[WSIS CS-Plenary] RE: startup post from gurstein@adm.njit.edu requires approval

Tue Apr 18 19:25:53 BST 2006

Dear Director Kambalov and Dr. Gurstein:

*A bit of a 'sidebar' but in response to your inclusive and insightful posts
here:*

As one of those very many who are keenly interested in keeping the many
stakeholders interconnected, as here, It is a splendid matter to be on these
listserves and share the enlightenments of your posts.  The *Respectful
Interfaces* Programme of the Communications Coordination Committee for the
U.N. (NY Headquarters based) is at your service in all multistakeholder
matters and pleased to attend the near-in Conferences.

This seems a good time also to say to Dr. Gurstein (and please forgive the
belatedness if I have not written on this before):  that your chairing of
the ICT based Caring Communities Forum recently was very well received. Most
of us did not have time to meet and greet;

and as Director Kambalov's estimable events are also so rewarding, this is
an opportunity to say thank you from participants, and I shall separately
address some materials on *The International Forum for Respectful
Interfaces* (IFFRI).

Sincere regards,
LDMF.

On 4/18/06, Gurstein, Michael <gurstein at adm.njit.edu> wrote:

>  Dear Mr. Kambalov,
>
> Thanks for replying to my note...
>
> And I agree with you that we should not give in to skepticism, suspicion
> or mistrust...
>
> I think we all agree that the use of ICTs can and should contribute to the
> achievement of the MDG's and I think further we are all in agreement that
> unless those working with ICTs on the ground to support local social and
> economic development are included in these processes very little can
> usefully be achieved.
>
> The challenge remains how to do that, including I should say, in the issue
> areas that you have identified as being the subject of the upcoming Geneva
> meeting.
>
> Certainly we all recognize financial and other resource limitations on the
> part of the UN (just as the UN should recognize financial and resource
> limitations on the part of its presumed interlocutors).  One way of ensuring
> that skepticism and mistrust doesn't enter into responses to initiatives
> from and through the Global Alliance would be for example, to publish in
> advance the agenda for meetings such as this one, indicate the linkage
> between the discussions in such meetings and the broader
> structural/operational decisions and decision processes of the GA, and
> making available opportunities for broader participation/responses to those
> agenda items as for example through the use of email lists such as this one.
>
> I should say that I very much appreciate your candid and pointed response
> to my note and I look forward to the opportunity of continuing this dialogue
> concerning operational and structural matters concerning the GA with you and
> others within the Global Alliance in the future.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> Michael Gurstein
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> *From:* sergei kambalov [mailto:kambalov at un.org]
> *Sent:* April 18, 2006 4:32 PM
> *To:* Gurstein, Michael
> *Cc:* plenary at wsis-cs.org; startup at unicttaskforce.org
> *Subject:* Fw: startup post from gurstein at adm.njit.edu requires approval
>
>
> Dear Mr. Gurstein,
> First of all, thank you for noticing my silly mistake in re-typing the
> text of the Tunis Agenda: of course it should be "public/private
> partnerships". Thank you!
> Second, the message of late yesterday sent to, among others, Renate was
> supposed to be followed today by requests to her and others to tell us who
> else from the civil society should be invited. So, thank you, once more, for
> helping us disseminate this news and the invitation. Please spread the word!
> BTW, I did not see Renate's message to which you refer in your message.
> Now, on a more important subject. I am expressing my own PERSONAL opinion
> here, but I take a strong exception to your statement that this
> consultation is "simply another means to perpetuate existing closed door
> exclusionary processes".
> We strongly believe that we must use ANY opportunity to build bridges and
> ensure engagement of all who care about spreading the wonders of information
> revolution. We in the ICT Task Force have been trying very hard to do this,
> by all means at our disposal, and any honest observer has to acknowledge
> that we were at least partially successful in promoting inclusiveness.
> We all know that many actors, primarily those from the civil society, do
> not have the means to participate physically in all events. This is why our
> consultations on the Global Alliance took almost TWO years, with multiple
> physical meetings in conjunction with all relevant events, PLUS virtual
> discussions.
> What would you like us to do in this particular case - pay for everybody
> who want/should be present in Geneva? You know full well that we in the UN
> do not have the money. Does it mean that we should not use the opportunity
> presented by the Information Week in Geneva to gather as many participants
> as we possibly can in one room?
> This will be the first in a series of consultation on Action Line 11. In
> addition to this physical meeting, there will be a web-based forum.
> I think we all should focus on ways to promote inclusiveness and
> engagement. There is too much skepticism, suspicion and mistrust already, so
> let us try to move forward together, even if in small - but practical,
> realistic and sustainable - steps.
> Best regards,
> Sergei.
>
> Sergei Kambalov, Chief
> ECOSOC and Interorganizational Cooperation Branch
> Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination/DESA
> United Nations, New York
> Tel:  (212) 963-4751
> Fax:  (212) 963-7454
> Email:  kambalov at un.org
> ----- Forwarded by sergei kambalov/NY/UNO on 18/04/2006 08:40 AM -----
>   *startup-owner at unicttaskforce.org*
> Sent by: mailman-bounces at unicttaskforce.org
>
