----- Original Message -----=20
From: Sean O Siochru=20
To: crisinfo-comunica.org ; wsis-prep1@lists.cpsr.org=20
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 10:18 PM
Subject: [CRIS Info] UNESCO online consultation
Dear All,
I have been asked to join with Marie Thorndahl in facilitating the =
UNESCO online discussion at http://wsisforum.unesco.org. It is due to =
run till January 15th, only another week. The Section we have been =
asked to facilitate is "Civil Society in the WSIS and Beyond" - the last =
one in the list. It is about how civil society would like to participate =
in the process during and after the WSIS. =20
For some reason, this is a Web-only discussion, meaning you will not =
receive a pile of e-mails, but you must register and access the Website =
to participate. For the many of us with dial-up internet access =
(including myself), I suggest you prepare your comments in advance, then =
go online and copy them in. =20
For a start, I though we might consider simple answers to three =
questions relating to immediate participate. Later we can look more to =
the future:
=20
1. PrepCom 1 (going against the UN/ECOSOC rules ) agreed to allow =
individual for-profit corporations to participate formally in the WSIS =
- unlike other Summits where they were represented only by their =
associations. How should civil society respond to this? Should NGOs =
object?=20
2. The proposal for the PrepCom and Summit is for tri-partite =
representation: Governments, civil society, and private sector =
(including individual for-profit corporations). If this goes ahead, =
should Industry Associations (i.e. those that are funded by and =
represent the interests of for-profit corporations) participate as part =
of civil society, or should they be part of the private sector?=20
3. In the PrepCom and Summit, should civil society be expected to =
participate without any significant funding? If not, should the =
Secretariat and governments say what they will do about funding? So =
far, a few fellowships are available (useful) but nothing is there for =
e.g. civil society organising its own Website and information strategy, =
mobilisation at and around events etc. =20
4. Given how the agenda is shaping up (not very well), and the absence =
(so far) of the promised innovation in CS participation, should civil =
society participate directly in the WSIS, or should we organise our own =
events and activities focusing on what we believe civil society should =
look like, and what we can do to achieve it?=20
I urge you to go online at UNESCO and answer these as simply as =
possible. The sub-topic will be called: "Four Starter Questions" =
(under "CS in the WSIS and beyond")=20
best
Sean=20
___________________________________________________
Se=E1n =D3 Siochr=FA Central office: tel: +353 1 473 0599 fax: +353 1 =
473 0597=20
NEXUS Research Mobile: +353 87 20 48 150
14 Eaton Brae Direct office tel: +353 1 272 0739 fax: +353 1 272 0034 =
Shankill =20
Co. Dublin e-mail: sean@nexus.ie
Ireland Web site: http://www.iol.ie/nexus=20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.434 / Virus Database: 243 - Release Date: 25/12/2002
229_2.html (attatchment)