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

[Gurstein, Michael]

Mr. Kambalov,
 
Yes, you are correct and my apologies for misreading your original
message... Since it was sent through the "(GA) Startup" e-list I too
hastily took it that the message was referring to the Global Allliance.

 
However, I should say that even in such areas as "C.11 International and
regional cooperation", that is developing "requests for international
cooperation and assistance on infrastructure development projects",
"public-private partnerships", and "preparation and implementation of
national action plans" those involved would be well advised and would
find the outcomes of their actions to be more realistic, useful and
sustainable if those at the grassroots most directly involved in
implementing these initiatives on the ground were to be included in
their design.
 
One of the clear findings from research that we are currently conducting
in Canada on the implementation of community based technology
initiatives  <http://www.cracin.ca> http://www.cracin.ca is rhat there
is frequently a deep mismatch between the design of these initiatives
and the realities on the ground and how this directly interferes with
the achievement of the goals of the investments being made and dare I
say, leading quite directly to "skepticism, suspicion or mistrust... "
on the part of those working in the field attempting to make these
programs effective. 
 
Best,
 
MG


-----Original Message----- 

 


From: sergei kambalov [mailto:kambalov at un.org] 
Sent: April 18, 2006 9:33 PM
To: Gurstein, Michael
Cc: gta at vancouvercommunity.net; plenary at wsis-cs.org;
startup at unicttaskforce.org
Subject: RE: startup post from gurstein at adm.njit.edu requires approval



Mr. Gurstein, 
I am very glad that we are on the same page on really important things. 
I am a bit confused with the last two paras of your message: you seem to
be talking about the Global Alliance for ICT and Development. However,
the meeting that our original message referred to will be on a quite
different subject, namely on the implementation of Action Line 11 of the
Geneva Plan of Action of WSIS. 
In our message we say that the objective of this first meeting will be
to discuss how coordination among diverse stakeholders should be done
and what it should cover. The context of this discussion is the outcomes
of WSIS, and there is a link to relevant document in the message. If
there is anything else that this notice should address, please let me
know and we shall work on it. 
Regarding, on the other hand, the GLobal Alliance the inaugural meeting
is planned for 19-20 June in Kuala Lumpur. As soon as the tentative
programme for this meeting is done, it will be shared with potential
participants and finalized on the basis of their comments. At the
moment, we do not have the programme yet. 
Please let us know if we could bring more clarity. 
Best regards. 
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 



"Gurstein, Michael" <gurstein at adm.njit.edu> 


18/04/2006 12:57 PM 


To
"sergei kambalov" <kambalov at un.org> 

cc
<plenary at wsis-cs.org>, <startup at unicttaskforce.org>,
<gta at vancouvercommunity.net> 

Subject
RE: startup post from gurstein at adm.njit.edu requires approval

	




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 
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