[WSIS CS-Plenary] Moving forward on Shirin Ebadi

Fri Oct 14 15:00:33 BST 2005

I will join in this also for the same reasons.  Thank you for this opportunity. LDMF.

Linda D. Misek-Falkoff, Ph.D., J.D..
Online communications systems ARPANet forward.
For Identification here: *Respectful Interfaces* Programme / Communications
Coordination Committee for the United Nations.  ACM ABA.  International
Disability Caucus for the Disability Convention (toward U.N. Treaty).
CCC/UN Secretary and Member of the Board.
Founder: Persons With Pain International (PWPI) accredited to the U.N.
Disability Convention.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth Carll, PhD" <ecarll at optonline.net>
To: <plenary at wsis-cs.org>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 9:46 AM
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Moving forward on Shirin Ebadi

> [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 Meryem, Bertrand, Richard and all,
> 
> Shirin Ebadi would be an excellent speaker for the opening session and I
> support the recommendation.  I too was at the annual UN DPI/NGO Conference
> and Shirin Ebadi delivered a very articulate address on behalf of civil
> society.  Please feel free to list my name individually.  I will also check
> with my organizations which may take somewhat longer.  What is the time
> frame for responses?
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Elizabeth
> 
> Dr. Elizabeth Carll
> International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies;
> UN NGO Committee on Mental Health;
> Communications Coordination Committee for the UN
> New York, USA
> Tel: 1631-754-2424
> Fax: 1631-754-5032
> ecarll at optonline.net
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
> Behalf Of richard jordan
> Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 6:42 AM
> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Moving forward on Shirin Ebadi
> 
> 
> [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!
> _______________________________________
> 
> Eloquently presented, Bertrand, and may I say that Shirin Ebadi was equally
> eloquent at the recent DPI/NGO Conference held at UN Headquarters from 9-11
> September 2005. It therefore makes sense to follow-up her appearance at that
> major forum, where the UN Secretary-General was present also, with this
> nomination.
> 
> I would second not only your nomination but your "explication du texte" if I
> could borrow a phrase from my academic days in Comparative Literature.
> 
> Best regards, Richard Jordan
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bertrand de La Chapelle" <bdelachapelle at gmail.com>
> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Moving forward on Shirin Ebadi
> Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 12:13:55 +0200
> 
> >
> > Having Ms. Shirin Ebadi as opening speaker for Civil Society in Tunis
> would
> > present obvious advantages and her nomination could be forwarded to the
> > Secretariat after a simple endorsement process described below.
> >   *Main advantages*
> >   1) It would of course put human rights and gender balance at the
> forefront
> > of the building of inclusive information societies, uderlining that the
> WSIS
> > process is not only about technology, and that appropriate "enabling
> > environments" also mean freedom of expression and access to information,
> and
> > "capacity building" also means equal opportunities for men and women,
> > including access to education.
> >   2) She comes from a country that is very vocal during the WSIS process
> and
> > the last PrepCom in Internet Governance and Follow-up discussions : in the
> > first domain, the iranian national representative strongly advocates that
> > Internet Governance should be "transparent and democratic, with full
> > linvolvement of all stakeholders"; and in the second one, that follow-up
> at
> > all levels should be done with the participation of all stakeholders.
> >   If properly briefed on the status of discussions on the draft Tunis
> > Declaration and the written commitments that governments plan to make in
> > WSIS II, she would be in an ideal position to take governments at their
> own
> > words and describe in plain language how far from these commitments actual
> > practice in some countries really is. This is the opportunity to point the
> > often too large gap between what governments say in international arenas
> and
> > what they indeed practice at home.
> >   The WSIS has introduced something new in the international negociation
> > process : witnesses. Civil Society's participation was not what it should
> > have been; but enough organizations were nonetheless present during the
> > process to hear government representatives make commitments they now can
> be
> > held accountable for.
> >   Summits are not traditional bilateral negociations where secret is the
> > natural rule. Summit processes are the closest thing to a world Parliament
> > (far from it I know, but still the closest thing), where general
> principles
> > for our global community (Polity) are elaborated. The first absolute rule
> of
> > representative democracy is the publicity of debates.
> >    The ironic situation where citizens of countries (as CS actors) are not
> > even allowed by the rules of procedure to simply listen to what
> > representatives of their own government are saying on their behalf is
> > totally contradictory with the notion of democracy and the transparency
> > principle.
> >   3) Finally, Shirin Ebadi was, if I understand well, the first woman
> judge
> > in Iran. In most countries, the judiciary is a branch of the State and
> > rightly so. Therefore, she is now a Civil Society actor with a past in the
> > governmental sector, as are today many ex-ministers, presidents,
> > parlementarians and civil servants. This brings an interesting light to
> the
> > discussion that recently emerged around Adama or some "senators".
> >   Civil society is and should indeed be open to all individuals that,
