[WSIS CS-Plenary] Crisinfo.org - news ENG ESP PT FR [October 26th 2005]

Wed Oct 26 15:26:28 BST 2005

NEWSROOM

Digital Dangers: Information and Communication Technologies and Trafficking in Women
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- It seems unlikely that whoever coined the term 'information superhighway' anticipated that the traffic on the internet would be in people, as well as information. How, and how much, the internet and other ICTs are implicated in trafficking is the subject of this issue paper by The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) produced in cooperation with The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID).
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/976

Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index - 2005
North Korea, Eritrea and Turkmenistan are the world's "black holes" for news. Western democracies slip back, with the US falling more than 20 places.
North Korea once again comes bottom of the Reporters Without Borders fourth annual World Press Freedom Index, released today. It is closely followed in the 167-country list by Eritrea (166th) and Turkmenistan (165th), which are other "black holes" for news where the privately-owned media is not allowed and freedom of expression does not exist.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/972

NEWSROOM/UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY

UNESCO: Convention sur la diversité culturelle: Communiqué CRIS
La campagne Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS:
www.crisinfo.org) accueille favorablement l'approbation quasi unanime de la Convention sur la protection de la diversité des contenus culturels et des expressions artistiques. Cette Convention démontre clairement que les gouvernements reconnaissent que la culture ne peut être réduite à une simple marchandise. En endossant la Convention, les gouvernements ont démonté qu'ils sont préparés à prendre des initiatives positives afin de supporter la diversité culturelle à une époque où les industries culturelles sont globales.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/987

UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity: CRIS Statement
The campaign for Communication Rights in the Information Society welcomes UNESCO's near-unanimous approval of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions. The Convention is a clear demonstration that governments recognize that culture cannot be reduced to a mere commodity. By endorsing the Convention, governments have shown that they are prepared to take positive steps to support cultural diversity in the age of global cultural industries.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/986 

UNESCO Adopts Convention to Protect Diversity
Julio Godoy
PARIS, Oct 20 (IPS) - The United Nations cultural body adopted an international treaty Thursday to protect cultural diversity, marking what experts say is a first but important moral victory in the long-running fight to preserve the world's cultural richness.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/985 

La Unesco avala el proteccionismo cultural con la frontal oposición de Estados Unidos
La Vanguardia
LLUÍS URÍA - 20/10/2005
Corresponsal. PARÍS
La Unesco aprobará hoy un convenio internacional que pretende sustraer los bienes culturales a la liberalización comercial
El nuevo tratado, promovido por Francia y Canadá, pretende ser un arma jurídica para resistir la hegemonía de EE.UU.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/984

Hollywood the loser as global culture plan backed
Independent (London)
21 October 2005
Not for the first time, the United States has found itself in almost total isolation in an international body, as the rest of the world adopts a convention which supporters say could help stop the "steamroller" of Hollywood globalisation.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/983

US stands alone over cultural diversity treaty
By Frances Williams in Geneva
Financial Times
Published: October 20 2005 03:00
A United Nations treaty to protect and promote cultural diversity is likely to be overwhelmingly approved today in the face of lonely opposition from the US, which fears the impact on exports of US films and television programmes.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/982

AND MORE ON UNESCO COVERAGE ON: www.mediatradmonitor.org and http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/978/(offset)/4 

NEWSROOM/WSIS [TUNISIA AND COMMUNICATION RIGHTS]

Citizens' Summit on the Information Society (CSIS) Tunis
November 16-18, 2005 First announcement and call for support CSIS Press release - October 24, 2005
A Citizens' Summit on the Information Society (CSIS) will be held in Tunis, on November 16-18, 2005, coinciding with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
The CSIS will be another milestone in the long tradition of UN conferences and Summits being complemented with events organized by citizen groups. Previous such events met with great success, for example during the Cairo Conference on Population and Development (1994), the Beijing Conference on Women (1995) or the Monterrey Summit on Financing for Development (2002).
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/988

