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<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Dear Colleagues,<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 style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Thank you very much Charles for bringing
this possibility to the attention. Indeed, format of the WSIS Forum 2009 does
give the possibility of having kickoff meetings as well as side events. In case
you would be interested in organizing kick off meeting (10 people max) we will
arrange room for you. If possible please fill in attached form and send it to
me. <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 style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>There is always a possibility of having a
dedicated special session to be held on 21 May 2009, the day dedicated to the
thematic workshops/sessions. The capacity of the available rooms is up to 100. <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 style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In case you would need any further
information regarding the meeting please do not hesitate to let me know. <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 style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><a
href="http://www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2009/forum/geneva/index.html">http://www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2009/forum/geneva/index.html</a>
<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 style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>With kind regards, <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 style='text-autospace:none'><b><i><font size=1 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;
font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Jaroslaw K. PONDER</span></font></i></b><font
size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><br>
<i><span style='font-style:italic'>----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Strategy and Policy Coordinator<br>
</span></b></span></i>International Telecommunication <st1:place w:st="on">Union</st1:place><br>
Place des Nations<br>
1211 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:City> 20<br>
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country-region><br>
Tel.: 00 41 22 730 6065<br>
</span></font><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=FR
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Fax.: 00 41 22 733 7256<br>
</span></font><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:navy'>E-mail: </span></font><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span lang=FR style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><a
href="mailto:Jaroslaw.Ponder@itu.int"><font size=1 color=navy><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:navy'>Jaroslaw.Ponder@itu.int</span></font></a> </span></font><font
size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> <br>
Web: <a href="http://www.itu.int/csd"><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>http://www.itu.int/csd</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=1 face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><br>
<img border=0 width=200 height=88 id="_x0000_i1026"
src="cid:image001.gif@01C9BDD6.BBD79A90"><br>
<br>
</span></font></span></font><o:p></o:p></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>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Charles Geiger
[mailto:Charles.Geiger@unctad.org] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> mercredi, 15. avril 2009
12:28<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Virtual WSIS CS Plenary Group
Space<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> discuss@un-gaid.org;
plenary@wsis-cs.org; plenary-bounces@wsis-cs.org; <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Ponder,
Jaroslaw</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Fw: [WSIS CS-Plenary]
Digital Solidarity Fund in risk of disappearing: action required</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<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'><br>
</span></font><font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:sans-serif'>Dear all</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>With
reference to the last para below, I would like to inform you that short private
meetings or short parallel meetings can take place during the WSIS Forum,
depending on room availablilty. If your organization would need a room for such
a meeting, please contact jaroslaw.<st1:PersonName w:st="on">ponder@itu.int</st1:PersonName>
. </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Charles
Geiger </span></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=1 color=purple face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;
font-family:sans-serif;color:purple'>----- Forwarded by Charles
Geiger/UNCTAD/GVA/UNO on 15.04.2009 12:22 -----</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
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<td width="40%" valign=top style='width:40.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:bold'>Charles Geiger/UNCTAD/GVA/UNO</span></font></b>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:
sans-serif'>15.04.2009 12:03</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td width="59%" valign=top style='width:59.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%'>
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<td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>To</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Virtual WSIS CS Plenary Group Space
<plenary@wsis-cs.org></span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>discuss@un-gaid.org, plenary@wsis-cs.org,
plenary-bounces@wsis-cs.org</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Digital Solidarity Fund
in risk of disappearing: action required</span></font><a
href="Notes:///C1257242003CB788/DABA975B9FB113EB852564B5001283EA/0A9F43842E8A97DCC1257599002E80EF">Link</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
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<br>
</span></font><font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:sans-serif'>Dear Daniel</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Thanks
for this note to the WSIS Plenary Group.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Let
us be clear: The DSF was not created by WSIS. The idea of a DSF (the basic idea
came from the President of Senegal) did not fly during WSIS 2003 in <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:City>. Governments did
not want to create a new and administration-heavy intergovernmental fund. Therefore
the DSF was created in a parallel process to WSIS by a group of persons from <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:City> (+ President
Wade). One of the main mistakes was to create this as a private foundation,
located in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:City>,
with an administration that paid Swiss salaries and in Swiss francs (= very
expensive). </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Over
the years, the Secretariat has spent a lot of money on administration and on
making the 1% Digital Solidarity Principle known, but without big success. </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Maybe
the possible death of the DSF could open up the way for something more
feasible, e.g. an international network of civil society entities focusing on
democratic participation (+ right to Information), free flow of information,
and equitable and affordable access to ICTs for remote and marginalized
populations.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>These
kind of networks exist locally in some countries, e.g. the BNNRC in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
Maybe several such initiatives could get together and form an international
network, and maybe APC would be interested to act as Secretariat. I don't know,
it is just an idea, but it could be discussed during the WSIS Forum in May, in
a parallel event. </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Best
regards</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Charles
</span></font><br>
<br>
<br>
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<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:bold'>Daniel Pimienta
<pimienta@funredes.org></span></font></b><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'> </span></font><br>
<font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Sent
by: plenary-bounces@wsis-cs.org</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:
sans-serif'>13.04.2009 23:41</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=1
face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Please
respond to<br>
