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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Karen,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I am so very, very pleased
to hear about your CS initiative. I had pleaded at the recent GAID Steering
Committee and Dr. Touré’s Briefing in New York that the Kigali Summit should
hear loud and clear such a message.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Renate<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>-----------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p><b><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>Renate Bloem</span></font></b><font
size=1 color=navy><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;color:navy'><br>
</span></font><b><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>President
of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO)<br>
11, Avenue de la Paix<br>
CH-1202 Geneva<br>
Tel: +41 22 301 1000<br>
Fax: +41 22 301 2000<br>
E-mail: </span></font></b><font size=1 color=navy><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
color:navy'><a href="mailto:rbloem@ngocongo.org"><b><font face=Arial><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>rbloem@ngocongo.org</span></font></b></a></span></font><b><font
size=1 color=navy><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;color:navy;
font-weight:bold'><br>
</span></font></b><b><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>Website: </span></font></b><font
size=1 color=navy><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:navy'><a
href="http://www.ngocongo.org/"><b><font face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>www.ngocongo.org</span></font></b></a></span></font><font
size=1 color=navy><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:navy'> <span lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>
<p><b><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>The Conference of NGOs
(CONGO) is an international, membership association that facilitates the
participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and decisions. Founded in 1948,
CONGO's major objective is to ensure the presence of NGOs in exchanges among
the world's governments and United Nations agencies on issues of global
concern. </span></font></b><b><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>For more
information see our website at </span></font></b><font size=1 color=navy><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;color:navy'><a href="http://www.ngocongo.org/"><b><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>www.ngocongo.org</span></font></b></a></span></font><font
size=1><span style='font-size:8.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>De :</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> karen banks
[mailto:karenb@gn.apc.org] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Envoyé :</span></b> lundi, 29. octobre
2007 19:24<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>À :</span></b> plenary@wsis-cs.org;
governance@lists.cpsr.org; Building Communication Opportunities<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Objet :</span></b> [governance] [APC
Forum] Press release: Connect Africa Summit -- Civil society calls for new
governance to make internet accessible to Africans</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dear all<br>
<br>
A joint statement follows<br>
<br>
== recommending 12 improvements to stimulate the development of internet
and ICT infrastructure ni Africa == <br>
<br>
issued on behalf of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the
Open Society Institute for West Africa (OSIWA), Collaboration for ICT Policy in
Eastern and Southern Africa (CIPESA), the Kenyan ICT Action Network (KICTANet),
the African Internet Service Providers Associations (AfrISPA), and the Rwanda
Research and Education Network (RERN) <br>
<br>
at the civil society pre-event to the ITU-GAID Connect Africa summit in Kigali,
Rwanda, 29/10/07.<br>
<br>
Please join APC and partners at the following workshops on the theme of
'access' at the IGF in Rio.<br>
<br>
Regulatory Frameworks for improving access [ WS 3 (ACC) ]<br>
Monday Nov 12th, 1310-1500 <br>
<a href="http://info.intgovforum.org/yoppy.php?poj=36" eudora=autourl>http://info.intgovforum.org/yoppy.php?poj=36<br>
<br>
</a>and<br>
<br>
Access: the local challenge [ WS 7 (ACC) ]<br>
Monday Nov 12th, 1730:1900<br>
<a href="http://info.intgovforum.org/yoppy.php?poj=68" eudora=autourl>http://info.intgovforum.org/yoppy.php?poj=68<br>
<br>
</a>and review the IGF programme for other workshops on access on Monday 12th
and Tuesday 13th november.<br>
<br>
karen<br>
====<br>
<br>
PRESS RELEASE<br>
FOR IMMEDIATE DISSEMINATION<br>
<br>
Civil society calls for new governance to make internet accessible to Africans<br>
<br>
KIGALI, Rwanda, 29 October 2007 Convened by the Association for Progressive
Communications (APC) on the 28th of October 2007, civil society groups have
called for new forms of corporate governance to develop the ICT infrastructure
in Africa. These new forms should "ensure the interests of all
stakeholders, but above all, the interest of African consumers and
citizens", the statement insists.<br>
<br>
The Kigali statement by African civil society delegates, academicians,
researchers, consumer interest groups, and internet service providers is made
in light of the Connect Africa Summit taking place in that same city on the
29th and 30th of October 2007.<br>
<br>
Gathered to discuss the issue of connectivity to international, regional and
national information and communication technology (ICT) networks in Africa, the
participants recognised that private investment and public private partnerships
play a key role in the deployment of infrastructure in Africa.<br>
<br>
The African civil society welcomes the continued investment but asserts that it
needs to be further encouraged through the implementation of a stable policy
environment that protects the public interest.<br>
<br>
The statement recommends twelve improvements to stimulate the development of
internet and ICT infrastructure. Among them, it calls for governments to
support the harmonisation of policy and regulation to develop and implement
cross border connectivity. This means giving equal priority to the deployment
of national backhaul networks and international access networks.<br>
<br>
The Kigali participants mention the importance of the Universal Access
principle and specify that "such access can only be sustainable if it is
not only supply driven, but more demand driven and responsive to the expressed
needs of target communities." Civil society therefore upholds that
governments need to ensure the participation of all relevant groups<br>
from civil society, communities and the private sector in defining and
implementing ICT infrastructure.<br>
<br>
The statement encourages governments to commit to supporting the development of
national data, citizen-centred services and applications by themselves becoming
key providers of content and implementing initiatives that attract organisations
engaged in content and application development that improve access to education
and healthcare.<br>
<br>
The joint statement was issued on behalf of the Association for Progressive
Communications (APC), the Open Society Institute for West Africa (OSIWA), Collaboration
for ICT Policy in Eastern and Southern Africa (CIPESA), the Kenyan ICT Action
Network (KICTANet), the African Internet Service Providers Associations
(AfrISPA), and the Rwanda Research and Education Network (RERN).<br>
<br>
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of
civil society organisations dedicated to empowering and supporting groups and
individuals through the strategic use of information and communication
technologies, especially internet-technologies founded in 1990.<br>
<a href="http://www.apc.org/" eudora=autourl>http://www.apc.org<br>
<br>
</a>Read the full Statement from participants in the “Civil Society Workshop
on Open Access to ICT infrastructure in Africaâ€:<br>
<a href="http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5262405" eudora=autourl>http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5262405<br>
<br>
</a>- 30 -<br>
<br>
For more information and media inquiries, please contact:<br>
Anriette Esterhuysen, APC executive director, anriette@apc.org<br>
Tel: +27 834 563 224<br>
=======================================<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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