<DIV>I support your inclusive ( input from all on the list via virtual mechanisms ) approach Robert. I understand Derrick ( fyi ) was also trying out a "system". Your suggestion however, may be accessible by all ? </DIV>
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<DIV>Amali De Silva - Mitchell </DIV>
<DIV>President Vancouver Community Network, Canada<BR><BR><B><I>Robert Guerra <rguerra@cpsr.org></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Wolfgang:<BR><BR><BR>why just physical meetings? shouldn't we try to use ICT4s to help reduce <BR>distances and costs for us all to meet, discuss and try to move forward?<BR><BR>a couple of comments:<BR><BR>(1) IAMCR meeting:<BR><BR>Instead of the IAMCR meeting, i'd suggest having the WSIS session at<BR>OURMedia IV, which is being held just before IAMCR.<BR><BR><BR>Details:<BR><BR>Puerto Alegre, Brazil July 22-25<BR><HTTP: conferences.html eng www.ourmedianet.org><BR><BR>(2) Ways of participating virtually should be on the agenda as well. Not <BR>only for the meeting you mention, but days in between.<BR><BR>Thus, i'd suggest having an virtual "informal" meeting before the march <BR>UN ICT Task force meeting in New York. Planning ahead, and devising an <BR>agenda and our own "road map" of activities would - be a positive thing.<BR><BR>possible dates: March 19,20,21, 22 or 23<BR
>where:
online - i can setup a IRC channel and a Java based applet so <BR>that one can enter the virtual room with just a browser.<BR><BR>i'd suggest 1 or 2, 2-3 hr sessions where we'd conduct a virtual <BR>plenary.<BR><BR>comments?<BR><BR>Robert<BR><BR>--On Wednesday, March 10, 2004 12:07 PM +0100 wolfgang@imv.au.dk wrote:<BR><BR>> dear list,<BR>><BR>> to bring more balance into meeting places I would like to propose to<BR>> use two forthcoming ICANN meetings in developing countries (July in<BR>> Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia) and December in Cape Town/South Africa) for<BR>> special WSIS coordination meetings and /or regional meetings. A third<BR>> relevant world conference is organized by the "Internaitonal<BR>> Association for Media and Communication Research" (IAMCR) in July in<BR>> Porto Allegre/Brazil. The IAMCR will have a number of smaller<BR>> workshops and a "big plenary", probably with high officials from the<BR>> UN and from UNESCO, on itd agenda
. Also
here, additional reigonal<BR>> meetings (in the local language) could be organized to promote more<BR>> civil society interaction between North and South.<BR>><BR>> best<BR>><BR>> wolfgang<BR>><BR>> -- Original Nachricht--<BR>> Von: Sasha Costanza-Chock <SCHOCK@RISEUP.NET><BR>> An: Nnenna <NNE75@YAHOO.COM>,plenary@wsis-cs.org<BR>> Senden: 09.03.2004<BR>> Betreff: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: Requests/demands for CS participation<BR>> in Tunis phase<BR>><BR>> Hi nnenna, thanks for your message. I hope you don't mind that I CC<BR>> this to the Plenary.<BR>><BR>> I hope you could see from what I wrote that I am not proposing<BR>> confrontation for confrontation's sake, and that I also believe<BR>> holding the summit in Tunis is better for Tunisians and for African<BR>> civil society in general than holding it again in Geneva, NY, or<BR>> another place in the 'North.'<BR>><BR>> At the same time, I am also sure that
we do
not want a repeat of what<BR>> happened in Geneva, where in political terms civil society was<BR>> unorganized, took very few strong positions, failed almost completely<BR>> to engage social movements of the base, missed many opportunities to<BR>> advance discourse, critique, alternative solutions. We were organized<BR>> enough to produce a wonderful consensus document, but not enough to<BR>> make demands for basic necessities (for example, a dedicated physical<BR>> space to meet and take decisions) or to make strong symbolic presence<BR>> felt within the space.<BR>><BR>> The reality is that the summit _does_ need the participation of CS: it<BR>> needs us for purposes of legitimacy. They are desperate to find an<BR>> alternative to the 'global governance' model that sees every meeting<BR>> of high level government officials behind high fences, with thousands<BR>> of riot police gassing and beating tens or hundreds of thousands of<BR>
>
citizens in the streets below, opposing the current version of<BR>> globalization and proposing alternatives.<BR>><BR>> They hope that by including 'civil society' they can avoid this<BR>> situation and make decisions seem legitimate.<BR>><BR>> This means they must open the door, at least a crack, to our<BR>> participation.<BR>><BR>> It then becomes our task, not to be joyful for a seat in the peanut<BR>> gallery, but to make our participation meaningful: to insist. To make<BR>> demands. To take stands where we need to.<BR>><BR>> I only mean to say that I hope we will be organized enough during this<BR>> next phase to avoid bestowing the cover of legitimacy, unless we<BR>> receive more concessions than a fistful of 'overpasses' so we can<BR>> take turns sitting in the back row and listening to the powerful make<BR>> empty promises.<BR>><BR>> Sasha<BR>><BR>><BR>> Nnenna wrote:<BR>><BR>>> Hi
Sasha<BR>>><BR>>> Thanks for your thoughtful message. The Tunisian system is<BR>>> different.<BR>><BR>>> It is different from the US, China, Nigeria or anynother country. I<BR>>> do<BR>><BR>>> not judge systems the way some people did recently. I would rather<BR>>> speak with those on the ground.<BR>>><BR>>> I did speak with Tunisian CS members. I can agree that that there is<BR>>> a<BR>><BR>>> possiblity that all of them are pro-regime. You understand?<BR>>><BR>>> Then I went to see ex-colleagues at the African Development Bank.<BR>>> They<BR>><BR>>> are people with diplomatic status. They are not afraid of the<BR>>> regime. They are still new to the system and they can still see the<BR>>> difference. I was there the whole of Thursday. I spoke with them at<BR>>> length.<BR>>><BR>>> And my personal perspective is that what needs to be changed is
the<BR>>> system. But you don't change systems overnight. You lay the<BR>>> foundation<BR>><BR>>> for it.<BR>>><BR>>> That is why I belive tha the WSIS in Tunis should be a good<BR>>> oppurtunity<BR>><BR>>> to help lay foundations for a better freer Tunisia. Support and<BR>>> reeducation is needed, not noisemakling and boycotting.<BR>>><BR>>> On a final note, the ITU SG made it clear that the WSIS was a<BR>>> gorvenment<BR>><BR>>> stuff. CS is only "invited"! We can only contribute. This is a<BR>> good<BR>>> chance for the CS to make good use of the oppurtunity.<BR>>><BR>>> Yes, I believe we should draft a position paper, enjoining the<BR>>> Tunisian<BR>><BR>>> government to enable a freer environment : political, social and<BR>> economic.<BR>>><BR>>> That, I agree.<BR>>><BR>>> Very best<BR>>><BR>>>
Nnenna<BR>>><BR>>><BR>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> --<BR>>> Do you Yahoo!?<BR>>> Yahoo! Search - Find what you’re looking for faster.<BR>>> <HTTP: ?fr="ad-mailsig-home" search.yahoo.com><BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Plenary mailing list<BR>> Plenary@wsis-cs.org<BR>> http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Plenary mailing list<BR>> Plenary@wsis-cs.org<BR>> http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary<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 MSc.</STRONG></P>
<P>Tel: 1-604-736-9012 & Email: <A href="mailto:amalidesilva@yahoo.com">amalidesilva@yahoo.com</A></P>
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