Virtual WSIS CS Plenary Group Space <plenary@wsis-cs.org></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>To</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>plenary@wsis-cs.org, discuss@un-gaid.org</span></font>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
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<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
7.5pt;font-family:sans-serif'>[WSIS CS-Plenary] Digital Solidarity Fund in
risk of disappearing: action required</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>
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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>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<br>
</span></font><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>[Please
note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the entire list. Kindly use
individual addresses for responses intended for specific people]</span></font></tt><font
size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Click http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to access
automatic translation of this message!</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">_______________________________________</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Dear colleagues,</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">I shall report on the critical situation of the
Digital Solidarity </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Fund (DSF) in my quality of Latin America &
Caribbbean civil society </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">member of the Board. I wish to report in the WSIS
civil society </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">plenary list as well as in G@ID discussion list,
in the hope to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">trigger some positive dynamics in both communities
(and I am also </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">informing the DSF Board of that initiative).</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">The last couple of months have been of acute
crisis after a change in </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">the DSF Presidency and coordinated complains from
the new DSF </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">President and the President of Senegal (speaking
as "historical </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">father") on General Secretary management:
basically they do not trust </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">the 1% principle could be effective and wish a
centering and hosting </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">of the DSF on Africa, as an ICT4D project
management organization.</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">On November 25th a stormy General Assembly was
held in Lyon (<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region>)
</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">and was unable to reach consensus on further
steps. An extraordinary </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Assembly was then scheduled in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Bamako</st1:place></st1:City>, January 27th, 2009. More </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">confused than stormy this Assembly decided that a
strategical and </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">finance independant audit shall be organized and
its results </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">presented to a last extraordinary Assembly to be
scheduled prior to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">May 27th. This last Assembly would finally decide
on the proposition </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">of the President of Senegal to take over the
management of the DSF </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">(he was also given the responsibility to contract
this audit and </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">manage the interim period).</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">The investment made so far has reached some 6
millions of euros (a </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">substantial part coming from developing countries)
and one of the </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">argument for not letting go the situation was the
responsibility to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">protect that invested capital (which is no more in
cash but hopefully </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">some part has transformed into people and project
experiences and </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">institutional moves). Furthermore, it appears that
the cashflow would </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">allow to stand until the next Assembly but no
more.</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">The situation as of today is that the audit has
apparently not been </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">launched and the risk is extremely high, due to
the shortness of </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">cashflow, that the DSF will just fade out without
any decision taken </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">and no audit results presented. This could be the
worst scenario for </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">one of the most concrete products the WSIS process
has tried to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">launch and a shameful situation for our ICT4D
community in regard to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">the lost investment...</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">In that context, I want to call upon global civil
society to put </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">pressure on stakeholders in order to try to save
whatever is possible </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">from the disaster. I am wondering, given the
particular situation, if </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">the best approach would not be to try to convince
a UN related structure to</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">take over the DSF, conduct an audit which appears
a mandatory </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">requirement (if only for accountability of public
money invested!) </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">and assess the situation, trying to preserve, as
far as possible, the </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">initial principles (multistakeholder global fund
to overcome the </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">digital divide based on innovative sources).</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">ITU, G@ID or UNDP (which has been out of that
field for some years </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">now) are possible options. I am not sure that any
of them is eager to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">take over a project in such a difficult situation;
what I am quite </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">sure is that it is my duty as a civil society
involved actor to </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">alert, inform and contribute to the search for a
solution (I shall </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">also remember as a possible contribution that
Agence de la </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Francophonie had offered during the DSF Board
debates to take </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">responsibility to contract an audit of the DSF...
although it was </font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">decided to do it another way).</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Daniel Pimienta</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Networks & Development Foundation</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">http://funredes.org</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Member of APC Network</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">As LA&C civil society member of the DSF Board</font></tt><br>
<br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">_______________________________________________</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Plenary mailing list</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">Plenary@wsis-cs.org</font></tt><br>
<tt><font face="Courier New">http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/plenary</font></tt></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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