Cumbre Ciudadana sobre la Sociedad de la Información
Túnez, 16 al 18 de noviembre de 2005
Primer anuncio y convocatoria a adhesiones
Nota de prensa de la CCSI - 24 de octubre de 2005
En Túnez, del 16 al 18 de noviembre de 2005, tendrá lugar una Cumbre Ciudadana sobre la Sociedad de la Información (CCSI), coincidiendo con la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información (CMSI).
La CCSI será un nuevo mojón en la larga tradición de conferencias y Cumbres de Naciones Unidas complementadas con eventos organizados por grupos ciudadanos. Eventos anteriores de este tipo han alcanzado gran éxito durante conferencias tales como la Conferencia sobre Población y Desarrollo de El Cairo (1994), la Conferencia sobre la Mujer en Beijing (1995) y la Cumbre sobre Financiamiento para el Desarrollo en Monterrey (2002).
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/989 

Un expert de l'ONU invite la Tunisie à libérer les personnes emprisonnées pour avoir exercé la liberté d'expression
Le Rapporteur spécial sur la promotion et la protection du droit à la liberté d'opinion et d'expression de la Commission des droits de l'homme, M. Ambeyi Ligabo, a fait 14 octobre 2005 une déclaration concernant la situation en Tunisie, ou se tiendra, du 16 au 18 novembre prochains, la phase finale du Sommet mondial sur la société de l'information.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/974

UN rights expert urges unconditional release of Tunisians imprisoned for exercising freedom of expression
Just a few weeks before the World Summit on the Information Society takes place in Tunis, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Ambeyi Ligabo, issued the following statement (14 October 2005).
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/975

GET INVOLVED/TAKE ACTION

The Stockholm Challenge Award 2006 is open for entries
The Stockholm Challenge Award 2006 invites excellent ICT projects from all over the world to compete for the prestigious Challenge trophies.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/977

Nominations for Communication and Social Change Award
Due 1 November 2005
The Communication and Social Change (CSC) Award is an annual award given to an individual or organisation for contributions to the theory and/or practice of communication for social change. Major theoretical contributions, and applied communication practices that are illustrative of frontline change and long-term sustainable development will be considered for this award.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/973

SIGN UP TO THE CRIS CHARTER/FIRMAR LA CARTA/SIGNER LA CHARTE

CRIS CHARTER
La Carta de CRIS
Nuestra visión de la Sociedad de la Información se fundamenta en el Derecho a Comunicar como un medio de acrecentar los derechos humanos y fortalecer la vida social, económica y cultural de las personas y las comunidades. Para lograrlo, resulta fundamental que las organizaciones de la sociedad civil se unan para cooperar en la construcción de una sociedad de la información basada en principios de transparencia, diversidad, participación, justicia social y económica, e inspiradas por la equidad de género y la perspectivas culturales y regionales.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/97/ 

La Charte de CRIS
Notre vision de la «société de l'information» est basée sur le droit de communiquer qui est considéré comme un moyen pour étendre les droits de l'homme et améliorer la vie sociale, économique et culturelle des personnes et des communautés. Pour cela, il est essentiel que les organisations de la société civile se réunissent afin d'aider à la construction d'une société de l'information basée sur les principes de transparence, de diversité, de participation et de justice économique et sociale et inspirée par une approche équitable du rapport des sexes, de la culture et des aspects régionaux.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/95

The CRIS Charter
Our vision of the 'Information Society' is grounded in the Right to Communicate, as a means to enhance human rights and to strengthen the social, economic and cultural lives of people and communities. Crucial to this is that civil society organisations come together to help build an information society based on principles of transparency, diversity, participation and social and economic justice, and inspired by equitable gender, cultural and regional perspectives.
http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/98

Myriam Horngren
WACC/CRIS Network and Advocacy Coordinator
357 Kennington Lane
London SE11 5QY
United Kingdom
Direct line: 44 (0) 207 587 3018
Fax: 44 (0) 207 735 0340
web: www.crisinfo.org/www.wacc.org.uk
email: mh at wacc.org.uk