> 18/04/2006 07:23 AM
>    To
> startup-owner at unicttaskforce.org  cc
>   Subject
> startup post from gurstein at adm.njit.edu requires approval
>
>
>
>
> As list administrator, your authorization is requested for the
> following mailing list posting:
>
>    List:    startup at unicttaskforce.org
>    From:    gurstein at adm.njit.edu
>    Subject: FW: [startup] Consultations on Action Line 11 of WSIS
>    Reason:  Post by non-member to a members-only list
>
> At your convenience, visit:
>
>    http://www.unicttf.org/mailman/admindb/startup
>
> to approve or deny the request.
>
> ----- Message from "Gurstein, Michael" <gurstein at ADM.NJIT.EDU> on Tue, 18
> Apr 2006 07:22:15 -0400 -----   *To:*
> <plenary at wsis-cs.org>  *cc:*
> <gta at vancouvercommunity.net>, <startup at unicttaskforce.org>  *Subject:*
> FW: [startup] Consultations on Action Line 11 of WSIS
> Further to Renate's note of yesterday please see the below...
>
> I'm wondering if it might be possible, on behalf of the Plenary to reply
> to this "*invitation*" that a stakeholder "*consultation*" "*to discuss
> ways to enhance collaboration among diverse stakeholders in ensuring
> effective multi-stakeholder implementation, at the international level, of
> the outcomes of WSIS as regards international and regional cooperation*"
> held for 3 hours in a meeting room in Geneva is not a "*consultation*" but
> simply another means to perpetuate existing closed door exclusionary
> processes since only those already available in Geneva or with the requisite
> budgets to attend in Geneva for such a meeting will have an opportunity to
> participate.
>
> Those without such resources who will, I assume, include most of those
> (including their representative organizations and "caucuses") with the most
> direct and immediate interest in "*information exchange, creation of
> knowledge, sharing of best practices, and assistance in developing
> multi-stakeholder and policy/private (sic?) partnerships*" as the *sources
> * and *originators* and ultimately *end users* of such knowledge will be
> excluded from participation.
>
> MG
>
>  -----Original Message-----*
> From:* startup-bounces at unicttaskforce.org [mailto:
> startup-bounces at unicttaskforce.org] *On Behalf Of *sergei kambalov*
> Sent:* April 18, 2006 12:23 AM*
> To:* shoji.nishimoto at undp.org; Amir Dossal; Aida Opoku-Mensah; Joao Carlos
> FERRAZ; Mansour Farah; aw.khan at unesco.org; arthur.levin at itu.int; Georg
> Kell; richard.manning at oecd.org; walter.fust at deza.admin.ch;
> astrid.dufborg at sida.se; guy.sebban at iccwbo.org; amiller at itaa.org;
> rbloem at ngocongo.org; bruck at research.at; rrogers at giic.org;
> mfleeton at dgfoundation.org; grossda at state.gov; doris.bertrand at bmaa.gv.at;
> mission.tunisia at ties.itu.ch; mission.pakistan at ties.itu.ch; mb at hq.unu.edu;
> Marcel BOISARD; wendy.mann at fao.org; bridge at unicttaskforce.org;
> advisors at unicttaskforce.org; startup at unicttaskforce.org*
> Cc:* Guido Bertucci; max-henri.cadet at itu.int; Makane Faye; Omar Bizri;
> Nikhil Chandavarkar; charles.geiger at itu.int; Haiyan Qian;
> Harry.De-Backer at cec.eu.int; Guennady Fedorov; michael.roeskau at cecd.org;
> Hans Hansell; masood.hatiif at gmail.com; Gerolf.Weigel at deza.admin.ch;
> john.dryden at oecd.org; raul.zambrano at undp.org; Patrizio Civili;
> david.benfield at fao.org; Denis Gilhooly; rinalia at gkps.org.my;
> radhika.lal at undp.org; Gherardo Casini; ayesha.hassan at iccwbo.org;
> smelhem at worldbank.org; Martin HILBERT; konstantinova at icnm.net*
> Subject:* [startup] Consultations on Action Line 11 of WSIS
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> We are pleased to invite you to attend a first consultation that DESA, in
> its capacity of "provisional focal point" for facilitation of Action Line 11
> of the Geneva Plan of Action of the World Summit on the Information Society,
> will convene on 15 May 2005  in Salle XXV of the Palais de Nations, Geneva.
> The meeting will be open to all relevant stakeholders. The exact time of the
> meeting (most probably in the afternoon) will be communicated later.
> This meeting, convened in line with paragraph 108 of the Tunis Agenda for
> the Information Society, will provide an opportunity to discuss ways to
> enhance collaboration among diverse stakeholders in ensuring effective
> multi-stakeholder implementation, at the international level, of the
> outcomes of WSIS as regards international and regional cooperation. The
> other facilitators for this Action Line are the Regional Commissions, UNDP,
> ITU and UNESCO.
> As stated in paragraph 110 of the Tunis Agenda, "the cordination of
> multi-stakeholder implementation activities would help to avoid duplication
> of activities. This should ionclude. *inter alia*, information exchange,
> creation of knowledge, sharing of best practices, and assistance in
> developing multi-stakeholder and policy/private partnerships". We hope that
> at the forthcoming meeting, interested stakeholders will present their
> proposals on optimal modalities for this work, bearing in mind the specific
>  tasks under Action Line 11 (see paragraph 26 of the Geneva Plan of Action
> here:
> http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/03/wsis/doc/S03-WSIS-DOC-0005!!MSW-E.doc
> ).
> We look forward to a productive discussion.
> Best regards,
>
> S. Khan, Director, Office for Ecosoc Support and Coordination
> Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
> ----- Message from startup-request at unicttaskforce.org on Unknown -----   *
> Subject:*
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--
L. D. Misek-Falkoff, Ph.D., J.D. (Law, Computing, Humanities).

For Identification:
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[RESPITES]
     and *International Forum For Respectful Interfaces* [IFFRI];
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Inviting Inquiries; other affiliations on Request.
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