<DIV>Dear All.</DIV>
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<DIV>On reading emails to the plenary and caucuses over the past few weeks I hear both optimism and fatigue from some.</DIV>
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<DIV>I would be really interested in hearing about initiatives as a result of Phase 1 from Southern NGOs. </DIV>
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<DIV>Could a website be set up to showcase WSIS - NGO acheivements as a result of Phase 1 for both Northern and Southern NGOs ? </DIV>
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<DIV>This would also provide a useful tool for the sharing of ideas, histories and practices for our individual communities. It would be a community of communities. </DIV>
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<DIV>Thank you.</DIV>
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<DIV>Amali De Silva - Mitchell</DIV>
<DIV>President Vancouver Community Network</DIV>
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<DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Beatriz Busaniche <busaniche@caminandoutopias.org.ar></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-----Mensaje reenviado-----<BR>From: Liliane Ursache <LILIANE.URSACHE@FDD.ORG><BR>To: bureau@wsis2005.org<BR>Subject: Re: Information note to the CSB<BR>Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 16:21:06 +0200<BR><BR>Dear Tracey,<BR><BR>We took good note of your mail and would like to add the following <BR>comments.<BR><BR>Since December 2003 we have maintained an open discussion with the <BR>Tunisian authorities responsible for the Summit, in order to find <BR>arrangements that would guarantee the full participation of civil <BR>society in the WSIS process. We have maintained a small team working <BR>through this transition period, which is a proof of our commitment and <BR>our trust.<BR><BR>We have also made some very concrete proposals to the Executive <BR>Secretariat and the Tunisian authorities regarding the substantive <BR>preparations of the Summit, in order to include civil society at al
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<BR>levels, in particular in the different thematic working groups to be <BR>established.<BR><BR>However, today, six months after the Geneva Summit, we have to face the <BR>fact that there seems to be no will to really kick of the dynamic for <BR>Phase II, and consequently no commitment to provide civil society with <BR>the conditions and the means to influence Summit outcomes.<BR><BR>Under these conditions, the Civil Society Division of the ES as it <BR>operated during phase I is not sustainable and cannot service civil <BR>society as we think it should. In our view, 12 months to develop a truly <BR>tripartite negotiations on complex issues, is not realistic. If it is <BR>not well done, it could even jeopardise the results of the first phase.<BR><BR>Regarding African participation in the Summit, we are certainly not <BR> afropessimists . Since 1998 we have been very strong supporters of <BR>African involvement, and we will certainly continue to do so in <BR>different
contexts.<BR><BR>With best wishes,<BR><BR>Alain Clerc<BR><BR>**************************************************<BR><BR>Chère Tracey,<BR><BR>Nous avons pris bonne note de votre réponse et nous voudrions faire part <BR>de nos commentaires ci-après:<BR><BR>Depuis décembre 2003, nous avons gardé une discussion ouverte avec les <BR>autorités tunisiennes responsables du Sommet, afin de trouver des <BR>arrangements qui puissent garantir la pleine participation de la société <BR>civile au processus SMSI. Nous avons maintenu une petite équipe <BR>travaillant durant cette période de transition, ce qui est la preuve de <BR>notre engagement et de notre confiance.<BR><BR>Nous avons également fait des propositions très concrètes au Secrétariat <BR>exécutif et aux autorités tunisiennes sur les préparations de substance <BR>du Sommet, afin dinclure la société civile à tous les niveaux, <BR>particulièrement dans les groupes de travail thématiques qui devraient <BR>être établis.<BR><BR>Cepen
dant,
aujourdhui, six mois après le Sommet de Genève, il semble <BR>quil nexiste aucune volonté de démarrer la dynamique pour la Phase II, <BR>et par conséquent aucun engagement doffrir à la société civile les <BR>conditions et les moyens dinfluer sur les résultats du Sommet.<BR><BR>Dans ces conditions, la Division Société Civile du SE ne peut pas être <BR>maintenue et mise au service de la société civile de la manière dont <BR>elle a opéré pendant la Phase I. Dans notre opinion, développer une <BR>négociation véritablement tripartite sur des questions complexes en 12 <BR>mois nest pas réaliste. Si cela nest pas bien préparé, cela pourrait <BR>même mettre en péril les résultats de la Phase I.<BR><BR>En ce qui concerne la participation de lAfrique au Sommet, nous ne <BR>sommes certainement pas de « afropessimistes ». Depuis 1998, nous avons <BR>fortement appuyé limplication de lAfrique et nous continuerons <BR>certainement à le faire dans différents contextes.<BR><BR>Avec
nos
meilleures salutations,<BR><BR><BR>Alain Clerc<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>Tracey Naughton a écrit:<BR><BR>>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 th
at 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 i
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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: t.naughton@iafrica.com<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> <BR>><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 <FONT size=1>AAT,BSc.(Econ)Warwick,MSc.(Int.Acc/Fin)LSE</FONT></STRONG></P>
<P>Tel: 1-604-736-9012 & Email: <A href="mailto:amalidesilva@yahoo.com">amalidesilva@yahoo.com</A></P>
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