[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [WSIS-CT] almost final version 4.3 of WSIS CS statement

Sun Dec 18 16:23:07 GMT 2005

Dear Lists addressed:

"Whoa Nellie" which might translate to Un moment s'il vous plait.

As a pleased-to-be member of several esteemed and highly valued groups here
interacting, I post individually simply to say that my memory of the prior
discussions and events do not match the below posts.  Not to extend debate,
but lest silence be taken as accord (we cannot always attend to this of
course due to volume of posts, but this seems important here).

Later when the issues are reduced per post, one might check back and weigh
in.

For now, might we not wish to concentrate more on ICT policies /
implementation etc. than on the acknowledged-to0be estimable issues of
ontology (that is, considering  how we wish ICT systems etc. to be applied,
globally and locally - as compared to the specific applications-domains to
be mapped to them),

just a thought..

What think you (?) ...

At your service and sending best wishes,
LDMF.
----------
Linda D. Misek-Falkoff, Ph.D., J.D..
Online communications systems / ICT / ARPANet (1960's) forward.
President, The National Disability Party (now INDP); Member, International
Disability Caucus.
Individual Email. For Identification here: *Respectful Interfaces* Programme
/ Communications
    Coordination Committee for the United Nations.  ACM ABA.
Other affiliations on request.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth Carll, PhD" <ecarll at optonline.net>
To: <plenary at wsis-cs.org>; <bendrath at zedat.fu-berlin.de>; "WSIS-CT"
<ct at wsis-cs.org>; "WSIS CT-Drafting" <ct-drafting at wsis-cs.org>
Cc: "Sylvia Caras" <sylvia at peoplewho.org>; <Pwd at wsis-cs.org>; "Elizabeth K.
Carll Ph.D." <ecarll at optonline.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2005 10:58 AM
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [WSIS-CT] almost final version 4.3 of
WSIS CS statement

> [Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the entire list.
Kindly use individual addresses for responses intended for specific people]
>
> Click http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to access automatic translation of
this message!
> _______________________________________
>
> Dear Hiroshi and All,
>
> Thank you for your input, as it is obvious that the Disability Caucus has
> given much thought to the WSIS documents as have others
>
> With regard to your request as to the issue of deleting physical and
mental
> health and in essence deleting mental health, from the document now, seems
> surprising, as Sylvia had expressed her concerns all along, and these
issues
> were posted on the plenary listserv and I do not recall a request for the
> removal of mental health from the document after the discussions by the
> Disability Caucus.
>
> In addition, while there may have been discussion to which those of us who
> were unable to attend the Tunis Summit are not privy, the process of
> finalizing the document cannot be based solely on decisions at the Summit,
> as obviously that would disenfranchise many who were not able to
> participate.  Therefore if that were the case, to be fair and treat all
> equitably,  it require the removal of all information by those who did not
> attend.
>
> Most importantly aside from the many previous issues and support discussed
> for the inclusion of mental health, including most recently comments by
UNGA
> President Eliasson at the informal briefing with NGOs this past Friday and
> the White House report on aging, the inclusion of mental health is
essential
> to prevent the disenfranchisement of a large group of the worlds' people
as
> well as the elimination of services to all people affected by traumatic
> events.
>
> ***Following the logic of Sylvia Caras' argument for the removal of
> reference to mental health from the documents,  I would request that the
> same be done with removing any reference to those who are disabled as
health
> should be seen a s a seamless service and not carve out any particular
> population which will further contribute to the stigmatization of that
> group.  Health services to the disabled are no different than  other
> specialties such as cardiac, etc.
>
> The recognition of the importance of addressing mental health needs and
> labeling it using clear language which is tied directly to how governments
> decide on funding is essential.  To my knowledge there is no funding for
> access to emotional and spiritual services by governments.  Furthermore in
> many cultures spiritual is viewed as,  and often translates into,
religious
> terms which brings with it a whole host of problematic and political
issues.
>
> In addition, the reference to physical and mental health was included in
> each of the health paragraphs in order that each can serve as a stand
alone
> paragraph should one of the points be picked up by the media or other
> organizations and therefore prevent misinterpretation, when taken out of
> context.
>
> Having a separate section in the document for one group's (disability)
> interest at the expense of another group's (physical and mental health)
> interest, by now eliminating reference to that group at the 11th hour, is
> the opposite of inclusive society and undermines the previously agreed
upon
> Geneva CS Declaration.   Therefore,  it is requested that if the language
> for physical and mental health is removed from the CS Statement, to be
> equitable the same be done with all language references to disability.
>
> Hopefully, this has helped further clarify the issues.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Dr. Elizabeth Carll
> Health and ICT Working Group
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
> Behalf Of Hiroshi Kawamura
> Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2005 3:59 AM
> To: bendrath at zedat.fu-berlin.de; WSIS-CT; WSIS ng
> Cc:lvia Caras; plenary at wsis-cs.org; Pwd at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [WSIS-CT] almost final version 4.3 of
> WSIS CS statement
> Importance: High
>
>
> [Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the entire list.
> Kindly use individual addresse
>
> s for responses intended for specific people]
>
> Click http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to access automatic translation of
> this message!
> _______________________________________
>
> Dear Ralf and others:
>
> As I attached in the body of my posting to CS Plenary List on 19th
November,
> the Disability Caucus adopted the Tunis Declaration.
> Since the Caucus held two major events on 15th and 18th November in Tunis,
I
> am afraid that none of the Caucus members could effectively commit the
> process of CS Statement development.
> I really appreciate CS members who are working on this very difficult work
> to create a consensus and formulate a CS Statement.
>
> At the last stage of CS Declaration, I must admit that there is still a
> serious issues to be dealt with among those health professionals and
> disability caucus regarding the language being used in the "almost final
> version 4.3". As a matter of fact, the concern expressed by Sylvia Caras,
> was also expressed by her at the Global Forum on Disability in the
> Information Society in Tunis during the summit and she received no
> objections on her contributions. Of course there was no voting but I sense
> that there was positive understanding on her statements in general.
>
> Quotation from the posting of Sylvia Caras on 15 December:
>
> I'd be pleased to see, if that pharse "physical and mental" were deleted,
an
> explanation that "health includes biological, emotional, social, spiritual
> and vocational well-being"  which seems to me would embrace all aspects of
> health and thus not reuqire carving out mental health.
>
> --end of quotation.
>
> As the CSB Focal Point on Disability, I must address the fact that there
is
> a serious disagreement on the language used in the WSIS CS Statement
clearly
> expressed by Sylvia as quoted above. Even though Elizabeth Carl reported
> that there were only one objection among the Caucus on Health and ICT, I
> have to point out that the feeling of the Global Forum in Tunis was in
> support of Sylvia and she addressed the concerns to the WSIS-CT list on
> behalf of all attendees of the Global Forum in Tunis.
>
> In addition, there was no disability specific active input to the CS
> Statement due to the fact that WSIS Disability Caucus was focusing on its
> own declaration which was adopted on 18th November based on all disability
> specific WSIS process since 2002, I would like to ask the editors of the
CS
> Statement to refer to the Tunis Declaration as attached as one of the
> delarations and statements of CS that may be listed or attached to the CS
> Statement rather than inserting paragraphs or sentences at this stage.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Hiroshi Kawamura
> WSIS CSB Disability Focal Point
>
>
>
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