<DIV>Thank you for this communication. This list really has the potential to become a civil society "shared - knowledge" community.</DIV>
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<DIV>Amali De Silva-Mitchell, Vice President, Vancouver Community Network, Canada.<BR><BR><B><I>Meryem Marzouki <marzouki@ras.eu.org></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">FYI. These notes are from Manon Ress, representative of CPTech to the <BR>Human Rights Caucus. Meryem/<BR><BR>Début du message réexpédié :<BR><BR>> De: Manon Anne Ress <MANON.RESS@CPTECH.ORG><BR>> Date: Ven 25 juil 2003 19:09:37 Europe/Paris<BR>> À: ecommerce <ECOMMERCE@LISTS.ESSENTIAL.ORG>, Meryem Marzouki <BR>> <MARZOUKI@RAS.EU.ORG><BR>> Objet: Informal notes on WSIS Briefing July 24 in Washington DC<BR>><BR>> Dear colleagues,<BR>> These are my informal notes taken at the WSIS briefing yesterday.<BR>><BR>> To summarize: the meeting at the National Academy of Sciences <BR>> Building was chaired by Ambassador Gross who introduced the speakers, <BR>> Mr. Adama Samassekou, the President of PrepCom, and 3 Swiss <BR>> representatives. Maybe 30 people attended, mostly industry people.<BR>><BR>> The speakers shared their “vision” of what
the
World Summit on the <BR>> Information Society (the Summit) was about and stressed the importance <BR>> of having “all stakeholders” included in the “dialogue”. The <BR>> importance or success of the Summit will be measured by how many head <BR>> of States attend and the “implementation of ideas”.<BR>><BR>> Paul Uhlir, (NAS) the host, asked about the issue of recognition of <BR>> the role of science, and specifically public science in the <BR>> Declaration.<BR>><BR>> Dana Bullen (World Press Freedom Committee) asked why there was no <BR>> clear statement in the current draft about freedom of the Press, "a <BR>> major problem."<BR>><BR>> Manon<BR>><BR>> Contact info for speakers:<BR>> Paul Uhlir" <PUHLIR@NAS.EDU><BR>> Dana Bullen Ph. 703 715 9811<BR>> Adama Samassekou<BR>> +41 22 730 6360<BR>> adama.samassekou@ties.itu.int<BR>><BR>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<BR>>
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Informal notes: On July 24, 2003, I attended the WSIS briefing given <BR>> by Mr. Adama Samassekou, Chair of the Prep Committee and by <BR>> representatives of the Swiss Government at the National Academy of <BR>> Sciences. The meeting was short and sweet, (only 1 hour) because the <BR>> speakers (who had had breakfast with US private sector) were on their <BR>> way to the White House. Today they have a few other meetings (not <BR>> open to the public) organized by associations etc.<BR>><BR>> Ambassador Gross introduced Adama Samassekou, President of PrepCom, <BR>> Former Minister of Education (of Mali I think) and 3 other speakers <BR>> who were representatives from Switzerland.<BR>><BR>> Mr. Samassekou praised the organizers of the briefing because he wants <BR>> “all the stakeholders to be on board.” He talked about the issues <BR>> we’re facing such as “disease, poverty, hunger” and highlighted that <BR>> we have the means to
end
these terrible problems. “The WSIS is not”, <BR>> he said, a “new UN Conference”, is not a “Summit on new technologies” <BR>> it is an “historical opportunity for what could be called a <BR>> shared-knowledge society that would allow all citizens to use ICTs.”<BR>><BR>> Mr. Samassekou repeated figures he likes to mention “91% of users are <BR>> from the North where only 19% of the population lives”. A “digital <BR>> revolution” is the first issue of this Summit and the second issue is <BR>> “why the poor are getting poorer and the rich richer.”<BR>> The development goals are a way to improve the Summit in the time <BR>> frame (2005). The third issue is how to let the “majority use <BR>> Internet to develop identity, culture etc.” He also asks “how to make <BR>> them real actors in democracy building in their countries and how to <BR>> share knowledge in the Internet.”<BR>><BR>> For Mr. Samassekou, in order to be successful, the Su
mmit
must, by <BR>> 2005, change "attitudes and mentalities" with all stakeholders working <BR>> together.<BR>><BR>> The following speakers shared the “same vision” but highlighted the <BR>> task of “doing a good Summit in Switzerland”. Mr. F.(?) explained <BR>> why this Summit is not “just a lot of talk” and that what is needed is <BR>> a new kind of Summit. For him the subject (Information Society) is <BR>> new, as well as the architecture, the openness and the tripartite <BR>> aspect. His measure of success depends on the participation of heads <BR>> of States, the quality of the dialogue and sustainability in 2d phase <BR>> [Tunis] that will be based on “principles and action plans done in <BR>> Geneva”<BR>><BR>> The next speaker explained what ICT4D is about: “a platform <BR>> showcasing about 200 to 300 Projects implemented in some 50 countries <BR>> within the framework of development aid” The Palexpo is already 80% <BR>>
booked
and invited people to participate.<BR>><BR>> Paul Uhlir made a statement urging for more clarity regarding the <BR>> “role for the Science community”, mentioned the instrumental role of <BR>> public science for ex. satellites, internet, search engine, all <BR>> developed in the public sector and commercialized by the private <BR>> sector in the last decades. He described briefly the work the <BR>> National Academies of Sciences with other international organization <BR>> such as UNESCO. While there has been recognition of the role of <BR>> sciences in Paris, Mr. Uhlir hopes that there will be “linkage in the <BR>> Summit and implementation”.<BR>><BR>> Dana Bullen (World Press Freedom Committee) stated that his <BR>> organization is still “concerned that the text fails to provide clear <BR>> language regarding freedom of the Press”.<BR>> If this is an oversight, he said, it should be corrected quickly, if <BR>> not “we have a ma
jor
problem”.<BR>><BR>> Ellen Shaw (sp?) US Chamber of Commerce and ICC referred to an earlier <BR>> conversation with the speakers (“As I was saying this morning...”) and <BR>> repeated that the focus should be “on creating a competitive <BR>> environment for business to invest with firm commitment by leaders”. <BR>> She was pleased that “high level businesses were encouraged to <BR>> participate”.<BR>><BR>> Regarding the comments by the World Press Freedom, the Swiss <BR>> Representative stated that this is “controversial” and “in bracket”, <BR>> “we’ll do it” he said “but in a proper way, we have to be sensitive to <BR>> culture, for example having pornographic materials on satellites is a <BR>> problem in Arab countries.”<BR>><BR>> For Mr. Samassekou, thanking Mr. Bullen, it’s all about “a better <BR>> society, poverty is caused also by ignorance, building knowledge is <BR>> fighting poverty.” He stated that in Mali any citi
zen can
develop a <BR>> newspaper...and that this matter needs to be address within the <BR>> process even if controversial.<BR>><BR>> David Gross asked if Microsoft wanted to add anything and mentioned <BR>> the upcoming “interactive breakfast” for industries and the speakers.<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> -- <BR>> Manon Anne Ress<BR>> Consumer Project on Technology<BR>> www.cptech.org<BR>> PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036<BR>> manon.ress@cptech.org, voice: 1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176<BR>><BR>><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Plenary mailing list<BR>Plenary@wsis-cs.org<BR>http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary</BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR><DIV>
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<P><STRONG>Amali De Silva-Mitchell</STRONG></P>
<P>Tel: 604-736-9012 & Email: <A href="mailto:amalidesilva@yahoo.com">amalidesilva@yahoo.com</A></P>
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