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align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 21pt">MISSING!! GRASSROOTS VOICES AT </SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 21pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI">WSIS<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></P>
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align=center><B><I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Community worker from Nepal demands for an Information
Society for the Grassroots<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></B></P>
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align=center><B><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">OneWorld South Asia on behalf of the
Grassroots Caucus organized a side event “Missing Grassroots Voices” at PrepCom
3 on September 27<SUP>th</SUP>.<B> </B>Grassroots voices have always been
missing from policy making fora. The event started with a film screening on
grassroots people sharing their development concerns and how ICTs could offer
possible solutions to them. This was followed by a presentation by Mr Basudev
Dhungana who is a grassroots community worker from </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix
= st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Nepal</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> and </SPAN><SPAN lang=HI
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI">representing
the grassroots Caucus at</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> PrepCom 3.</SPAN><SPAN lang=HI
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial">
</SPAN><SPAN lang=HI
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI">The
discussion was moderated by Ms Conchita Poncini from the inetrnational
federation of university Women. She is also the president, NGO Committee on the
Status of Women.</SPAN><SPAN lang=HI
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Basu expressed his pleasure at being
able to speak at such a platform. However, he also expressed his concern
regarding the engagement of grassroots voices at WSIS. In his presentation Basu
raised the key issue of how the information society is going to address basic
human rights issues whether related to education, health, livelihood options,
gender inequality or environmental concerns. In a situation where 42% men and
78% women in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Nepal</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> are illiterate and of the literate
only 10% understand English, is the information society going to be able to
reach these people in their own languages and provide them with relevant
education and information? In a country where only 12 out of every 1000
household has a telephone connection, is there a clear commitment and plan in
the WSIS process of providing equitable and affordable access and infrastructure
to the people which is a pre-condition for establishing an information society?
These were some of the questions put forth by Basu to the
participants.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The participants, while endorsing
the views presented by Basu, also felt that there was need for using new and
traditional communication technologies and methods while reaching out to the
people. The WSIS process has largely ignored the potential of media like
community radio, print media or even the more traditional ones like theatre.
While it was certainly important to provide communities with new technologies
like the internet, it needs to be done in synergy with older media as well,
especially those that the community have been using and are comfortable with. In
some instances, mobile telephones had successfully been used by illiterate men
and women to share information and the tremendous potential </SPAN><SPAN lang=HI
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI">of
various</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> forms of media
cannot be ignored.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Financial constraint was another
concern voiced, especially for projects that were working on local content and
in local languages. There was a need for the private sector and governments to
pro-actively come forward and support such projects if the WSIS process is to
have a far reaching impact on the lives of people. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Clearly, the WSIS process needs to
take these very relevant concerns into account as they move forward with
finalizing the documents. The plan of action will have to be based on the
premise that the information society will need to address the very real needs of
the people who have been largely missing from the decisions taken so far. It is
still not too late and is therefore imperative, that grassroots communities be
recognized as key stakeholders in the formation of an information society and
not just as mere beneficiaries.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right"
align=right><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">WSIS
Grassroots Caucus<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
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