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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=343441920-24072003>Hi!
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=343441920-24072003>as a
member of the civil society bureau and a member of the plenary of the civil
society, I also support the five points presented by
Sean.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=343441920-24072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=343441920-24072003>Regards</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lic.
Beatriz Busaniche<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="mailto:busaniche@caminandoutopias.org.ar">busaniche@caminandoutopias.org.ar</A></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Centro de
Teletrabajo y Teleformación</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Carrera de
Relaciones del Trabajo</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Universidad de Buenos
Aires</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">www.caminandoutopias.org.ar</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=es dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<DIV>
<DIV style="font-color: black">
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">De:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <A
title=sean@nexus.ie href="mailto:sean@nexus.ie">Sean O Siochru</A>
</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Para:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <A
title=plenary@wsis-cs.org
href="mailto:plenary@wsis-cs.org">plenary@wsis-cs.org</A> ; <A
title=ct@wsis-cs.org href="mailto:ct@wsis-cs.org">ct@wsis-cs.org</A>
</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CC:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <A
title=bureau@wsis-cs.org
href="mailto:bureau@wsis-cs.org">bureau@wsis-cs.org</A>
</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Enviado:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> jueves,
24 de julio de 2003 9:57</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Asunto:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> [WSIS-CT]
John Gagain's note: Does Civil Society Plenary not
exist?</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hi everyone <BR><BR>I think John's
surprising note, and the position he takes in it on civil society structures,
offers us an opportunity to remind ourselves of the basic progress we have
made so far in civil society. <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">This note is
seeking your support on five basic point below.</SPAN></B> <BR><BR>At 15:27
23/07/2003 -0400, <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">John R. Gagain Jr. wrote
[my bold]:<BR><BR><BR></SPAN></B></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial color=blue
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Concerning the
modalities of the CS mechanisms at the WSIS: </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT
face=Arial color=blue size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1.<FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=blue size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CS Information
Session and Debriefing. <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">There does not
exist a forum at the WSIS referred to as "Civil Society Plenary", nor was
there ever one </SPAN></B>at any other U.N. sponsored Summit in the
past. A Plenary signifies a fixed group of members or member states and
the actual official definition is: <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">1.
Complete in all respects, unlimited or full: a diplomat with plenary powers,
2. Fully attended by all qualified members: a plenary session of the
council.</SPAN></I> As you can see, Civil Society does not fulfill this
definition or its prerequisites. .... </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">2.<FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=blue size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">[snip] ... , as I
mention above,<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> there is no CS Plenary; and
especially not one that makes decisions on behalf of Civil Society.
</SPAN></B>T</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In one sense, it is refreshing to hear
such definitive, authoritative, statements about how Civil Society is
organised at the WSIS. (Why didn't someone tell us this two years ago?)
<BR><BR>More seriously, though, I cannot accept that the 'Civil Society
Plenary' meetings that I attended at Prepcom 1 at PrepCom 2, and that were
held in Paris, did not in fact take place as such, and that these meetings had
no authority to take decisions on behalf of civil society at the WSIS.
Such a claim, especially from a member of the Civil Society Bureau, really
must be refuted. As a member of the Bureau myself, this is certainly not
an official view and this is the first time I have heard it aired.
<BR><BR>(By the same token, John could even define the Bureau out of existence
on the basis that one has never previously existed at Un conferences. Even
more, since in reality, the SOLE source of legitimacy for the Bureau is the
Civil Society Plenary, and since the Bureau itself has explicitly agreed it is
subject to the Civil Society Plenary, then surely the Bureau cannot exist!)
<BR><BR>Nice and all as it is to fantasize, there are some important facts and
achievements of civil society in the WSIS process that I think are worth
reaffirming. <BR><BR>1. Civil Society has constituted itself into a
Plenary at every convening of the WSIS, PrepComs, Intercessional, Summits. It
is open to all of civil society members and of course any organisations is
free not to participate. But the great majority have chosen to. It
is the ultimate decision making body of civil society in relation to the
WSIS. <BR><BR>2. It has endorsed the existence of the Bureau, and
the Bureau has agreed explicitly that it is subject to the Civil Society
Plenary Meeting and must report to it regularly. <BR><BR>3. The CS
Plenary Meeting has endorsed the Content and Themes Group, which also reports
to it. And it has endorsed most if not all of the various caucuses,
working groups and so forth. <BR><BR>4. The Civil Society Division of
the Secretariat serves the Civil Society Plenary Meeting and anything the
Plenary sets up, although it can also provide support to any groups who
choose not to associate with the Plenary. <BR><BR>5. Regarding the
(currently important) operation of the CS Plenary between physical meetings,
the following was agreed by the Civil Society Plenary at PrepCom 2 (extract
from the Description of the plenary@wsis-cs.org list) <A
href="http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary"
eudora="autourl">http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary</A>
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">"The Civil Society
Plenary Meeting, when convened, is the source of legitimacy for all civil
society activities in the WSIS. </SPAN></FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">Between PrepComs a
'Virtual CS Plenary Group' has been created (plenary@wsis-cs.org), comprising
organisations and other entities accredited and registered at both PrepComs to
date, from civil society, although organisations with a key interest in the
issues but that are not part of the Summit process should also have the
opportunity to participate. </SPAN></FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">The list will
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">not be a decision-making space,</SPAN></B>
in the sense that no voting will be called for, but a space to <B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">promote greater debate and transparency
</SPAN></B>in the organisation of Civil Society during the summit."
</SPAN></FONT></I>[my bold] </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The CS-Plenary list (plenary@wsis-cs.org)
was subsequently set up and now has over 250 registered, all of whom in the
interests of accountability an transparency have registered their names when
joining the list. Thus, the CS-Plenary list is a space to promote debate and
transparency in civil society overall in between physically convened Civil
Society Plenary groups. I believe all major issues and proposals should
be openly debated there before any decisions are taken by other groups, such
as the Bureau and the Content & Themes Group. I also believe that many
decisions must be reaffirmed at the opening Civil Society Plenary at PrepCom
3, if there have been widely different views expressed on it. <BR><BR>This
structure may not be perfect, but it is all we have, it has wide support, and
has been endorsed at all major civil meetings and venues at the WSIS. I
really think at this point that we all have to be working from the same
basics. There are too many important issues facing us right now to run
the risk of destroying the structures we have so painstakingly put together.
<BR><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">I am seeking support for the above
five points </SPAN></B>from those on this list as I believe we cannot be
continually reinventing the past and must move forward. I will also be
communicating on these matters within the Bureau. <BR><BR>Very
best<BR><BR>Sean <BR><BR><BR><BR></SPAN></FONT></P><X-SIGSEP>
<P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"></X-SIGSEP><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">___________________________________________________<BR>Seán
Ó Siochrú<X-TAB> </X-TAB>Central office: tel: +353 1 473 0599
fax: +353 1 473 0597 <BR>NEXUS Research<X-TAB> </X-TAB>Mobile: +353
87 20 48 150<BR>14 Eaton Brae <X-TAB> </X-TAB>Direct office tel:
+353 1 272 0739 fax: +353 1 272 0034
<BR>Shankill<X-TAB> </X-TAB><X-TAB> </X-TAB><X-TAB> <BR></X-TAB>Co.
Dublin<X-TAB> </X-TAB><X-TAB> </X-TAB>e-mail:
sean@nexus.ie<BR>Ireland<X-TAB> </X-TAB><X-TAB> </X-TAB><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Web
site: <A href="http://www.iol.ie/nexus"
eudora="autourl">http://www.iol.ie/nexus</A> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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