> > irrespective of their past functions, engage in governance processes as
> > peers with all other actors, relinquishing whatever privilege they may
> still
> > have and accepting to be evaluated on their sole "capacity to contribute",
> > rather than the traditional intergovernmental rule of "equal right to
> > oppose" (which is, ultimately, the basic foundation of the UN system under
> > the expression "equal sovereignty of States").
> >   Choosing Shirin Ebadi is therefore also a symbol of the inclusiveness of
> > Civil Society.
> >   _______________
> >   *Endorsement process*
> >   Key question is now : if, as it seems from initial reactions, there is a
> > general agreement on her being the favorite CS choice for the opening
> > ceremony, how can this be secured ?
> >   1) The principle that Civil society actors accredited to the Summit
> process
> > should - at least - have the right to choose who is going to speak on
> behalf
> > of civil society for the opening ceremony must be strongly reaffirmed;
> this
> > is a "make or break" principle.
> >   2) For obvious reasons, there is no way an absolute consensus can be
> > achieved on the Plenary list and we should not waste time trying to obtain
> > it. We are therefore in the typical situation where rough consensus (as
> > practiced in the internet community) is the only way out. : - there is a
> > need to take a decision (only one slot and a real deadline)
> > - absolute consensus cannot be achieved
> > - a large majority seems to emerge on a specific name
> > - dissenting opinions do not seem to be able to provide an alternative
> that
> > would be accepted by all
> >   3) A two-fold process (taking inspiration from the notion of rough
> > consensus) could therefore be established :
> > - a general call on the Plenary list would ask individuals or accredited
> > entities to express support and a formal nomination paper would be
> > transmitted to the Secretariat and Amb. Karklins with an attachment
> listing
> > accredited entities and individuals supporting the nomination
> > - the call would simultaneously invite actors who might still have
> > objections to the nomination (if any) to indicate so and allow them to
> > submit a separate motion (sort of dissenting opinion) with : their name,
> all
> > potential connexions with participating governments (as a matter of
> > transparency) and - possibly - an alternative speaker they agree upon.
> >   The second element, that would allow the expression of minority
> positions,
> > is essential to make the process fully legitimate.
> >   4) On a separate basis, CS actors with particular connexions with their
> > governments could make them aware of the ongoing process and ask them to
> > support publicly or more privately to the Secretariat the right of civil
> > society to choose its opening speaker, outlining the bad press the Summit
> > would get if the name of Shirin Ebadi were to be voluntarily refused.
> >   I hope this will help move forward on this good idea.
> >   Best
> >   Bertrand
> >   -
> >
> >
> >   On 10/14/05, maseger at t-online.de <maseger at t-online.de> wrote:
> > >
> > > [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!
> > > _______________________________________
> > >
> > > Hallo, Meryem! & Friends!
> > >
> > > On behalf of my (European umbrella-)Organisation
> > > I fully support the nomination of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi
> > > (2003 peace Nobel prize winner) as a keynote speaker
> > > for CS at the WSIS II Summit, TUNIS.
> > >
> > > And I thank Renata for her decision to step aside.
> > >
> > > MARIANNE
> > > (Gender Caucus and European Caucus)
> > >
> > > Marianne Seger
> > > permament European NGO observer
> > > at the U.N. New York and Geneva
> > > for
> > > EURAG European Federation of Older Persons
> > > GRAZ/AUSTRIA
> > > (www.eurag-europe.org <http://www.eurag-europe.org>)
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------
> > > > On behalf of the small organization which I
> > > > represent, I wish to say that we most strongly
> > > > support the nomination of Ms. Ebadi as a keynote
> > > > speaker for CS at the Tunis Summit, especially
> > > > under the circumstances and regardless of how
> > > > much solidarity Adama Samassékou feels with CS
> > > > (sorry Tracey--but we just don't believe that
> > > > he's an appropriate CS representative).
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Lisa
> > > > Union for Democratic Communications
> > >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > > >Dear Amir,
> > > > >
> > > > >This is to confirm that Ms. Ebadi has finally managed to make herself
> > > > >available for the Tunis Summit, despite her busy agenda. We have got
> > > > >the news very late, that is the reason why I posted only yesterday
> the
> > > > >message and have sent yesterday also the letters to Mr Utsumi and to
> > > > >Amb. Karklins.
> > > > >The Human Rights caucus is in contact with her, through one of its
> > > > >members. Her participation is entirely confirmed.
> > > > >We would be happy to include the West-Asia Family in the list of CS
> > > > >entities proposing Ms. Ebadi as a speaker for WSIS opening.
> > > > >
> > > > >Kind regards,
> > > > >Meryem
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > Lisa McLaughlin, Ph.D.
> > > > Associate Professor, Mass Communication & Women's Studies
> > > > Editor, Feminist Media Studies
> > > > Director of Graduate Studies, M.A. Program in Mass Communication
> > > > Union for Democratic Communications Representative,
> > > > World Summit on the Information Society (http://www.udc.org)
> > > >
> > > > Mass Communication
> > > > Williams Hall
> > > > Miami University-Ohio
> > > > Oxford, OH 45056
> > > > USA
> > > > Tele: 513-529-3547
> > > > Fax: 513-529-1835
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Plenary mailing list
> > > Plenary at wsis-cs.org
> > > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary
> > >
> 
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