<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1515" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear List:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I hope I am not 'out of thread' posting a note I
wrote myself 'to file' 10 days back. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In reading the current discussions, as well, my own
individual response regarding an eminent participant</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> who is and has been involved
thoroughly in WSIS and in ICT and rights broadly,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I do feel that I would like to post this
note now.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Of course nothing I say here binds or reflects
input of Ms. Marzouki (who clearly would be an excellent Speaker), or my
organizations, or anyone else. Your own feedback here or to <A
href="mailto:respectful_interfaces@att.net">respectful_interfaces@att.net</A>
will be appreciated.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cordially, LDMF.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dr. L. D. Misek-Falkoff [Ph.D., J.D..]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=1>Online communications systems ARPANet
forward.<BR>For Identification here: *Respectful Interfaces* Programme /
Communications<BR>Coordination Committee for the United Nations. ACM
ABA. International<BR>Disability Caucus for the Disability Convention
(toward U.N. Treaty).<BR>CCC/UN Secretary and Member of the Board.<BR>Founder:
Persons With Pain International (PWPI) accredited to the U.N.<BR>Disability
Convention</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greetings and the following comments are mine as
an ICT professional of many decades, and one not in line to be a Speaker, not
do I represent below the views necessarily of any UN NGO.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My comment is just that regardless of the
particular topic, it is important and should be somehow mandatory that Civil
Society be maximized/mainstreamed centrally as well as featured in
sub-groups as participants at WSIS. We have the good reasoning and urgings of
those here setting forth these values. I would add that once
stakeholders <EM>are displaced from prominent - the most frontal - dialogues,
that is to say de-networked at the highest nodes, </EM> they (hence we)
can begin to lose touch with the developing "vocabulary" of terms,
concepts, and commitments, and the danger is of not being even able thereafter
to discourse with full benefit to all, even if opportunity should later open
up to do so.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Therefore my view is that we can be extremely
grateful to Rik, Robert, and the others communicating here, and now, who
clearly both here and in other UN fora and even outside the UN one repeatedly
meets up with urging civil society participation at optimal
levels.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I post just to say that being "speakers" in a
universe of discourse is extremely vital for everyone and that this precious
communication channel can be dangerously narrowed by non use and growing
disconnection. Again, thank goodness for the voices here and the urgings
they be heard in all contexts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Respectfully, and with warm regards,
LDMF..</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>