The Action Plans for 2005, 2005 – 2009 and 2005 – 2015 have been elaborated.

National, Sub-regional, Regional and International Trust and Recognition.

ACSIS has surprised the Africa Civil Society! That is the least that can be said. Who would have believed it? ACSIS has received collaboration from, among others:

   The Governments of Tunisia, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Ghana, and Niger 
   The Economic Commission of Africa – ECA 
   La Francophonie 
   Heinreich Boell Stiftung 
   The United Nations ICT TaskForce 
   Kofi Annan, the United Nations’ Secretary General, in the formation of the Working Group on Internet Governance 
   UNESCO 
   UNDP 
   The Digital Solidarity Fund 
   International Civil Society Bureau for the WSIS 
   The WSIS Executive Secretariat 
   The International Telecommunications Union – ITU 
   The Non-Governmental Liaison Service of the United Nations - NGLS 
   The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN – CONGO 
   The Global Knowledge Partnership – GKP 
   The Association for Progressive Communications – APC 
   French National Institute of Telecommunications 
   The International Conference Volunteers 
   The United Nations Online Volunteers – UNV

In keeping with its mandate of Civil Society promotion, advocacy, lobbying, information, training, advising, partnership, networking and capacity building; ACSIS has:

   Contributed largely to the official documents of the WSIS as well as the Civil Society Declaration; 
   Contributed to a greater functioning of the international Civil Society Bureau in the WSIS process. The following Caucuses are being headed by members of ACSIS: Youth, Science and Technology, and Media; 
   Hosted the International Bureau on the African Soil, being the very first time the international bureau was meeting outside its traditional base of Geneva 
   Co-hosted the Louder Voices Symposium on Internet Governance 
   Held Online Consultations on capital issues in the use of ICT4D – Priorities, Internet Governance, and Finance; 
   Conducted a Civil Society Forum, which kick-started the Second Africa Regional Preparatory Conference in Accra in January and February 2005; 
   Organised a training Forum in Policy Processes; 
   Co-organised a Multi-stakeholder Partnership – MSP Forum in the WSIS Process; 
   Engaged in the publication of a Handbook to bring Civil Society perspectives of the WSIS process to greater light.

Accra – Tunis

The ACSIS Road Map, adopted in Accra, will offer the civil society entities the opportunity to to test their grassroots network, and harness tangible and concrete results to showcase in Tunis. It entails the organisation of five sub-regional meetings as strongly recommended by the Accra Regional meetings. They are intended to assure the largest inclusion of grassroots actors, build awareness on ICT-related issues, promote continuous creation of ideas and sharing of experiences, provide opportunities for capacity building, and work towards increased participation in organisations related to the Internet and the Information Society.

Beyond Tunis

ACSIS is looking forward to the realisation of all three Action Plans mentioned above. In so doing, the Multi-stakeholder approach is best. There is, therefore, a big job that needs to be continued on a daily basis by civil society. Only in true partnership with governments, international organisations, UN institutions and the private sector can an effective deployment of ICT4D can be achieved.

The structuring continues … until ACSIS will have its own secretariat for better co-ordination, effectiveness in action, wider development impact, stronger networking and an efficient advocacy.

2007 : Year of the Civil Society 

The call has been made before Accra, was made in Accra, was made after Accra, and is still being made to support the declaration of 2007 as the Year of the Civil Society 




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