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Dear Sean,<br>
<br>
Yes, we are indeed expressing our position as "Fondation du Devenir", acting
until today as "Civil Society Division of the WSIS Executive Secretariat".<br>
<br>
As far as the Civil Society Bureau is concerned, you are right to point out
that it is adifferent matter. We may come back on this issue when appropriate,
particularly when the Cardoso Report will be available end of June.<br>
<br>
best,<br>
<br>
Alain<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Sean O Siochru a écrit:<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid5.2.0.9.2.20040517154227.023afda8@gpo.iol.ie">Tracey <br>
<br>
I think you may have misinterpreted the note from Alain Clerc (just sent
from Lilliane e-mail address). <br>
<br>
Alain - please correct me if I am wrong: But your note was presenting the
position of the Fondation du Devenir (and previously the Civil Society Division)
when you used the word 'we' , and indicating that you have decided not to
continue in support activities for the CS bureau and to focus instead on
the Local Government inputs. This is the result presumably, of your ongoing
contacts with the Tunis WSIS organisers and your disappointment with their
response. <br>
<br>
If this is the correct interpretation of Alain's note, and presumably it
represents the others in his team there, then he is entitled to make his
position clear and we can only respect his decision. <br>
<br>
The position of civil society, including the issue of the Bureau, is another
matter, and will anyhow come up for consideration at Civil Society Meetings
at the first PrepCom anyhow. <br>
<br>
Best <br>
<br>
Sean <br>
<br>
At 10:42 14/05/2004 +0200, you wrote: <br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">HELLO ALL <br>
<br>
I thank Lillian for her recent note on the WSIS Civil Society Secretariat's
<br>
position on the Tunis Phase of the Summit. <br>
<br>
I am extremely concerned that this position has been put without any prior
<br>
consultations or information provided on the negotiations that were <br>
apparently underway in the last months. Is this position up for debate? Of
<br>
course it is!! We are civil society aren't' t we? <br>
<br>
The African Civil Society grouping recently met in Tunis and conducted <br>
discussions with a number of people in the WSIS Tunis Secretariat, civil <br>
society organisations, The Secretary of State for Telecommunications and <br>
Information, the Executive Secretary of the Tunis WSIS Secretariat and <br>
members of the state press. <br>
<br>
Independently I also met with the Manager of the independent radio station
<br>
in Tunis, the assistant At tourney General, a human rights lawyer and the
<br>
Secretary General of the Tunis WSIS Secretariat. I also went into the <br>
countryside and attended a voter education meeting attended by very rural
<br>
folk. I did this in an attempt to develop a broader view of the Tunisian <br>
perspective on the Second Phase of the Summit and to test the official line
<br>
against Tunisian reality, as much as one can in a seven day visit as a <br>
foreigner. <br>
<br>
What I can say now is that Tunisia is considered by other Arab States to
be <br>
relatively liberal, that the commitment to civil society in Tunisia is <br>
strong and obvious, though defined in a different way to a northern NGO <br>
approach, and that the commitment to WSIS Phase 2 as a multi-stakeholder <br>
process (as per Millenniums Development Goals) was also clearly and <br>
consistently stated. <br>
<br>
I would also say that in creating the Civil Society Fund, I don't believe
<br>
the Tunisians were necessarily anticipating having to fill the coffer <br>
themselves. Tunisia isn't a wealthy country and it practices a solidarity
<br>
approach internally, and perhaps expected the same in relation to this fund,
<br>
from other nations. <br>
<br>
As with any negotiation, there are always two sides to the story and I have
<br>
put out a call to the Tunisian / African Colleagues, on behalf of the <br>
African Civil Society group of which I am a participant, to provide the <br>
African CS Caucus with their views on the proposal for civil society to <br>
participate in a conference in Europe at the end of 2005. I believe the <br>
appropriate first response to the news of focusing civil society input on
<br>
another conference process, is to seek other views. <br>
<br>
This should at least be a discussion. From the African perspective we have
<br>
long felt an Afro-pessimism in relation Phase 2 and a divide between the <br>
topics of concern to developed and less developed contexts. Patience is an
<br>
African virtue and we hoped that in holding the next Summit on African soil,
<br>
that a more practical and grounded outcome would be possible. Certainly this
<br>
was confirmed by the input at our recent Tunis meeting, by the Tunisian WSIS
<br>
people. <br>
<br>
I am most concerned that the tone of the position of the Geneva secretariat
<br>
is so vastly different from the tone of the Tunisian secretariat. <br>
<br>
I hope that other viewpoints will be forthcoming to enable us all to make
a <br>
considered decision on this matter. <br>
<br>
Regards <br>
<br>
Tracey Naughton <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Nyaka - Communication & Development <br>
Tracey Naughton <br>
Consultant <br>
201 Somerset Hall <br>
239 Oxford Road <br>
Illovo 2196 <br>
South Africa <br>
<br>
Phone/fax: +27 (0) 11 880 5030 <br>
cell: +27 (0) 82 821 1771 <br>
Email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:t.naughton@iafrica.com">t.naughton@iafrica.com</a> <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<br>
<br>
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